There are

six people

in my family.

My dogs take up two of those slots,

and Alice,

another.

My neighbor's cat

who visits me often

is included in the mix.

And then there's my father, Terrence,

and my sister, Gabrielle.

I don't include my brother

because we don't get along.

We are just people

who share blood

and occupy the same living space.

There's also my mother,

but she died a long time ago.

"Alice?"

The windows are down and the highway is fairly empty.