With the curtains closed most of the way, there through the small opening, a path of light streamed in, hitting the bed. Silvia Belmonte laid in the dark, gazing at the illuminating sun that touched and warmed her skin. Her bedroom had shifted from something of grandeur to something grim and desolate. Her king sized bed that she used to share with her husband was replaced with a hospital bed and there, on her nightstand, were flowers — lilies specifically. A subtle reminder of her circumstance. As she watched dust particles within the passageway of the sun and of the light dance in the air, Silvia got lost in thought, trying to accept her awful position. She knew from day one of her diagnosis that she would be in a constant state of uselessness, unable to do much besides lay and listen. When she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, she gradually turned her head away from the window, bringing her attention to the door, wondering which child wanted to visit her today and what would they say.

The door to Silvia’s bedroom slowly swung open, and the fifth-born Belmonte child carefully stepped inside. Her mother looked livelier than usual, which was always a good thing to see-- a possible sign that she was picking the perfect moment to have this conversation. “Hi Mamma.” Natalia greeted her mother upon arrival, offering the frail woman a soft smile as she walked across the room and settled in an empty spot next to her on the bed. It felt like the space available in the bed became bigger as Silvia’s health grew weaker, but Tal chose not to dwell on such sad thoughts. “How are you feeling today?”

Catching her at one of her better moments, even with her body getting smaller and smaller each day, Silvia had a glow about her. Not the kind of glow that meant she was okay. She simply seemed in better spirits, the more her children routinely visited. A good sign being her timid smile. On top of that, the Belmonte matriarch wasn’t coughing as much nor was she in need of a rag bath from the nurse, who had cleaned her up earlier this morning. Today she was in good spirits.

While she knew she wouldn’t defeat the beast that was cancer, she could at least give her children moments with her until she knew they were going to be okay. Sleep wasn’t going to overtake her until there was no doubt in her mind her family would be fine without her. Subtly adjusting her body, hiding any sign of pain on her face, she tried to sit up. With oxygen to help her breathe now, she barely had the strength to lift and hold herself without support. Exasperated and almost giving up, her daughter affectionately adjusted her pillow and lifted her up so she was sitting more upward.

“Stellina,” Silvia breathed, her voice was raspy, cracked and sounded dry. It was clear Natalia’s mother saved her energy to talk for only times that mattered. “I am… tired,” she answered, while breathing in and out with the portable oxygen. “But… I am… here.” Sluggishly, she reached for her daughter’s hand, giving her a safe place to talk. With serenity in her gaze, the mother nodded, which was quiet instruction for Natalia to tell her what was ailing her mind.

“So you know how I told you I was going up to Blue Hill? The Native American reservation?” she began, waiting for her mother to confirm that she remembered before continuing. “Well, I did end up going… And I met someone. A girl.” Tal admitted, her cheeks blushing pink and her face lighting up as the face of her Dolcezza sprung to the forefront of her mind. “Her name is Mitena, and she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve laid my eyes on. She’s got the silkiest black hair, the smoothest olive skin, the kindest brown eyes, the cutest nose, and the brightest, most heartwarming smile of anyone I've ever met.” Tal trailed off with a small smile, visualizing the woman who had captivated her in such a short period of time in her imagination. “And it’s not just that she’s gorgeous, Ma. I know it’s probably weird to say this when I’ve only known her for a few days, but she's the sweetest girl I’ve ever met in my entire life. She listens to me. She makes me feel like I matter; like she truly cares about how I feel and what I think and my outlook on things. She makes me smile. She makes me hopeful about what the future could look like. Whenever I’m around her or talking to her I just feel… safe. Like it’s the place where I belong and I’m supposed to be.”

There was a momentary silence as the weight of Tal’s words sunk in for both women. “All of my life, I’ve been searching for and failing to find that someone that feels like home. You were there: you know how many times I tried, how you had to console me and tell me exactly what I needed to hear each time I ended up with a broken heart. And knowing how things go for me most times, there’s always a chance that everything will probably end up in catastrophe with Mitena. But I think I’ve finally found my someone, Ma. I really think so. I found the person I'm meant to be with. I feel it in my gut. And as scared as I am to take the leap and fall face-first, I also have this strange feeling in my chest telling me that it's all worth it and that it’s going to work out.”

No verbal response. Within her silence, Silvia gave her Little Star her undivided attention. Their eyes gazed into each other’s and although her’s were heavy, she kept it open. For Natalia. For Danny. For Caterina. For Vivia. For Elisabetta. For Mirabella. For Ninetta. For all her grandbabies. And for her soulmate, her little Devil. Her Taz. Her babies were healing. Her babies were finding love. Her babies were walking their chosen paths, after experiencing burden, tragedy and insurmountable grief. Her babies were growing. They might not see it but she saw it and with His grace and His mercy, she was so grateful. Grateful He allowed her breath to see them pick up their broken pieces and find hope to keep living. Find hope to not give into their own darkness. Find hope to just be. She was grateful.

“When we were growing up, you always told us to be brave and follow our hearts, because they would lead us in the right direction. So that's what I'm going to do today: I'm taking another chance at being happy. I'm going back up to the Blue Hill Reservation to ask Mitena if she’d like us to date and see where things lead. If she says yes I'll bring her back here to introduce her to you.” Natalia declared, her eyes full of conviction and determination. “So just wait for me if you can, Ma. Please. I don't want you to leave without meeting the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me besides being yours and Pappa's daughter. I promise you I'll be back soon.”

Saying the words out loud served to solidify Tal’s resolve to carry out the plan she’d just disclosed to her mother. After so many weeks of seeing her put up a front and probably sensing she was in low spirits, she wanted to make sure Silvia didn’t part this Earth under the assumption that she was leaving a lonely daughter behind. And the best way to erase any lingering preoccupation in the Belmonte matriarch’s heart was to introduce her to the angel sent from heaven to take care of her third-youngest child.

“I am… tired, Stellina,” Silvia tried to speak. She wanted to say more. All what was on her mind, she wanted to shout and be heard. Silvia wished she could tell her children they could love whoever they wanted. Marco was a good boy and her son chose wonderfully. Mirabella was still young but Marcela was such a smart, driven, fiercely loyal girl. If they brightened her children’s lives, putting color to their world, how could she ever be upset about that? She wished she could walk to ReyRey’s house and beg him to not hurt her daughter. She wanted to visit that carefree and hardy Costigan boy and tell him that no matter how many times her daughter tries to run away, push him away, scared, to hold onto her tight. Love her like she’s never been loved before. There were so many things she wanted to say, that she wanted to do but all she could do was pray and wait until the Lord came to her and said it was time to go home.

Suddenly she broke into a coughing fit, her grip on her daughter’s hand tightening. Unable to hide the pain coursing through her body at every slight movement, like when her daughter lifted her up, Silvia began to cry, tears trailing down her cheeks involuntarily. Hurting all over. Deep down, the mother of the Belmonte Seven wanted the suffering to stop. She wanted to rest. She wanted to feel nothing and sleep. Hope, love and perseverance kept her going and with sheer willpower, she knew, it wasn’t her time. Not yet. Soon but not yet.

Gesturing for her daughter to help her lay back down, Silvia went quiet, breathing in and out, inhaling and exhaling, burying the pain so she could focus on being there for her baby with the galaxy in her eyes. So much love to give, so much hope in her soul for a better tomorrow. Natalia always wished upon falling stars, wanting to believe in a love made just for her. Her Stellina.

Life is beautiful. Watch the stars, my baby, and run with them.

With watery eyes, Silvia whispered, “Be brave.” Pushing her daughter to her greatness, whatever that may be, all she could say was be brave and that she will wait. For a little longer, she would stay. Her husband was not okay and she needed to know he would be. For a little longer, her eyes would stay open. “Be happy.”

Overcome with emotion, Natalia wrapped her arms around Silvia and allowed herself to cry from both happiness and a deep sorrow. Watching her mother’s health deteriorate more every day, barely able to speak and feeling pain at even the smallest things, was a heartbreak unlike anything Tal had ever experienced. All of her life, she had watched her mother be the anchor that kept their family steady: their unconditional source of comfort, love and support. In these last days of her life, Tal felt it was time to return the favor. All she could hope for was that seeing her happiness firsthand could bring Silvia some of that comfort and relief she was so great at giving them, even if just for a fleeting moment.

The Kang family had banded together to help Ty furnish his new chocolate shop, and the scene was one of utter chaos. There were boxes strewn everywhere in the Sweet Tooth Factory, with packing material, Styrofoam peanuts and what looked like flour strewn across the floor. Furniture was half-assembled, and tools were scattered around haphazardly. Eun-ji Park was directing the layout of the shop, while her husband Haru worked on assembling the display cases. Even Hanna was in her element, seemingly delegated the responsibility for setting up the electronics.

Everyone had their role in setting up shop. But amidst all the chaos, Mi-Rae was sat on a chair in the corner, left feeling somewhat helpless. She had been tasked with organizing kitchen supplies, but there were so many pots and pans and baking trays she could arrange by purpose then size. She felt left out of the action, only accompanied by her recently acquired support dog she’d called Glacie, who was sitting faithfully by her side. She could feel her furry warmth against her cool legs, puffing and seemingly relaxing beside her, even if Mi-Rae knew Glacie was all but relaxed. The aircon was running, thankfully, to combat the humid summer outside, so it wasn’t the heat bothering her furry companion. Her fingers traced over Glacie’s leather collar, memorizing the bumps and ridges in the material. When her fingers brushed over a particular bump, a familiar static-y voice filled her corner.

VAL's monotone voice sounded out as she was "woken up" from idle mode. “Good morning. Mi-Rae. How may I assist you?”

Hanna’s recorded voice came through the speaker as the voice of VAL herself. The system prototype embedded into the collar was still a work in process, so the audio quality was still admittedly worse for wear. But Mi-Rae would never admit that she preferred it that way – at least she could tell if it was really her sister speaking in the same room. “Play something random from my training playlist. It’s too quiet.”

VAL, or Virtual Assistant Link, was her parents’ baby. The Siri before there was a Siri. A voice and touch activated AI growing in popularity and function as the Kangs developed the tool. It started as an app at first, but with enough funding the Kangs were able to develop their own product that could function as a stationary robotic butler. It was what got her family into the US in the early 00’s and into the comfy, gossip laden Scott Street. VAL was powerful, and with Hanna leading the charge, Mi-Rae’s parents were all but certain that VAL would become even bigger than what they could ever dream.

Heavy bass started playing from Glacie’s collar, Chung Ha’s Bicycle playing lowly beside Mi-Rae. Her hand still on Glacie’s collar, she felt the vibrations from the music of the palm of her hand. The upbeat bass helped combat the bittersweet feeling bubbling in her stomach. It wasn’t that she was entirely sightless. She could still see, even if everything was a blurry blob of colour ahead of her. She knew that Glacie was some shade of light cream, a sweet little golden retriever named after Mi-Rae’s favourite Pokemon, Glaceon. She could see the shade of nail paint Lily-Rose Lee had painted her nails the last time they’d had a sleepover (it was a pretty blush pink).

Legally blind or not, the youngest Kang was a fighter. She may not have talent in the kitchen like her older brother or the brains like her older sister, but Mi-Rae knew she was still just as memorable. Before losing most of her vision, Mi-Rae had been training under Isabel Kingsley’s tutelage in Boston as a budding figure skater. She had the skill for it too, going onto finishing pewter (fourth) in the 2018 US Figure Skating Championships then bronze in 2019 before her vision deteriorated. Rather than letting that crush her dreams of going to the Olympics, Mi-Rae continued to train, tirelessly and painstakingly relearning everything to get back on track of going pro.

Reminiscing over and feeling the urge to move, Mi-Rae abruptly stood up from her seat, feeling Glacie stiffen beside her from surprise. “I’m done with the pots! What’s next?” She called out. Sitting around was getting too much. She needed to do something.

Atop the nearby counter, sitting cross legged with a pencil in her mouth, her glasses hanging low on her nose, an open tool kit and six different variations of a computer screen surrounding her, Mi-Rae’s older sister Hanna flicked her head up to greet her yeodongsaeng (baby sister). She tilted her head slowly, her dark eyes analyzing Mi-Rae and Glacie as they stood resolute in their desire to do more whilst the headphones she wore around her neck blasted out the latest track that Mei Midnight had selected for her night vibe followers.

Han-Na was an enigma of a person. The middle child of the Kang dynasty, she was always what one would consider advanced. She could stand at four months, walk at seven and talk at seven and a half. When other girls her age were outside playing, Hanna was in her fathers workshop watching him build VAL and mimicking him with Lego’s she had stolen from Tae-Geun. Soon she began helping in the process, her brain a perfect formulaic generator. She was around twelve when she was diagnosed with a high grade variant of autism, which explained her ability to absorb information as well as her low understanding of social queues and obsessive compulsive behaviors.

Despite her social ineptitude, Hanna was a fairly popular girl in high school despite never fully understanding or comprehending it. Though the truth of the matter, according to Ty and some other people that she knew, was that Hanna was popular because she looked like a supermodel with the brain of a robot and was quite willing to have sex with just about anyone. In her mind, this was nothing important beyond being a stimulus that released the right amount of endorphins into her body to allow her to stay up longer and work harder. When Hanna was lost in a project, she did not sleep and she did not eat. Her family like to refer to it as Han-Na being “Logged On.”

“Based on the current scent entering my nasal passage, I believe there is a seventy five point three percent chance that Glacie needs to do a circuit around the block to express her glands and alleviate herself. That is what you should do next.” Hanna returned her attention to her tablet and began to furiously type once more. “This new spyware and malware protector program should keep all customer financial data safe from anyone wishing to procure that information. I will call it…” The porcelain Korean beauty looked up at her ice princess sister Mi-Rae. “…Crevasse.”

“Did you eat?” Tae-geun called out from the backroom, going through a couple of boxes of his palette knives, chocolate moulds, piping bags, nozzles, whisks, and a variety of spatulas. He scrunched his nose when he couldn’t find his thermometer. He could’ve sworn he put it in this box. Then again he also knew his family, especially his mother, got carried away and changed things up on him, which annoyed him to no end.

On one hand, the only son of Ha-Ru Kang and Eun-Ji Park, the brother of Han-Na and Mi-Rae, was perceived as arrogant as they come and someone who innately hates people. Obsessive, full of himself and always ready to judge. He was a grumpy old man, as Mi-Rae would jest or someone who struggles to overcome emotional reactivity, with little to no adequate emotion regulation, as Han-Na would describe.

On the other hand, his passion to create something from scratch, something that can give a ‘wow’ impact to others, made him more personable than he’d ever admit. In his world, in his personal oasis, he smiled and expressed himself freely, without restraints. He actually cared. Outside the kitchen though? Ty was an asshole.

To him, he saw himself as prideful because he was good at what he did and he knew who he was. How many young adults could say that about themselves? He had it all figured out. To anyone else, like his closest friends, they saw him as someone stubborn to change, who was given too much freedom as a little boy. To him, he was who he was, no excuses. He owned it. If someone bothered him, he’d treat them accordingly. He wasn’t going to be nice to those who didn’t deserve it and most people didn’t. Was he wrong?

Perhaps that was the price to pay for being as gifted as him. In order to create a masterpiece, an artist needs the right tools. Chocolate and pastries were no exception. His mind was a tool. He needed to protect it. Robert Hughes says ‘the greater the artist, the greater the doubt; perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize’. Ty couldn’t disagree more. At least that’s what he tells himself. His sisters would counter by saying he’s been driven to succeed, wearing confidence for years, to prove he’s good enough, when really he’s critiquing himself in everything he does. He’d never confirm or deny if they were, or well are, onto something and that they do know him like they know their own passions.

None of that mattered though. What mattered was he needed to be different and he needed to stand out. Going to school with the likes of the Grimm twins, Pavati Huaman, or Taynara Cortez, it was hard to shine, even as a Kang. He was no computer like Hanna nor was he an ice cold pretty bitch like Mi-Rae, that commanded attention simply by how she held herself. Back in highschool, Ty was a boy that hyper fixated in art class and kept to himself, until Acacia came along, and forced him to interact with actual people. She’s two years younger than him.

One can say his childhood set him up to be scarily driven and to get as much worldly experience as he can before making his mark. To be innovative, one needed an open mind and had to challenge their mindset, seeking different perspectives. Most would assume chocolate would be Ty’s passion but the truth of the matter was before chocolate, he made pastries and before pastries, he sculpted. The best part of his pursuit was that he could go on a social adventure of sorts, trying different types of food, talking to different types of people, and learning different types of cultures. He didn’t actually hate people. People just assumed he did because of his reactive behavior, as Hanna so eloquently puts.

With a couple years of pastry training on his belt, affirming his love for creating chocolate showpieces, Ty was in the simplest sense, a man who loved art. Before he did chocolate art, he always treated the kitchen as his laboratory and when he wasn’t baking, he was playing with clay in the garage. His undeniable skills and the power of social media is what really pushed him forward and now here he was, starting his own shop with his closest friends. However, currently only his family was here. His mother insisted on helping out so he went out of his way to make sure his friends wouldn’t show up today. He’d be damned if his family made a fool out of him.

“Am I speaking to myself?” He grumbled when neither one of his sisters answered. Leaving the box behind, he exited the backroom, “That’s it,” he announced, clapping his hands together. “Breaktime. Hanna, thanks for the update. Now get off your computer and Mi-Rae, take that dog out so he doesn’t do his business on my floor. I made some kimchi pancakes and japchae.”

Mi-Rae's ears perked up at the mention of food, and she felt a surge of gratitude towards her brother. She knew he could be prickly at times, but she also knew that deep down under the layers of prick, he cared about his family. It was in moments like these that his softer side emerged, to feed the rest of the family with his notable talent. The tantalizing aroma of kimchi pancakes already filled the shop air, causing Mi-Rae's stomach to growl in anticipation.

“She. And thanks, Ty,” Mi-Rae said, gently patting Glacie's head, feeling her pup lean into her touch, acknowledging the movement in her own way. “I'll be back. Don't let appa hurt himself too much. He's already hit his finger with that hammer twice trying to set up that cabinet.” Mi-Rae stood up and Glacie immediately perked up at attention, following after Mi-Rae as she found her way around the mess of a room and out the door. There was no way she was going to let her family polish off the food before she could get a piece.

With Mi-Rae out of earshot, a woman with wild curls tied behind her ears appeared from behind the kitchen doors. “And I bring some matcha chiffon cake for us sweet tooths here!” Acacia announced, setting the tray gently against the counter before disappearing back into the kitchens. When she returned again, she carried a medical kit with her, the cold pack already out of the kit and offered it to the patriarch Kang.

Hanna remained oblivious to her siblings as she furiously tapped away at one of her iPads. It wasn’t until Acacia entered the room with the matcha chiffon cake that the robot girl raised her dark eyes upwards and away from one of the many screens that sat before her. In an environment such as this one, it was commonplace for a baker or chef to be covered in the produce that they prepared. Yet as Hanna absorbed, she noted that Acacia presented herself in a pristine manner. She had thoroughly cleaned herself up, no chocolate smears, no flour under her fingernails and no sweat on her manicured brow.

The middle child of the Kangs leaned forward slowly until she found herself on all fours. She crawled across the long counter top, knocking over some loose bits of equipment absentmindedly until she reached the edge and the curly haired baker. With the music blaring loudly from the headphones that she had wrapped around her neck, Hanna reached forward and took the entire plate from Tae’s best friend's hands. “You are not dirty, too clean.” She tilted her head before inhaling the sweet matcha smell. “You are waiting for Lucien to come by and offer you some kind of stimulus through what is called a romantic gesture.”

Hanna was classmates with Lucien Aviles and his twin Samara back in high school and had often found that their behavior was less than formulaic. She saw everything as ones and zeros, which made the world around her very easy to predict using simple mathematics and science. However the Aviles clan were a break in the curve. They were extremely difficult to pick because of their unusual belief system and counter intuitive reasoning. Of the macabre dynasty that lived on the hill, Lucien did seem the most normal but Hanna knew that his equation may actually be the most difficult to solve.

“This is mine.” The raven haired robot said matter of factly as she began to slink backwards to the original position on the other side of the counter, the sustenance for her brain now well in hand.

Drinking some water out of his bottle, Ty silently listened to the exchange. He rolled his eyes at the mention of his friend’s boyfriend. It wasn’t that he approved or disapproved of Lucien. He could care less who the guy was. As long as he didn’t hurt Acacia, he knew she’d love who she wanted and how she wanted. What he didn’t like was the fact she didn’t tell her family about it and neither did he to his family. They’re acting like a dirty secret when both of their parents would approve immensely and immediately. There’s some people who don't get that luxury. After putting his bottle down, he crossed his arms, scanning his friend, in a stern, big brother kind of way. “Take that crap outside. So happy your boyfriend is making time for you,” he said sarcastically before adding, “but I don’t need you two acting like fools while I’m trying to work.”

Acacia felt a flutter in her stomach as she listened to Hanna teasing her about Lucien. Despite her attempt to deflect, she couldn't hide her excitement at the thought of seeing him soon. It had been a long start to their morning at the Sweet Tooth Factory, but knowing that Lucien's shift at the fire station was nearing its end kept her going, even going as far as to save a smaller cake as a treat for her lover, hidden away in the kitchen. He would be coming to see her soon, as was their habit for the many years they’d been together.

Although Acacia's mother would be thrilled to see her dating an Aviles, Acacia wasn't ready for the pressure of their families getting involved. Not yet. She wanted to enjoy their sweet romance without any familial pressures lingering over them. She didn’t like the secrecy, but considering Cynthia Goode was more likely to sound the wedding bells the moment she’d come forward, it was for the best.

“No distractions or romantic gestures at work. I know.” She finally agreed sheepishly. She had promised Ty that when she had first accepted the job in the first place.

“What's all this talk about romantic gestures?” Eun-ji chimed in, a mischievous glint in her eye as she approached the counter. She tried acting casually, appraising the dishes made by Tae-geun but clearly interested in something else entirely. “Are my babies hiding their special someones from me?”

“I do not understand this ‘special’ you speak of, mother.” Hanna was speaking with a mount full of matcha cake with crumbs dropping down from her pretty face and falling onto the clean counter and her equipment. Mi-Rae had absorbed all the grace that the Kang family had to offer, with Tae’s so cold rudeness and Han-Na herself had little to no understanding of sociality at the best of times. The model-like girl had never had what one would consider a romantic partner; the equation of love was one that her cerebral processor had yet to solve. Sex was a different formula, so easy to figure out that it made Hanna curious as to why it always causes so many problems in life. It was simply a physical act for procreation or stimulation. It wasn’t a big deal.

“Though if I am correct you are probably referring to the idea that myself, Tae and Mi-Rae have partners in the standard design of a relationship? This is not true. People do not like Tae. Mi-Rae I believe has…..feelings….but for who I am unaware. I have no ‘romantic’ partner but my sexual endeavors are quite vast. Does this answer your question? Yes it does.”

Since it was break time, Ty was not going to listen to this crap or even indulge his mother. Instead he grabbed his water bottle and started walking toward the door, “Relationships are overrated, I’m going outside.” Without giving anyone in the room a glance over, he exited his sweet shop, like the grumpy old man that he was, getting fresh air and staying far away from that kind of talk.

Eun-ji raised an eyebrow at Hanna's response. She had always suspected that her children had their own secrets and quirks, but hearing Hanna's blunt and matter-of-fact response was always unexpected. Hanna was somehow equally predictable and anything but. Tae-geun's stalk off was far more predictable than Hanna's admission, at the very least. “Well, I suppose that's good to know,” Eun-ji said, trying to hide her amusement. “But it wouldn't hurt to be a little more open to the idea of finding love, dear.” She said, the pitch of her voice growing louder so it could carry outside the shop, even if her words fell to deaf ears.

“Why don’t you bring one of your… friends over for dinner?” Eun-ji turned to Hanna, her face twisting as though she wasn’t sure what to even refer to Hanna’s ‘sexual endeavors’. “Maybe that Kaine girl? If that is what you like. You know we’ll have no problems with who you bring, boy or girl. It would make me so sad if you were hiding someone from us, like Acacia is from poor Mrs. Goode, thinking we’d judge your choice.” Eun-ji sniffed, her words causing Acacia to cough in surprise.

“That’s- I’m… not- Ah, I-I should go-” With a squeak, Acacia scurried away back to the safety of the kitchen, her excuse inaudible in her haste to escape being used as an example by one of Scott Street’s most notable gossip.

“I have no feelings about your feelings about my interpersonal relationships, mother.” Hanna watched as Acacia tried to take her leave and smiled brightly with her teeth shining and her hand waving. “Tell Lucien hello.” Like the flip of a switch, the black haired girl returned her attention to her screens and began to furiously type. Hanna’s ability to shift gears was truly a thing to behold. “I have not had sexual stimulus with Avery in quite some time….” She paused and tilted her head, staring blankly into space as her chaotic mind wondered whether she should call the comic book store girl? “No, that will not work, I need to synthesize a new testing algorithm.” She hadn’t even finished her thought about her one time lover before her brain transitioned to another project.

In the midst of her tidal wave of thought, Hanna had not cleaned herself up. Her face and clothes were governed in the mossy green matcha, giving the appearance of a messy child. The truth of the matter was that the middle Kang barely took care of herself and too often she needed someone else to remind her to do the most basic of things like eat or clean. Hanna’s brain acted like a supercomputer, processing information faster than most but like a mosaic, it came in pieces and sometimes the pieces didn’t fit together straight away.

Eun-ji watched Hanna with a mixture of amusement and concern, her eyes softening as she took in the sight of her middle child. Hanna was a whirlwind of brilliance, her mind always churning and processing at a speed that left the rest of them in the dust. But it was moments like these that reminded Eun-ji of the challenges that came with that brilliance. Hanna's focus was so intense, so singular, that she often neglected the most basic of human needs.

With a sigh, Eun-ji moved towards Hanna, a damp cloth in hand. “You're a mess, dear,” she said, her voice gentle as she began to wipe the matcha from Hanna's face. “You need to remember to take care of yourself, too. Not just your projects.” Eun-ji was proud of her daughter’s brilliance, undoubtedly so. Each of her children were special in their own ways - Ty’s creativity in the kitchen and Mi-Rae’s grace on the ice were unmatched by anyone Eun-ji had ever met. But, a mother will always worry for her babies. “Your body is just as important as that mind of yours. Nurture it.”

Just as Eun-ji was about to remind Hanna to eat something more substantial, the sound of the shop door opening drew her attention. Mi-Rae walked back in, Glacie trotting happily at her side. Eun-ji's eyes softened at the sight of her youngest, the girl who had always been a little more reserved, a little more distant. But she was also the one who had the most heart, even if she hid it behind an ice wall.

“Mi-Rae, you're back,” Eun-ji greeted, her voice warm towards her youngest. “Did Glacie enjoy her walk?”

Mi-Rae nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “She did. But I can't stay for long, I have to get to the ice rink.”

Eun-ji blinked in surprise, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “The rink?” she echoed, her gaze flicking to Glacie who was now sprawled out on the cool floor, panting happily. “But you don’t have classes today, why do you have to go?”

Mi-Rae hesitated, her fingers tracing over Glacie's collar as she avoided her mother's gaze. “Lily-Rose wants to go,” she replied, her voice firm.

Eun-ji's eyes narrowed slightly, her motherly instincts kicking in. She knew her daughter well enough to know when she was hiding something. And right now, Mi-Rae was definitely hiding something. Mi-Rae would never use her friend as an excuse for anything, especially one so vague. “Is that so?” Eun-ji asked, her voice gentle. She moved closer to Mi-Rae, her hand reaching out to gently tuck a loose strand of silky hair behind her daughter's ear. “And is there a particular reason why Lily-Rose wants to go to the rink?”

Mi-Rae's cheeks flushed a deep red, her eyes still firmly fixed on the floor by Glacie. “It’s the hockey game today. She wants to support the Horsemen.” Mi-Rae fired quickly, before fixing her flushed expression. Clearing her throat, she raised her head in the direction she thought Hanna was still sitting in. “Hanna, come. I need you to drop me and Lily-Rose off. Ty can handle the shop now.”

Hanna had paid no mind to her concerned mother, instead her ears listening only to the low vibrations from her headset. She did not even register Eun-ji cleaning her up as she had done so many times as both a child and an adult. Her dark eyes scanned the ones and zeros of her beloved code and her fingers furiously typed away until Mi-Rae had closed the door behind her, a perfect match to the middle Kang hitting the final stroke of the final key of her coding. “Yes yeodongsaeng.” She said giddily, a rare show kid emotion from the robot girl.

Reminiscent of some kind of uncoiling snake, Hanna shifted her long, lithe body forward slowly in a slither until her hands were touching the floor of the bakery. With her still touching the counter, she pushed herself onward into a forward roll until she sprang up in front of her little sister and her special dog with a special job. She was far less graceful in her movements than Mi-Rae but that hadn’t stopped her from being approached several times to join idol groups in their native Korea. Her parents had entertained the idea, Hanna had already forgotten the question.

“I must test out VAL’s new predictive play function!”

Eun-ji watched as Hanna uncoiled herself from the counter, her movements fluid and oddly graceful in their own way. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, her heart swelling with a mother's love. Hanna was a whirlwind of brilliance and unpredictability, a force of nature that Eun-ji could only marvel at.

Her gaze then shifted to Mi-Rae, her youngest, her ice princess. Mi-Rae was a study in contrasts to her siblings - graceful where Hanna was abrupt, reserved where Ty was assertive. Yet, she was just as remarkable in her own way. Her dedication to her figure skating was inspiring even after her vision loss, and Eun-ji could see the fire of determination in her eyes. Mi-Rae was quiet, yes, but she was also strong, her spirit as unyielding as the ice she danced on. She was not easy to get along with, a peculiar trait that seemed to plague all her children, leaving Eun-ji to wonder where she had gone wrong.

And then there was her Tae-Geun, her creative masterpiece where Hanna was the family genius. Eun-ji's heart ached with pride as she thought of him. He was a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen, his talent undeniable. His journey from a quiet, introspective child to a confident, assertive young man had been a remarkable one. Despite his prickly exterior, Eun-ji knew that Ty was still that little boy who loved to create, to bring joy to others through his culinary masterpieces. Maybe one day he would find someone that could nurture and support the creativity in him, but Eun-ji was willing to wait.

Eun-ji shook her head, a fond smile playing on her lips as she watched Mi-Rae leave the store, Hanna's excited chatter about VAL's new function following her out the door. Her children were all so different, yet each one was special in their own way. They were her pride, her joy, her heart.

“VAL,” Eun-ji called out, her voice echoing in the now quiet store. The system lit up, functional thanks to Hanna’s earlier tinkering. “Call Tae-Geun. It's time to get back to work.” And with that, she turned back to the chaos of the shop, ready to tackle the next challenge. After all, she was a Kang, and Kangs never backed down.

With her beloved Post Malone playing in the background, Tal mustered up the confidence to sit in her vanity chair and face her reflection in the mirror for the first time in weeks. The greasy hair from before was now clean and freshly blow-dried into glossy locks of dark hair that barely reached her shoulders. The dark bags under her eyes were now less pronounced and had lost their puffiness, enough that she no longer looked like a racoon. The blemishes that had on her cheeks and chin had been effectively treated with pimple patches, their only trace of existence being fading dots of hyperpigmentation on her pale skin. These, and any other imperfections on her face, were soon concealed from view with the assistance of makeup products, while her best features were consequently brought to the forefront. Concealer was used to hide the blemishes and the dark circles, mascara elongated and thickened up her lashes, navy blue winged liner emphasized her starry eyes, a touch of sparkly liquid blush gave her cheeks a healthy glow, a spoolie fluffed up and styled her eyebrows, and a flavored lip tint plumped up and added some color to her lips (and hopefully make them more appealing for Tena to kiss while at it). A short, form-fitting, spaghetti-strapped baby blue sundress paired with some matching sandals had been the outfit of choice. She wanted to look casual and cute while toeing the line at being sultry.

Today, with Charlie Decker's and her mother's encouragement, was the day that Natalia Belmonte would momentarily put her fears aside to follow her heart ‘down that blue highway’ and straight into the arms of Mitena Strongbow.

With the windows down and a far more uplifting playlist flowing out of the speakers, Natalia sped down the roads that led to the Blue Hill Reservation with ease. But because of the circumstances surrounding their first night together and her determination to surprise her, she couldn't recall the way to Mitena's house. The only place she remembered how to get to besides Adora's house was Aponi's, which is how the Eden native ended up at the reservation’s landmark longhouse.

Although she tried her best to put on a confident facade, the young woman anxiously made her way inside the large building, looking around for any familiar face that could help her but failing to immediately recognize anyone nearby. Letting out a deep breath, Tal decided to occupy one of the stools beside the bar instead, hoping that getting some liquid courage would soothe the nervous butterflies inside of her. If she was lucky enough, maybe Tena would show up while she waited.

“Hey!” A female voice called out from beneath the bar floor. “I’ll be with you in just a second, okay?” After a few moments, a tanned hand appeared from the other side of the bar top, then another and then finally a head, face and body soon followed as the girl pulled herself out of Aponi’s freezing cellar and back into the warmth of the world. Closing the trap door behind her, the girl offered the offcomer a warm and welcoming smile. “Sorry about that.” She said with a small giggle in her voice. “I was just changing some kegs. Let me just wash my hands and I’ll get you whatever you need, pretty girl.”

The woman strode over to a nearby sink and began to rinse her hands free of sticky beer and fragrant produce. Now stood in the light, her features were far better illuminated. Unlike most residents of the Blue Hill Reservation, this girl's hair was far more brunette than it was black, with soft blonde highlights. Her face was sun kissed and befreckled and her eyes a lighter shade of chocolate. She was dressed in a flowing buttoned down dress with the arms rolled up a touch. She very obviously spent a lot of time taking care of herself. She was in an enviable shape. After finishing up at the sink, she slid back down the bar and directly opposite Natalia. “So, what can I get for you?”

The Belmonte girl was left momentarily speechless. What was in this reservation water that made their women so gorgeous? The stunning specimen currently standing in front of her ticked a lot of the boxes on her Yes list: dark hair, brown eyes, button nose, full lips, a beautiful figure and a feminine appearance with a dash of athleticism. Under different circumstances, this would have been someone that Natalia would've absolutely tried to take home with her. But of course, no matter how floored she was by her bartender’s looks, it didn't change the fact that Tal was here for her beautiful and incomparable Dolcezza.

Realizing she'd been staring at the woman a second too long, Natalia cleared her throat. "What's something good you have to take the edge off?" she asked her, knowing that her usual White Claws wouldn't do.

Heather was flattered by the girl's big green eyes staring at her for a moment. She couldn’t deny the stranger's beauty, but the middle Tatanka girl had learned from her high school self and only wanted to be with one person and at the present time… A blonde roping champion called JoJo with the cutest smile she had ever seen. She took a strand of her brown hair behind her left ear as she began to sense some familiarity with the stranger. “Hm. You don’t strike me as a straight up beer girl and it’s too early for a shot, but how about you try this?” As she poured the alabaster stranger a taste of her sister Kalia’s latest brew of Warhorse Mead, Heather finally placed her customer's face. She had been on the reservation a few days ago; she remembered seeing her in the crowd, at the Red Wolf show. She was most certainly hard to miss and Tena had gushed about going home with her that night and being struck by Cupid's bow. Heather couldn’t help but smile to herself; Mitena was a strange kid. “If you like it, I’ll pour you a glass.”

She turned back and handed Natalia the small glass of alcohol before leaning down onto the bar with her elbows. Heather didn’t even actually work at Aponi’s, not in the same way Winnie and Ten did. Like most members of the tribe, she helped out in multiple places when the need called for it. On this particular day, both of the twins were unavailable and Kalia had just brewed her latest batch and needed someone to take it to the bar. Two birds, one Heather. “What brings you here, dare I ask?”

Rather than answering right away, Tal took a second to savor the sample provided to her, and immediately felt herself being blown away by the taste. The beverage was slightly thicker than wine, and its sweet blend of blueberries and honey felt pleasant and warm as it softly burned down the throat. It was delicious, and exactly what she needed right now.

Natalia smacked her lips a few times and audibly expressed her approval before eagerly signaling the bartender for more. “I’m actually here looking for someone-- well, more like I’m looking for someone’s house, but you get the idea,” she answered with a nervous chuckle, feeling the anxiety from before creeping back up again. And before she could stop herself, she went off on a ramble to this beautiful stranger on the other side of the bar. “I sorta made an impulse decision to come all the way here from Edenridge to surprise Mitena Strongbow and ask her if she wanted to date me and give things between us a try. But now that I’m actually here and thinking about it, I don’t know if randomly showing up to her house unannounced would be a good idea. I’d probably end up looking like a fucking creep or a weirdo, and the last thing I want to do is scare her off.”

As she poured Natalia a full pint of her family's legacy, Heather couldn’t hide her smile. “Tena is fearless, it would take a little more than a pretty girl coming to confess her feelings to scare that one off.” The older woman finished pulling the drink and slid the mead over to Tal. “I’ll put this one on her tab. I mean she owes you considering how happy you’ve made her feel… Natalia.” It took a moment but Heather finally remembered the name of the girl that her friend had not stopped talking about since their last gig.

Everybody on the Reservation knew that there was just something special about Mitena. The way she had the uncanny ability to connect people and find whatever they needed from her almost instantly, it was astounding to watch, really. She spent so much time making others happy and bringing light into their lives that Heather and others worried just how longer she could go before her sun burned away. It was the Tatanka woman’s hope that maybe this Stargirl could share that light and keep Tena burning for a bit longer.

“I’m Heather, by the way.”

Heather calling her by her name stunned Natalia for a moment, but she shouldn't have been surprised. In such a small place, things like the names of random visitors who come to their land seeking one of their own was probably one of those things that became public knowledge shortly after it happened. Her vote of confidence that Tena wouldn’t be scared of what could happen was helpful, too. "Nice to meet you, Heather," Tal said politely, winking at the woman in acknowledgement. "And you don't have to put anything on Tena's tab! I've got it covered."

As she took a sip of her mead pint, the Belmonte girl thought about what Heather just said. A curiosity unlike anything she'd felt in the last few years motivated her to want to find out more about the girl she was interested in and where she potentially stood with her. "You said that I've made her feel happy. Does that mean that she's, like, talked about me? Orrrrrrr…?" Natalia innocently inquired, a small smile on her lips at the thought of both her and Tena being so into each other that they'd gushed about their existence to the people they trusted the most.

“Oh for sure!” Heather shook her head. “I mean, T is a talker at the best of times but all it’s been since you were here last had been ‘Stargirl’ this, and ‘Natalia’ that. She’s down bad for you, babe.” She had never seen her bandmate like this before. Mitena had always been a free spirit, something that Heather aspired deeply to be yet when she spoke of the Italian woman that she had met one night at Aponi’s Heart, the songstress became a giggling school girl. “I can drop her a message and tell her you’re here if you’d like?”

Natalia’s smile widened into a beaming grin with Heather’s words. The confirmation that the same feelings and their intensity were mutually shared by both herself and the object of her affection lifted a weight off the woman’s shoulders. Her self-sabotaging, self-deprecating nature had been working overtime trying to convince her that this thing with Tena wasn’t worth pursuing: that the risk of getting hurt was too high. She was glad to have an opportunity to silence those thoughts, even if it was momentarily.

When the freckled woman offered to contact Tena, the dark-haired girl shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'd rather she and I meet somewhere a little more private," Tal explained, hoping that the other girl would be understanding of her desire for discretion. She didn't want the potentially vulnerable conversation to be interrupted in any way. "If you're comfortable with doing it, though, are you able to give me her address and maybe send her a message asking if she's home right now?"

“Sure thing.” Heather picked up a pen from behind the bar and scribbled on a service notepad that she had tucked away. “I already know she’s home. She messaged me about five minutes before you walked in.” After finishing the note that contained Mitena’s address, the drummer for Red Wolf Road slid it across the bar into the off-comers waiting fingertips. “To be fair, Silverheel isn’t very far and you can’t really miss it. Take the main road to the west of town and follow the dirt path straight up the hill. Lovely scenes but a bitch to walk when you’re drunk…” Heather placed the pen she had just used behind her ear before placing her hands on her pear hips. “Then again, you’re walking with purpose and that purpose is damn worth it. She really is.”

In some ways, the native was jealous. She had yet to find her person, her reason. She wondered if they even existed. Joelle was an interesting case. Heather loved spending time with her when she could. But more often than not, the blonde-haired country girl was off on her travels with her firecracker sister. And as happy as seeing that bright smile made her, the Tatanka daughter did wonder if the fact that she could leave so easily, meant that what they had wasn’t what she thought it was, or wanted it to be. Heather had spent much of her youth being a terrible person and it was only after her older sister lost something dear that she realized how short and brittle life could be. Natalia was a beautiful girl and based on the look in her eyes, she wanted to be Mitena’s person. Good for them.

“You know I have a cousin in Edenridge? That’s where you are from, right? Her name is Topan…” Heather paused at a loud bang as her head sharply turned to see a young man dropping a large box onto the floor. “Tuna, you shitass! That’s some expensive equipment!” The boy shrugged his shoulders in melancholy before he began to refill the box, and their guest chuckled in amusement. “Sorry. I’m not even supposed to be here today but I’m glad I was. Give T my love when you see her?”

Natalia chugged the last of her mead and nodded eagerly. "Sure will!" she replied to the woman with a grateful smile, sliding her a $10 bill across the bar and rising from her seat. As much as she wanted to continue their conversation, there still remained a bigger purpose for the visitor's presence in Blue Hill. Now that she had the information she needed, it was time to turn her eyes and focus back on the prize. "Thanks for everything, Heather. It really means a lot to me."

Tal waved at Heather and took a few steps, but suddenly stopped and turned back around with a playful smile. "And if Mitena and I end up getting married, I'll make sure yours is the first name on the guest list."

Heather let out a soft giggle. “Married, huh? Guess this must be that love thing people always tell me about?”

Natalia gave a laugh on her own and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. I guess we’re going to find out.”

Heather picked up the bow empty pint glass that Natalia had left behind and placed it into the open dishwasher which had yet to fill up for the day. Seeing the stranger giddy and happy was infectious and the drummer hoped that it would spread across the reservation as she made her way through it to Silverheel Ranch. Everyone could always do with one more good day. Heather slipped the payment into the counter and the befreckled beauty offered Natalia one more warm smile.

“Go get her, tiger.”

The directions Heather had given Natalia had led her to a dirt lane that offered more beautiful scenes of the reservation’s forest greenery. A comforting familiarity struck Tal as she drove down the road, and she found herself smiling fondly as she remembered the feeling of that Tuesday morning breeze on her skin, arms wrapped around her beloved Dolcezza stealing her from her misery and away to their private paradise. Her reminiscences were sometimes interrupted by muttered curse words under her breath whenever her Navigator was victimized by a pothole, but not even that could damper her optimistic mood. With the spirits and best wishes of her mother and Charlie as her guiding light, Tal was ready to take the gamble and give herself another chance at finding happiness.

Even with her slow driving in the bumpy roads, Natalia’s arrival to Silverheel happened faster than she had anticipated. The nerves she’d been brushing off came back in full force as she parked in front of the large ranch home, and her heart skipped a few beats when she noticed Tena’s bike parked beside the front porch. Good; that meant she was home. With this confirmation of her lover’s presence nearby, Tal took a few seconds to reapply her lip gloss and shake off the jitters with a few puffs of her vape before exiting the vehicle, holding the beautiful potted cactus plant she’d brought for Tena as a gift in her hands.

Mitena arose from her knees, wiping the heavy sweat from her brow with her forearm. Plucking weeds from the dirt was hard damn work, but the front garden was her late mother’s baby, and Tena had made a promise to herself that she would do everything she could to maintain its beauty. The hot summer sun was at its peak above her head and bearing down upon her with his incredible heat. She could feel her form fitting denim shorts clinging to her lower body even more than they were designed to and her loose button down shirt was open to reveal her bra and allow what little breeze there was to cool her body.

Her hands covered in dirt, Tena turned into the sun with a smile on her face. The Silverheel ranch had been in her family for centuries. If the elders of the tribe are to be believed, the first Silverheels settled in this land after the exodus from what is now Edenridge after the youngest of their number, Aponi, was hung, and the indigenous people were driven away by the pilgrim armies of Judge Nathaniel Carlisle. Their name, Silverheel, came from this very spot when they found silver in the Earth; which, when sold to the white man, helped fund the building of the original reservation and moved its people out of teepees and into actual homes. Now in the modern era, there were bigger, more profitable ranches like the Coldwind’s and the Tatanka’s, and Jadyn was using this place for her drug-growing business. But at the end of the day, Silverheel was still helping keep the reservation and its people alive.

When the sun finally left her gaze, Tena was treated to an incredibly welcome sight when she saw Natalia standing at the foot of the path. This only made the raven haired girl's smile even brighter. “Stargirl.” She couldn’t mask her excitement at seeing the girl of her dreams walking back down her way.

The green-eyed girl watched Mitena approach her with a dumb, wide grin on her face. Even with the veil of lust from the time they first met now lifted, the Native girl was just as beautiful as she remembered. The rays of sunlight radiating down around them did a wonderful job in highlighting the shininess of her dark hair, in illuminating her mesmerizing brown eyes, and in making the little beads of sweat on her sun-kissed skin look like dewdrops on a flower petal. Her blouse was open to reveal her stunning upper body, and her denim shorts hugged her feminine curves perfectly while showing off those toned, thick legs. But it was the way the woman was smiling at her, with such genuine delight and excitement, what made the Eden girl truly weak at the knees.

Wiping her hands on the towel she had hanging from her back pocket, Mitena walked forward to meet Tal halfway. “Heather texted me and said that there was a pretty girl asking for me at Aponi’s. I can say unequivocally that I’m very happy that it was you.”

That declaration about Heather's text made Tal chuckle. "Really? So does that mean there are other pretty girls chasing you or asking around about you that I have to be worrying about?" The tall girl joked, sticking her tongue out at Tena.

“Oh, sure.” Tena stopped a few feet away from Natalia and placed her hands on her hips. “They usually don’t get here until after I’ve finished my gardening though…but I suppose the early bird gets the worm.” The indigenous girl tilted her head ever so slightly as her big doe eyes drank in the visage of her Stargirl. Natalia was just as beautiful and as perfect as she remembered her being during their night and day together. “Are you here to chase me, Stargirl?” She said with a small bite of her lower lip and a flutter of her eyes. “If you are then you beat me to the punch since I was coming to chase you as soon as I was done here.”

Although Natalia kept a straight face, the mental arguments had started. The little monster of cynicism that lived inside Tal’s head was quick to snort at Tena's comment about chasing her. I'm sure you were... the little devil on her shoulder jeer at her. Who in their right mind would purposely set out to seek her? She wasn't nice. She wasn't kind. She wasn't independent. She was an insecure, jealous, paranoid, doped-up mess with nothing to offer. The angel on her shoulder, though, was quick to silence the negative voices. Why would Tena lie about that-- or anything, for that matter? In the short time since they had known each other, the woman had been nothing but honest and truthful with her. So if she said she'd been planning to chase her, then that meant she was probably going to do as she said.

Trying to keep her mental angel and the reason why she was here at the forefront of her mind, Tal shifted her sole focus back on the beauty in front of her. "Well it's a good thing I caught you now while you're still gardening, then. That means you'll know exactly what to do with this," she replied with a timid smile, presenting Tena with the cute potted gift she'd procured for her and praying it was to her liking.

Mitena’s tongue rolled across her lip as her smile brightened more, her doe eyes gazing upon the small flowered cactus in Natalia’s hands. “Oh Tal, is this for me?” She could feel her cheeks flushing with warmth and excitement. Her heart was bubbling with giddiness as she closed the space between them and took a hold of the potted plant, placing her hands over Natalia’s as she did so. “I love it, thank you so much.” Tena wasn’t going to starve her fire or oxygen. Carefully, she leaned over the sharp needles of the baby cacti and pressed her mouth against Tal’s, breathing in her lips in a loving kiss.

A wave of relief and excitement washed over Natalia as Mitena expressed her delight with the small surprise she’d been presented with. The gift had been an impulsive purchase made at Hummingbird Creations during Tal’s drive to Blue Hill. She’d remembered seeing a few cactuses and succulents decorating Tena’s room and hearing her mention they were her favorites, so she thought that it would be a sweet gesture to add another to her lover’s collection. And judging by Tena’s reaction and the way she was kissing her, it looked like her move had been the right one to make.

Tena was not afraid of being forward, especially with Natalia. From the moment she saw her in that bathroom, Mitena had held her face in her mind and with every moment since it had expanded to fill her entire being. She was falling hard for the Stargirl, her train had come off the tracks and was careening off of a cliff and she didn’t want to pull that emergency break. This feeling in her heart, she wanted it to keep going, keep growing and never stop. “I know the perfect place for this.” Tena broke the kiss for only a moment to speak before pressing a soft, light peck on Natalia’s lips once more. “Follow me, Stargirl.”

She turned happily on her heel, looking over her shoulder and back at the alabaster goddess before skipping into the main ranch house. Making sure her lover was behind her, Mitena led Tal towards the back of the first floor, past where Tena slept and the stairs that went up to the second floor. Finally when the girls stopped, they stood before a door with intricate patterns carved into the very wood itself and various decorations hanging from it. The singer pushed down on the handle and allowed the old oak wood to fall open by itself, revealing another bedroom. It was steeped in white and sky blue colors and drowned in fresh flowers and traditional native decorations such as dream catchers and woven quilts. “This is perfect.” She beamed. “Go on, find a place for it.”

An aura of peace and cheerfulness seemed to linger in the air and wrap itself around them as Tal stepped into the room she’d been led to by her beloved. "This is a beautiful bedroom,” she muttered in audible admiration, green eyes drinking in the details of her new surroundings. The choice of colors in the wall made the area feel inviting and cozy, while the selection of flowers and traditional decor added life, charm and character to the space. As she surveyed the area, she couldn’t help but wonder who this lovely spot belonged to.

After some scouting, Talia located an opening on a windowsill that would be perfect to showcase the beauty of the gift. By sitting in between, it would compliment the other two small potted flowers already residing there beautifully. “What about here?” the green-eyed woman asked Tena, walking over to the spot in question and pointing at it. “It’s got just enough sunlight to hopefully keep it alive.”

“I think that’s exactly where it belongs.” Mitena traced her fingernails down Natalia’s arm as she placed the baby cactus onto the windowsill, overlooking the rambling field of the ranch, lit bright by the sun and sitting strong beneath the shadows of the Blue Hills. In Tena’s mind, the potted plant wasn’t the only thing that had found its way home. As her big doe eyes looked lovingly at the Eden girl, she couldn’t help but be overcome with the feeling that Natalia herself belonged there too. From the moment they met, the indigenous singer had been head over heels for the brunette and she knew that wherever Tal went, if Tena was with her she would be at home. She loved the Rez and its people with all her heart but anywhere with Natalia was where she wanted to be.

Stepping behind her Stargirl, Mitena wrapped her arms around the gorgeous woman’s slender waist and kissed beneath her ear, right on top of a little freckle that lived there. “This was my mother's room.” She said resting her chin on the taller girl's shoulder. “She loved to garden. That’s why we always put fresh flowers in here when we can.” Tena let out a soft little chuckle as a thought crossed her mind. “My cousin Illy has an eye for interior design, hence why it looks so pretty in here and my room looks like a nuclear bomb went off in there.”

Natalia couldn’t help but smile at Tena’s words as she rested her head on hers. The more she and the Native girl interacted, the more she believed they were connected by forces beyond their comprehension. What were the odds that she’d be shown this memorial bedroom on the same day that a promise to her own mother had led her here? Some people would call it coincidence, others would call it a fluke. Tal was calling it destiny.

“Your cousin’s a very talented girl, then,” the green-eyed girl complimented the woman, softly kissing the top of Tena’s dark-haired head. “And from what you’ve told me about your mom, I think she would love the way you guys are keeping her memory alive here. I just wish I could have met one of the people responsible for creating the jewel of a woman currently standing beside me. She sounds like she was just as lovely as you are.”

As kind as Natalia’s words were, there was a hint of sadness washing over Tena as she thought about her mother; Dakota. She was a wonderful woman, a doctor who gave everything she was to her patients. What she lacked in resources she made up for in drive, tenacity and sheer love for her fellow man. Mitena knew some things about her father, mostly whispers. She knew that he had a poet's soul, like her brother and that he sought to help people when he could. The problem for James seemed to be he couldn’t help himself. She had lost both her parents and her brother, yet Tena did not feel alone because she knew they were with her always, watching her and guiding her into the arms of Natalia.

“Lovelier.” She smiled at the press of Tal’s lips on her head. The warmth she radiated into her being filled her from toe to crown. Letting go of her Stargirl, not without dragging her fingers over soft skin, Mitena walked to the dresser and rested her hand next to a photograph. “This is her. Her name was Dakota.” She beamed as she looked at the image of her mother. Everyday her face faded a little more from her memory but the love she gave her could never leave.

Natalia took a moment to examine the photo Mitena was presenting. It was clear where her lover's looks came from. The sharp-jawed, slim woman in the photograph posing with a tan jacket off the shoulder was another Native beauty with dark hair, tanned skin and deep, soulful brown eyes. It wasn’t hard to tell that Tena’s radiance came from her, nor was it hard to see what James Decker could've seen in her.

After caressing the image for a second, Mitena strolled back over to Natalia and took her hands between her own. “You traveled all this way, so it can’t have just been to see me. What’s on your mind?”

The Eden native couldn't help but smile at the other girl’s correct assumption. Leave it to Tena to accurately guess her intentions. "It's funny you brought me to this specific room today of all days, because I'm partly here due to a promise I made to my own mom of having her meet you," Tal began, caressing the back of Tena's hand with her thumb and tucking a strand of the Native girl's hair behind her ear. It was time to allow herself to be vulnerable and hope for the best.

"You came into my life when I was in the middle of a very dark place. I've been going through some things: some I've told you about, and some I don't feel ready to just yet. And I've felt so alone throughout everything, all because I isolated myself from the people I care about with the way I acted like a bitch throughout the years. But then you came along, when I was least expecting it. For the first time in a while I felt safe enough to be raw and vulnerable about what I think and how I feel with someone. You take my breath away with how beautiful you are since I first laid eyes on you, and every time I've looked at you since. But it's the way you've treated me with such kindness, tenderness and respect that has captivated me since the night we met. I know we've only known each other for a little while, and that I might come off as impulsive by saying all of this, but you haven't left my mind since I met you… And I don't really want you to." Tal trailed off, taking in and letting out a deep sigh as the butterflies inside her stomach fluttered with nerves. This was it. "So that's why I came all the way here today: to see if you'd be interested in going out with me, and being exclusive. We can take some time to get to know each other and see where this goes."

She said them. Natalia said the words that Tena had been waiting to hear since the moment they met. She wanted them to date, proper, full on, real, live and in color. Knowing what little she did of her Stargirl’s past, Mitena had no question that Tal saying the words out loud was a huge step for her. She also knew that Silvia did not have long left and that her words would carry an insurmountable weight with Natalia; the native girl knew that feeling. When her own mother passed, Mitena was not offered the chance to say goodbye. Her last living memory of her Mom was not anything significant or heartwarming, it wasn’t cute nor spiritual. It simply was. She was happy Tal was using the time she had left with her Mom better than Tena did.

“You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that.” She spoke in exasperation before bringing her hands to Natalia’s face and pulling her into a deep kiss. With fire in her lungs, Tena savored every second that their lips caressed one another, that they shared one breath and one heartbeat. Staring into Tal’s big green eyes she tried to talk but could only manage a small whimper first before she found her voice. “When I look into those eyes of yours, I see potential. I see infinite possibilities in an endless cosmos and I want to explore it with you.” She traced her finger for Tal’s painted lips, desperate to kiss them again but first she had to say what she needed to say. “I see you, Natalia. I see you and I can’t stop seeing you. You’re everywhere. You’ve captured me: mind, body and spirit. I want to do this with you: be with you. The good, the bad, the secrets and scars. I want to share them all. I’m yours, Stargirl.”

Tena couldn’t deny how fast things were moving with her Stargirl. But she also couldn’t deny her feelings-- that was one thing she could never do. Being with Tal brought out a fire, a feeling of elation and joy. Mitena had never felt anything like it before. And she had to be honest with herself in saying Natalia was an addiction that she did not want to give up.

The green eyes that were locked with Mitena's brown orbs had filled and overflowed with tears of happiness as Natalia moved to embrace her girlfriend. Any worries or second thoughts that remained in her heart about Tena not feeling the same way she did had vanished as she listened to the other woman’s beautiful words. She spoke with such certainty and conviction in her voice, showing no signs of doubt or hesitation about wanting to commit herself to Natalia. To Tal, it was admirable how the other woman had the capacity to open her heart out to her so freely and openly. She was not afraid to say how she felt; and, more importantly, it was clear that her statements were honest and true. Tena wanted to be with her-- wanted to be hers…

"Just like I'll be all yours, too, Dolcezza." she replied to Tena out loud as she pulled away slightly from their embrace, holding her close and briefly kissing her lips again. "Even if I'm absolutely fucking terrified about not knowing what happens next."

“Not knowing what comes next is what makes life a great adventure.” Mitena smiled brightly as she took a hold of both of Natalia’s hands and stepped backwards to lead her out of her late mothers room. Turning to face the other way but keeping their fingers interlocked, the singer coyly looked over her shoulder with her doe eyes shining with playfulness. “Feel free to watch my ass while we walk, girlfriend. It’s yours now.” Tena swayed her hips to tease her lover as she guided her towards the small bedroom towards the front of the property, her bedroom. Once inside, she closed the door behind them and stood silently for a moment as she watched Tal explore it in the light of day.

Much like her older brother, Mitena’s room was a tragic mess of organized chaos. Beyond the clothes strewn across the room, there were old records littered everywhere, she had several guitars both attached to the wall and simply leaning up against dusty amps that hadn’t seen the light of day in years. On the window overlooking part of the farm, trophies from her time in gymnastics and track. The walls were adorned in traditional hand made native decor and one wall was covered in photographs of Tena with people from her life, the center photograph being of her mother with a space next to it.

The last time Natalia had been inside this bedroom, there hadn't been much time for dwindling on its contents. Both her and Tena had gone inside of it in the middle of the night with a purpose, and it wasn't to linger around doing show and tell. Today, with the afternoon sunlight illuminating the room, the taller woman took the opportunity presented to her to get a better insight on her newly designated girlfriend.

Like in Dakota's bedroom, the native decor on the walls gave the room charm and personality. The clothes on the floor weren't a turnoff for Tal-- the only time there wasn't at least one garment on the floor of her own bedroom was when there were anticipated guests coming over. She'd been told about Tena's penchant for collecting records (like a certain someone they both knew), but she was surprised with the amount she could see scattered about. More impressive than that were the amount of gymnastics and track awards by the window, because when their conversations had shifted to discuss their athletic abilities, Tena had been pretty modest about her accomplishments. But it was the wall of photographs that captured Tal's attention the most.

The Italian girl felt a stab in her chest as she stared at the pictures of people she did and didn't recognize, all frozen in the middle of times from the past and the present. It was these moments when wished she hadn't spent so many years at odds with those she cared about; that she'd made an effort to forgive any transgressions committed by or against her in favor of cherishing the relationships. Maybe then she could look back at the times of yesterday without so much guilt and even more regrets.

Instead of dampening the mood with her retrospection, Tal chose to push the thoughts aside to dissect another day and focus on the present. "What's this space here for?" she asked her girlfriend, pointing at the blank space next to the heartfelt photograph of a younger Tena with her arms wrapped around Dakota.

“I’m not sure yet.” Mitena smiled as she came up behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around Tal’s gorgeous waist and pressing soft, light kisses to the warm skin of her exposed back. “Every picture on the wall means something or shows a moment or a person that I wanted to remember exactly as it was. I thought maybe if I could I’d find a picture of my Dad or maybe even Charlie...” She trailed off for a moment as her thoughts lingered on her lost family. Tena did her best not to dwell on the life she didn’t have and focus on the one she did, yet it didn’t make it any less difficult when those thoughts popped into her head.

At least with Charlie Jay, Mitena was finding out more each day. From Natalia and Penelope and his other heart pieces she was finding out the man her big brother was. Her dark eyes glanced at the book on her bedside table, his novel, his innermost thoughts and feelings transformed into one of the most moving things she’d ever read. When it came to her father, James, there was so much Tena didn’t know, so much that she wasn’t allowed to know because he had brought great shame to their tribe and been labeled craven. He had been expunged from their society for his actions and the love of a father had been taken away from Mitena before she was even born.

Yet none of that mattered as much anymore. The heiress to the Silverheel had found someone whose love could fill her up in ways that she had never imagined before. The alabaster girl wrapped up in her arms shone a glorious, supernova of light onto Tena that completely enveloped her in its warmth. Together, they would float amongst the stars and write songs of infinite love.

Posturing up on her tiptoes, the native girl's teeth teased Natalia’s ear with a light nibble, a joy of being smaller than her Amazon lover. “I might have to start a separate wall for everything you and I are going to do together, Stargirl.” She whispered before resting her chin on Tal’s shoulder and removing one of her arms to trace circles over the Eden girl's pale, befreckled back with her fingertips.

Although the unexpected mention of Charlie did momentarily take her by surprise and tensed her up, Tena’s teasing was quick to pull her back to the present again. "I just hope I don't disappoint you," she heard herself muse out loud without really meaning to. While her Dolcezza's optimism about their newly officiated relationship was heartwarming, Tal couldn't help but let her insecurities momentarily get the best of her again. She cared about this girl so much: wanted to love her, protect her and bring only happiness to her life. But was she capable of doing such a thing in her current state?

“Enough of that talk.” Mitena turned Natalia around in her arms and used her hand to cup the beauty’s face. “I know this can be scary-- starting fresh, starting something new.” Her husky voice was gentle and soothing for her lover, her palm caressing Tal’s cheek with every word. “It’s just as terrifying for me as it is for you: I can promise you that, baby girl.” Tena starred up into those big green eyes and found the hope and the strength she needed inside of them, inside of Tal. The Italian woman would be the source of her strength and resolve because Tena knew that she was worth every second. “I meant what I said. I want to be all yours, and I want you to be all mine, and I want us to be us, together and striding forward into the future. We are together. That’s all that matters. You found me, how could I ever be disappointed after that?”

Before Tena knew it, the hands of Natalia that had been resting on her hips as she spoke now moved to cup her face as the Belmonte girl passionately captured her lips with hers. How was it that this girl had an innate ability to pinpoint her necessities and give her what she needed? How was she able to find the perfect words to validate her feelings, sympathize with her and alleviate her concerns in just a few sentences? The idea of soulmates was one that, after so many failures and disappointments, the Italian girl had long since stopped believing in. Finding Mitena had changed that. She was her soulmate, and she was so fucking excited to have found her.

"You're amazing," Tal murmured fervently after breaking the kiss, her forehead momentarily pressed to her girlfriend's before she locked her lips with hers deeply again. "I'm so happy you said yes."

Mitena couldn’t hide her smile as her newly minted girlfriend kissed her. With every grace of their lips upon one another, the feeling inside the indigenous girl grew higher, stronger. The magic inside was indescribable and the more time that she spent with her Stargirl the more Tena couldn’t deny the fact that she was falling in love. She had never subscribed to the idea of love at first sight but in their all too brief encounters, Tal had done more to open Mitena’s mind and heart than anyone ever had before.

“You think I’m amazing now?” Tena’s mouth lingered over Natalia’s, her dark eyes flickering with playfulness. As her hands dropped down from her lover's face and traveled down to her perfect hips, she would pull their bodies together tightly, getting a smile from the taller girl in response. “Baby you ain’t seen nothing yet.” Leaning back on her heel, Mitena pushed Tal backwards against her wall and allowed her hands to wander freely over the Italian temptress’ firm body, whose green eyes watched her intently with bated breath and her lower lip between her teeth. “If you really wanna impress me, how about taking me on a date?” She leaned and kissed her Stargirl’s neck on alternate sides between every word, earning herself a small whimper from her lover. “Hm?” Tena cocked her eyebrow inquisitively. “Show me off to your friends?”

One of Natalia's favorite things about Mitena was how bold and assertive she was with their physical affection. She could be the softest girl around one moment, tenderly wrapping Tal in her arms to cuddle her, caress her and kiss her gently. The next moment, she could be flipping the switch: letting lust and passion take over her actions and bringing her to submission. Allowing herself to surrender to the native girl's sensual authority was exhilarating to Tal: a high that took her places nothing else could. Letting Tena push her to wherever she wanted to, touch her however she wanted to, kiss her anywhere she wanted to… It was a feeling she couldn't get enough of, no matter how many times they made love to one another.

"Only if you come spend a few nights back in Edenridge with me," came Tal's suggestive response, letting her own hands travel down from Tena's back and to firmly grab the round curves of her behind. Smirking, the taller woman leaned forward and whispered a little afterthought in Tena's ear. "So I can show you off in the day and eat you out in the night…" before lightly nibbling on her earlobe.

As a hybrid combination of a giggle and a moan came up from her throat, the sensation of Tal’s lips on her ear and her hands on her rear forced the fog in Tena’s mind to clear. She had often wondered what Edenridge was like. There were few places that she wasn’t allowed to go as a younger but Eden was one. For years, she was told it was because it just wasn’t a good place but Mitena knew later on that it was likely that her tribe wanted to spare her the heartbreak of spying through the looking glass at the world and the skies that darkened her past. The difference was now she was a fully grown woman-- and Tena was a strong, grown-ass woman. She was a curious, grown-ass woman. She would allow Natalia to take her anywhere and she would follow her anywhere, but the opportunity to finally meet a past she never knew? That was too intriguing a chance to pass up.

“Sounds like a date to me. I guess I better pack…” Backing away from her lover, with kittenish eyes staring back at Natalia. Tena glanced down at her own skin, dirty from her time in the garden. “I’m so filthy.” She peeled off her already open button down shirt slowly, big brown eyes locked deep in worship of her Stargirl as her head tilted ever so slightly to the left. Flinging the garment over her shoulder, Mitena, fingers danced across her soft chest, sailed down the middle of it and to her toned stomach until it reached the waistband of her Daisy dukes. She turned on her heel, making sure that Tal drank in every inch of her visage and understood that as of now, it was hers and it belonged to her. Mitena was Natalia’s now.

“I’m going to go shower… girlfriend.” She smiled playfully, her hips swaying as she walked onto the en-suite bathroom, leaving the door open…

The smirking Natalia wasted absolutely no time in following suit.

1, 2, 3, 4….

4, 3, 2, 1….

1, 2, 3, 4….

4, 3, 2, 1….

With his fingers clenched tightly around the steering wheel of the cab, Cameron stared up at the light coming from the fourth floor, third window on the left. She had been gone for two days. She had been gone for days and she didn’t tell him. Charlie had asked him to take care of Jade, to look out for her, to be the monster that scared away the other monsters that emerged from the weeds of the garden. Yet the blonde was doing everything in her power not to allow him to do so.

Hyde had done what he could to keep himself distracted from the growing boil that was heating up his venomous blood. He had spent much of the last few days with JJ, perfecting the mask of a perfect boyfriend, wining and dining her in very public ways so as to gain the attention he needed for his plan to work. In his downtime he had travelled west to see Cadence, a safe harbour in the storm of his mind. She was not part of the plan, she was an escape, a controllable outcome in his manic masterminded mission. He would see her again soon but first there was work to be done.

Cameron climbed out of the cab and made his way into the Lost Soul’s complex. No one stopped him, no one would dare try lest face the wrath of the beast incarnate. All through the ascension of the elevator, he could feel the burning rage fill up his body like a comforter, darkness, his old friend. As the feedback whining in his ear grew louder, a sure sign that his mask of sanity would soon slip, Hyde took his breaths, he counted on his fingertips and he tightened his bulging muscles in an act of restraint. Walking down towards the door, he could hear the sizzling of the pans and every fibre of his being was screaming to kick the door into splinters.Reaching forward, Hyde pushed his way into the apartment, welcomed inside by the visage of Jade in next to nothing, slaving away over some pans.

“Hello there.”

Jade never thought she might be the type to believe in the bliss that love could bring to a person. She sure as hell never saw herself ever believing in it because of her parents. Cameron Muller and Whitney. Those two shattered the concept of love for her before Jade got to experience it. Still to this day, she refused to talk to them. Refused to acknowledge their presence even after all the letters they sent her, all the times they tried to call her. But the woman sleeping in her bed, or laying down - really, Jade couldn't’ tell cause no sound was coming from her bedroom (unlike the last hour).

And that’s why Jade was in her poor excuse of a kitchen, mixing away some pancake batter. It wasn’t anything special, but Jade could make a decent stack when she didn’t go lazy and just go to Dolly’s for her breakfast kick. The butter was sizzling on a non-stick pan that had been rusted to the point of it kinda sticking and Jade felt…something. She didn’t believe in much of that voodoo crap, but there was just a delayed reaction as her apartment door opened. As calmly and just so fucking eerily, she heard two words that made the Angel Princess freeze where she stood. It was calm. Deep but not surprisingly so. His voice was so weirdly, uncomfortably soothing. Jade couldn’t turn her head around. Something forbade her. The menacing aura of the Devil? Maybe, but it was something else. Something that she felt just moments ago before her apartment door first opened. In the back of her mind, she was cursing herself for not locking it…as if it would make a difference.

She slid her eyes into a side glance his way. From where she stood, she caught the sight of those same cold eyes. Those blue eyes that stared her down as he grabbed her throat. The eyes that she could see thunderstorms brew for a moment. Her entire body was trembling and swallowing a dry breath made it even worse. She couldn’t look him in the eyes, but she had to say something. Acknowledge he was here or she feared what she felt was only the tip of it all.

“Hey..hey…” was all she could muster. It took her everything to say that and even that single word was in a stutter, one laced with an outpouring amount of dread.

“Did you have a nice time?” Hyde asked pleasantly before taking a comfortable step forward into the shit hole of an apartment. “Your little adventure to the land of Chief Sitting Bull or whatever the fuck?” It didn’t take much for him to figure out where Jade had disappeared to. He had always had his ways, his little birds to tell him the whispers of the world. It didn’t take too many strides for Hyde to encroach into and smother Jade’s space with his presence. “Pancakes huh?” He placed his hand over the blonde’s as she gripped onto the handle of the pan, taking full control. “Smells good. Tasty.” He tightened his grip over her hand, behind his cold eyes a tempest loomed. “I’m not very happy with you.”

The frozen blonde just nodded at every question and comment that came from the Devil’s mouth. Venom. Fire. It pierced her and at a certain point, Jade was rendered powerless. It was just like that moment yesterday morning. When he was looking at her, snapping the fear of Cameron Hyde into her and removing every ounce of strength Jade had then. Everything that she achieved at Blue Hill: the understanding of her mental and emotional state after talking to Natalia, her insightful talk with Key, and then everything that happened with Anya…

Jade felt it slipping out of her grasp and she was slipping back to how she felt the night of going to the Carlisle house. Everything she felt then just intensified an unlimited amount of times when she felt the coldness of Hyde’s touch over her hand and that same icy chill hovered over her when she glanced into his eyes. Just for a moment.

One moment. Two moments…

As she did and as he started to take over the pan, Jade took a single step back. Her chest was alive with fear, the dread gone but it wasn’t forgotten. Every rapid beat her heart made, the only time it did this was when she and Anya were so close to each other. It took her breath away then and Hyde did the same thing. But all she felt was how close she was to a wildfire, feeling the heat of the hellfire actually touch her, robbing her of any air.

She couldn’t breathe. Jade couldn’t breathe. Was she really suffocating with him so close to her? Or was it just the trepidation of what she suspected was close. “I’m..sorry..” She hoarsely said. Her voice was more than just a rasp. It was damn near inaudible. She forced herself to cough. “I’m sorry…” She managed to say that coherently, but it didn’t help her. Cameron Hyde’s eyes held her in a vice grip while she was chained up by his presence, and his touch like there was a fire poker that had been sitting in an open flame burning her from the inside and melting every ounce of strength she desperately clung to. That strength was the only thing keeping her from falling to her knees.

Cameron tried to exhale out through his nose, to breath out the smoke coming from the cackling embers inside of him, burning open the seal that held his anger behind a locked door. “You’re sorry.” His free hand found its way to the back of Jade’s neck. “You’re sorry.” the demon repeated as he held the angel princess secure within his grasp, she wasn’t going anywhere unless he allowed it. “That’s ok. This is just the first bump, we’ll get through it.” Hyde leaned in and kissed the side of her head gently, bed hair soft but matted, she had the stench of sex on her. This didn’t surprise him, she was a slut.

Then he saw them.

Those big blue eyes masked, caked in panda makeup. She caught his gaze and immediately retreated into herself but that moment was long enough. In her eyes, Hyde saw a shattered mirror, a telescope to the past and where Jade once stood he saw only his mother. They were the same, beautiful messes of human beings, if they could even be described as such, giving up their bed, poisoning their veins with the dirt that the Gonzalez’ and others of their kind peddled. Cameron was not their kind, he was something better, something stronger. He would burn that kind to the ground and use their ashes to fertilise his world. Jade was their kind and he knew he could only protect her for so long, long enough for Charlie to see her again, long enough so that they could say goodbye.

“I think they’re ready.” Hyde smiled as he began to guide Jade’s hand, lifting the pan of pancakes off of the hob. With one fluid motion and an ungodly, visceral roar from his stomach, the devil forced the suicide blonde to lauch the pan across the room where it collided with an almighty clatter against a wall. He kicked her feet from beneath her and took full control of her fist, forcing her head low, down towards the still burning hob where he paused and held her aloft above the flames. “How am I supposed to protect you if you won’t let me, Willow? Huh? Cross me again and I’ll melt that pretty face off.” He yanked her hair back and threw her down onto the floor in a heap.

Protect me. He’s here to protect me…

She was helpless. Powerless. Completely broken. She was broken beyond repair. I am broken…

Everything around Willow felt like it was closing in on her. Flashes of her childhood came to her in rapid succession, like a broken record that couldn’t stop playing it over and over again.

She was just seven years old. A child who should have been watching Powerpuff Girls and falling in love with Buttercup. Or developing her gay awakening because of Sedusa, but instead, she was left to fend for herself. At seven years old, where her parents should have been making sure she was fed and healthy and allowing her to have a childhood, Jade had to learn how to feed herself. She had to learn how to make the bare minimum and do everything a mother or a father should be present to help their only daughter through. But Cameron Muller and Whitney Taylor were never around. Never to show her what good role models should be to a little girl. They were getting high or scoring the drugs to get high. Selling everything they could to make a quick buck. All the while, Willow was sitting in their apartment, watching some old show on an even older television.

“You’re strong, Willow. You can take care of yourself,” her father would always say to her before leaving with her mother, disappearing for two days at a time.

And when they returned, they rarely paid any attention to her. Willow always greeted them with the widest smile, always holding out hope that maybe - just maybe - they would want to see her. Every time until her uncle assumed the parental role, no matter how much it hurt her, Willow always buried it deep and hoped that maybe one day her mother or her father would see her and she would have any form of acknowledgement that they actually cared.

But it never came. She never knew love from those that gave her life. Her Uncle Charlie was the first one to give her that and her Aunt Zippo. Eventually she understood that feeling from her cousins, from her Fallen Angel family.

Fallen Angels don’t fly because their wings are tattered but we rise with the darkness, becoming one with our tragedy and circumstances. In the Garden of Eden, we are watchful protectors..

“Rise with the darkness…” She muttered under her breath, her voice was still hoarse. She had her eyes on the ground, her face still hot from the amount of burning smoke she had forced on it. “I’ll do better. I promise…” She said as flatly as she could, but deep down, it was like poison on her lips. The last time she made a promise was at Blue Hill. To Key and Poppy. She promised them she wouldn’t ghost again. That she wouldn’t leave, but this one..it was different. It felt empty. Devoid of anything that sparked joy. It was nothing just like Willow was.

To develop self control, empathy and logical thinking, there must be full consciousness. Awareness of action, of behaviour, of all violence shown throughout centuries. Remove all of that in a second, with a snap of one’s finger, a monster comes out to play. Creatures are born with a core that isn’t capable of love. All they can see is red. All we are, what lays dormant inside of us, until we break the chains, is a monster.

We are monsters.

Cold and frenzied, darkness overtaking the woman that never was, the apex predator knew her vice very well. A vice that lasted throughout the ages, surviving the tide of change and the making of history. Death should be straightforward and quick. Death was unavoidable, coming for us all. Death was not the greatest loss one could experience. The greatest loss is what dies within the self. What you choose to give up on. What you’re forced to let go. Death was mercy. Death was forgiveness. Death was everything and nothing at all.

What was death but a friend waiting to embrace you?

What was death but a kindness?

Knowing where she stood, the Basilisk poised herself and watched the scene play out. Unsettlingly silent, she eased her breathing and waited. Waited as she let her sixth sense, her inner beast, take control of everything that she was. Everything that she could be. In a Gallows shirt that reached her thighs, wearing black undergarments, the Basilisk prowled closer, unnoticed and out of sight. Out of mind.

Once her target was distracted and occupied, she approached him, pre-genocide mode, on a chemical high like an animal devoting their time, their energy and their resources to war. Survival of the fittest. She was a killer and she had a kill to make. Abandoning her humanity, her heart and her soul, her expression void of emotion, her eyes glinted in a way that made her stand out among others, unnatural and not right. Heartless and absolutely frightening. Wicked and off the edge of sin. Hopeless and beyond saving. Eyes without a face.

The Basilisk gripped at the man, hurting what was her’s. Not caring who this person was, blocking all information but the objective in mind and in sight, the monster was able to forcibly separate the prey from his meal in a matter of seconds. After elbowing him in his side, she ripped him away from the wounded bird and slammed him into a nearby wall, twisting his left hand in the process. Not only did she break his hand, crushing it in her grasp, but she momentarily impaired his vision by the sudden trauma to the head. Her breathing stood steady like she could do this in her sleep. Her breathing was unnatural. Trained and calm. Balanced and focused. Her breathing was controlled. She was in control.

Hurling him across the room and into the dining room table, causing it to break, she stalked her prey. Her senses hyper fixated on her environment. She could smell lingering smoke from the burner, his womanising cologne and fear from a vulnerable and confused woman. She could hear the other two’s heavy breaths and saw his chest move with each sharp gasp. The Basilisk circled the man as he squirmed to get up. Ruthlessly, she kicked her bare foot into his ribcage. Pain was a reminder of how fragile life was. How fragile he was. Shackling him to the ground, her serpentine eyes scanned the man’s face. Not seeing the man she was hurting. Not seeing her brother. At this moment, Anya Kamensky was no more. Anya Kamensky wasn’t Jade’s Pancake. Anya Kamensky was not the sister of Cameron Mason Hyde. Anya Kamensky was dead and all that was in sight was a monster. A monster among men.

He roared in laughter; blood dripping out of his mouth onto the not-so pristine carpet and staining his lips red. It had been so very long since Cameron had felt anything like this. Pain to this degree, it was almost orgasmic. When he was younger, he had found pleasure in pain out of necessity at first. With a revolving door of men who would both beat him senseless or creep into his bedroom to indulge in sick fantasies whilst his mother did nothing, he had to do something to make it all ok, to make it so that it didn’t hurt any more. Hyde searched feverishly through the sharpness, the burning sensations and the dull aches to find a way to enjoy the unspeakable horrors that were befalling him. Once he did, there was no looking back.

When he got old enough, big enough, the tables turned and it became his turn to dish out the pain, to explore pleasure and catharsis through the infliction of great damage. Do unto others. His mother April would preach the word of God, pray and worship at his altar and beg for his forgiveness for allowing the monsters near her baby boy. God doesn’t forgive and neither did Cameron. On the day it all ended, when the fire inside extinguished and the pain and pleasure had ceased, Hyde would ascend into heaven to be judged for his actions, he would stand in front of St Peter at the Gates of Paradise and then he would tear out his throat. He would March through infinity until he was face to face with the Lord and he would take his head off for allowing the world to do to Cameron what it did. He was the God of Death come to take his rightful throne.

But that wasn’t going to be today.

With a mighty roar, Hyde grabbed at his assailant's ankle and swept it from beneath them. As quickly as he could, he mounted the half naked woman’s chest, pressing all of his weight onto her chest to pin her and with the one good hand he had, he grabbed a piece of broken table with the intent of piercing her face with its end. Cold blue eyes were awash with emotion as the maelstrom of rage swept through his mind. Cameron’s blood covered mouth made him look demonic, a hell spawn crawled out of the muck to take its vengeance.

It was as he brought the stake down that he then saw the green eyes. He couldn’t mistake them for anyone else. He knew those eyes. With his crippled hand he took a hold of her face and held it as firmly as the pain would allow, his bloody grin hovering over as he examined the features he knew all too well. “Well well. Baby sister.” He spat a mound of blood across the room before he got up to his feet and back away, dropping his weapon. Cameron raised his hands in feux surrender and began to laugh once more. This was hysterical.

_{”Stop it…”}

Her throat was a dry well, devoid of anything. Her body was devoid of anything. Willow…Jade - the struggle of those two names. The one she loathed because it was a reminder of her trauma and the parents that caused and one that became her identity. A shield and sword defending against the one that came before it. Both were her. Both were tied to the angel princess. Both were etched into her soul, but only one gave her strength. Only one could bring her out of the daze secured, copyrighted, and branded by the Devil himself and hearing what seemed like out of a nightmare or some book she might find at Swerve. Some demonic being.

But it was Hyde. Cameron Hyde who was bloodied. She could see it from where she was sitting. Willow Jade’s legs were shaking, but when she saw Anya on the floor, with the devil hovering over her, bearing a piece of the now broken dining room table, something in her just snapped. She didn’t care anymore. She didn’t care that in her weakest state, she couldn’t stop him from reducing her to a shell she hadn’t felt in over a decade. The Angel Princess stood up, gripping the countertop for support, intent to save her Pancake, but then four words froze her where she stood. It hadn’t put her in any mentally-isolated state, but when she heard Cameron call Anya his sister, she muttered, _"What…” It was a feeble attempt to speak and she was inching closer and closer to the gates of hell, saying it again but clearer, “What did you say?” She was feeling all kinds of emotions while so many thoughts came rushing to her mind. Willow Jade took in deep breaths, trying to process this but it was no use. Those deep breaths turned into shorter ones which eventually created a hyperventilating moment she tried to control. Willow Jade tried to control it and she failed.

She managed to get enough control on it to say, “No..you’re lying. She’s not…You’re not…” She proceeded to panic, falling to the floor in a slow, descending manner as if the entire world around her was coming to a stop and all she heard were those words on a repeated echoing loop.

Locked in a memory box, the Basilisk watched a beautiful blonde woman rush around in an attic, throwing as much as she could in a suitcase, including the blue brooch that Jade heard her talk about when they first sat at Dolly’s together. She spoke in fast Russian about an underground secret passage and how tonight would be the day they’d both fly out of this cage. The woman’s face was suddenly alerted by screaming coming from downstairs. She cursed under her breath.

Rushing to her daughter, who was small and holding a straw doll, sitting on a cot, the ethereal woman kissed her forehead and instructed her to take her jar of stars and run once the coast was clear. The woman pulled some wood panels up from the ground and slipped her child in the floor. It was almost as if she expected this to happen. In the darkness, the little girl found comfort. It was the moment she pushed the wood slabs up to escape that she saw the horrors that waited for her in the light.

A monster ripped the wings off an angel and let her blood stain the white bed sheets. An angel died and that’s because she was found by someone so inhumane and all that hope that once was in her eyes to fly was gone. All emotion was gone. She had no pulse.

Opening her eyes to the sound of Jade hyperventilating and Cameron laughing, Anya found herself staring at the ceiling. The Angel Princess’ tears struck a chord in her but instead of shutting down or rushing to Jade’s side, Anya laid there, centering her breathing. Burying any feeling of regret and sadness that was stirring in her chest, the assassin picked herself up and tilted her head at her brother, Jade’s sobbing fading in the background. “You think you some God, big brother? And this, putting fear in girls you hurt so easy… you call power? You have no idea what power is. You think you strong? Impossible to break? I can change that. You’re nothing, Cameron. Special to who? Only you. Now,” Anya stepped on the broken table and breached the distance between her and her half sibling, daring him to hurt her like he was about to, daring him to go near Jade. “This won’t happen again. You will leave and not come near Jade again. If you test this, you will regret. Understand? Or do I show you example of what I mean?”

“I’m no God, Anya. There’s no such thing.” Hyde dropped the stake from his palm, the clatter of it hitting the floor of the apartment piercing the eerie blanket of silence that had smothered the room around them. “If there was? He wouldn’t allow monsters like us and our darling brother to suck air.” His half twin’s words were pointed and sharp like the edge of a knife. They cut deep but he would survive, Cameron always survived. He’d been stabbed before and no doubt he would be again. He was so used to pain in all her glorious forms that he had almost become numb to it, like the nerves inside had been completely obliterated leaving only still blankness.

Hyde backed away from his sister, the red mist in his eyes clearing as he gazed upon the face they shared. He glanced at his broken hand with a blood stained smile on his face. “This was a good move, nice one….Pancake.” He spoke playfully as he tried to ball his shattered fingers into a fist but was unable to do so due to the pain his body was fighting to register. He breezed by the two women and made his way to the fridge, taking out a beer with his one good hand and cracking it open. “This is all very Shakespearean isn’t it?” He said taking a mouthful as he leaned against the counter top. “I’m sent to watch over the pasty white stick here, whilst the entire time she’s falling in love with my little sister. What next? You kill everyone that’s ever wronged you and live happily ever after? Anya saves her princess from this tower and rides off into the sunset on your Harley? It doesn’t work like that.”

The blocks of ice which Cameron called his baby blues drifted over to the crumpled heap which was once a woman on the floor. Jade reminded him so much of the mess that his mother was. How weak and pathetic the world around her had made her and the lack of strength to fight back. “It’s a little curious that you two are doing...whatever the hell this is and yet, Anya didn’t tell you about me, Jade. I mean I can almost understand that but has she told you about our brother too? I mean you know him as well and she actually likes him so...very Curious.”

She had to control herself. Control her breathing. She had to control everything so she could stop her entire body from shaking. But she failed at it. The Angel Princess failed at everything. Nothing she did would be good enough. Even after the gates of hell themselves seemed to close, the effects remained and there sat a frozen, semi-motionless Willow Jade trying to do something as simple as steady her breathing, but that became close to impossible to do when that very thing was overshadowed by the maelstrom of thoughts pouring in. Had it not been for his voice using the name that she gave to Anya, a name that became a thing of peace. A safe place for her to escape to, now it was being corrupted by his presence. Tarnished by his venom and somehow that snapped her to the present.

Slowly but surely, she was able to breathe. Her mind was still a crowded room but she could breathe, escape to a part of it where those were simply not a matter of importance. As she did and as she started to move like she was in control, the blonde remained seated, though she was looking at Anya. She was looking at her so-called protector. When he mentioned they had a brother and that he was somebody that she knew, again the thoughts poured in but she shook her head to shut them up…for the time being. “What are you talking about?” Jade asked, her voice still weak but loud enough for them to hear her clear enough. She slowly went to Anya’s gaze. “...What is he talking about?” She knew curiosity would kill her but part of her already died tonight after being brought to life, so it didn’t really matter how much deeper she went into these depths.

Not once did Jade care to ask about her family until now, until the Devil showed her fantasy was just that, a fantasy. The voice that once pulled Anya out of the dark was now forcing her back in. This was not the time or place for this conversation and she wasn’t going to give her brother the satisfaction of showing how weak she was getting because she believed she could love. Not looking at the broken winged angel who was seeking answers, Anya built her walls back up. Coldness feeling the air when the heart that once glinted in her green eyes was now buried deep, six feet under. Ignoring the woman and only addressing her brother, the Basilisk scoffed, humoured by his curiosities. “You know secrets better than most, big brother.” At this point, the damage was done and Anya knew the only way out was forward, even if it meant leaving what she thought was her happiness behind. “You care so much about my business. You honour yourself and tell her then.”

“Oh no no.” Hyde downed his bottle of beer and tossed it across the room. The place was a shitheap anyway, what was one more pile of crap? “I’m obviously intruding here, I’ll let you two lovers have some nice pillow talk.” Cameron tried to clench his fist again but the pain in his broken hand prevented him from doing so. The sensation he felt shooting between his fingers and down the wrist into his forearm was invigorating. As soon as he left here he would go to Jessie or Cadence, whoever answered their phone first and he would destroy them ...or maybe there was something else he could channel all this feeling into…?

Hyde stepped forward a few feet, breezing by Jade and making his way to his sister. It was obvious now that there was no real benefit to him protecting Jade. If she had chosen Anya as the person she wanted to be with, then Charlie’s niece was as good as dead. It was mostly just going to be a case of how cold her corpse was when he got out of prison. Cameron leaned in and rested his shattered hand on the bloodied cheek of his twin and smiled with his bloody grin. “Love you sis.” He kissed her temple before moving beyond the girls towards the front door. “Maybe we’ll do breakfast soon. As a family, you’re more than welcome to come Jade, our breakfasts are to die for…” Once again the Devil erupted into a fit of laughter as he departed the apartment, his hysterics fading quietly into the night.

That demonic choir of laughter that echoed in her mind as the door of her apartment closed lingered in her mind. He might’ve been gone but his presence wasn’t. The effect he had on her life as she knew it wasn’t. Jade was left with a spiraling cyclone of thoughts that poured into her, freezing her where she sat, and paralyzing every aspect of her soul. The only thing she could even think of that could help her in any way, shape, or form was the comforting gaze of her Pancake, but even that felt like it wasn’t an option. The coldness in her eyes was she had never seen before. Not even the glacier stare that she felt whenever Cameron Hyde looked at her compared. Maybe it was because he didn’t mean much to her, whereas Anya meant everything to her.

You have to get up.

The voice in her head was adamant about that and Jade still didn’t budge for a few more moments. Whether they were short or long ones didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. Jade gathered what strength she had to give to herself, all with the intent of just standing up. Something stopped her from moving towards Anya, who at this point didn’t move from where she was either. What had happened? Was it something Jade did? Or maybe it was Hyde? There was so much she still hadn’t fully processed yet and she needed time but all she wanted to do was hug her Pancake. The only person she knew could make this all better, but as she started to approach, as Jade started to move even an inch, there was something that refused that advancement from where she stood. The memory of Anya’s cold stare briefly meeting her eyes. The way she brushed her off so coldly. It stung and lingered like a bad aftertaste. That knife only dug deeper as Jade tried to force herself to speak. “Anya..I..” It didn’t feel like sweetness when she spoke her name. Not like before. What was it? Not poison but something hurt. Something burned.

“This…” Anya whispered, not finishing her thought out loud. She didn’t look at Jade. She looked at her hands. The hands that time and time again were covered in blood. The hands that murdered people for a living. The hands that rarely held someone close. Not in the way she held Jade. She balled them into fists, understanding why her Father told her emotions were for fools. She didn’t hurt. Anya couldn’t process the pain from this situation like a normal person. She felt stupid. Stupid for thinking something like this could ever be for her. She was a fool and it was all because she thought she could love and be loved. She thought Jade could love her. “I need to go.” Anya stressed and walked past her once-upon-a-dream-girl, not even giving Jade a second glance. She grabbed her coat and headed straight to the bedroom to change back into her clothes. Before Jade could follow her, there was banging on her door.

Don’t go…please.. was what she wanted to say. Was what Jade should say, but she couldn’t even speak. Her heart was shattered and it didn’t help anything when there was a rapid banging on her door.

”Jade! It’s Doc! Everything okay? Wanted to check in on you!” She heard Dominic Wells say from the other side, but all Jade wanted to do was snap herself into the present and stop Anya from leaving, but she also knew if she didn’t answer the door, Doc would think something was wrong, which was still technically the truth.

“I’m coming. Everything’s…” She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t say everything was fine when it wasn’t. It was the furthest from being okay, but Jade didn’t want to bring the overprotection of her family on her for something that didn’t involve them. So she opened the door, meeting Dominic’s clearly worried face and she gave him a fake smile, hoping that would be enough.

The loud noise did startle Lorelei and caused her to go catatonic in her new friends’ apartment. After Duke and Doc slowly brought her back from her ptsd episode, Doc was ready to investigate. Duke chose to stay back because it was clear this was an angel affair. Not only would it be weird for Doc to come out of his apartment, with a young girl, but he also didn't need anyone in his business. He'd be on standby mode with a first aid kit and ice pack until Doc needed him. As Dominic tried to leave, Lorelei held onto his sleeve and wouldn’t let go. Now she was here with him as the first responders. Poking her head from behind the older man, the eighteen year old gazed at the distressed woman. She didn’t say anything. All she did was cling to the man in front of her.

It wasn’t long until other angels started to gather, like the three prospects that had seen Jade walk out the elevator earlier, with a vengeful blonde woman that had a resting bitch face. One of them spoke up, “Did she hurt you?” They each looked past her to see if the other woman was in there. They were ready to handle it, if that’s what Jade needed.

Jade felt like the walls around her were closing. They were literally as the prospects and Dom and whoever the younger girl attached at his hip was, she needed a minute. She needed space, so she just put up her hand with her index finger up. “Just… give me a moment. I need some air.” She started to take in short, quick breaths just like earlier. Her heart was beating fast and she went into her bedroom. She needed Anya. She needed Anya. I need Anya…

And when she got into her room, hoping that by some miracle, she could just take a moment to talk to her without the chaos of what was happening inside or outside her bedroom, nobody was there. She saw her window was opened and whatever Anya had in Jade’s bedroom was gone too. She collapsed on the floor, on the ground. She hadn’t even bothered to close her bedroom door. She didn’t think to, but as she sat there, her head buried into her hands, she finally broke.

Her face became hot with tears, wails of anguish pouring out as she smacked her head repeatedly against the palms of her hands. Why did this even have to happen? She didn’t understand. She didn’t understand why any of this had to happen…

But she wasn’t alone. The Angels didn’t even hesitate. Dominic led them inside and without even realizing it, they had been by her side. They were always going to be by her side. By their princess’ side. Looking up at them, seeing how they wouldn’t let her fall, even though she couldn’t force herself to smile, Jade was so thankful for them. “I don’t want to be alone right now…” That’s all she brought herself to say as she let everything that had been building up out in a waterfall of tears, her entire body shaken, but most of all, her heart and soul were completely shattered.

For the first time in her life, Jade truly felt like a fallen angel.

Sitting in her father’s chair, Evangeline Beauregard, the second youngest of Mr. Beau and Colleen’s children, played notes on her travel keyboard of one of her songs she was creating for Kimber Bedlam’s next theater musical, Afternoon Daydream. A story that focuses on a cafe that attracts dreamers. The main characters, all young adults coming from different walks, navigate through love, friendship and the pressure of life in hopes to find their center and purpose. It showcases the everyday struggle of small town people, who need to survive but who want more than this provincial life. Those who are mad and can’t help but dream.

This would be her big break because up until this job, she was making songs for small troupes and starving musicians hoping they’d get lucky at one of their gigs. Freelance mostly. It wasn’t until two people, known by everyone on Broadway as the newest It Couple, approached her in Pittsburgh of all places, while she was busking for some extra cash. Eva had pride and didn’t like calling her parents for help unless she desperately needed it. She recognized them immediately as the young and gifted playwright and filmmaker, Kimber Benson (now Bedlam) and the prolific American actor and singer, rising to prominence for his work and his portrayal of Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Maxwell Bedlam.

Entertainment business was all about luck and by fate, she was given a little chance encounter that might be what separates her from her siblings, giving her parents maybe something to hang up on the wall since she wasn’t one with academic achievements nor did she participate in many competitions. All she ever had was her pen, paper and piano. Simply by singing a song she wrote with her father, she was able to win the heart of a couple who wasn’t even that older than her but who had their breakthrough in highschool.

Eva kept up with trends, ratings and those leading the industry. A month ago, the stars aligned and who knows? Maybe she would be able to go to La La Land as the most commercially successful composer and lyricist of all time, like Gaston Leroux, or maybe she would be able to change the world of musical theater like Leonard Bernstein. If only she could be like the greats, just like the Bedlams were swiftly becoming. What also benefited her was when she found out the premise of Kim’s working play, it reminded her a lot of her father and couldn’t help but talk about her own experiences helping him run a cafe, how he was a former English professor and prior to that, he was an officer. How much of a role model her dad was in her hometown and to her.

To say she piqued Kim’s interest was an understatement and now excitedly Eva wondered if the celebrity couple would visit Edenridge for inspiration. Until then though, she needed to keep making songs and pray she was exactly what they want and need. This was her someone-in-the-crowd and she couldn’t fuck it up. Staring at her small notebook while playing on her travel keyboard (it was on a stand), Eva listened to the nostalgic melody which focused on two childhood friends getting pulled away from each other because of the forces of their environment. Tapping her pencil on her paper, she stopped pressing the piano keys and whispered some words, “...I finally opened up. For you I’d do anything. But here I sing, and you aren’t listening to me. Can’t you recall when this all began? It was you and me. It was only me and you…”

She scribbled a couple more lines about the boy being pushed to the edge with his vice and the girl feeling hopeless, not knowing what to do. All the boy did was drown her out with his music, the song of his heart, and failed to see what was in front of him. The song was a desperate cry from a girl madly in love, wanting to be seen, and a wake up call for the boy, who desperately needed to come to his senses. If he just grabbed her hand, he’d be okay. They’d be okay. Whatever they did, be it big or small, they could do it together. They would always have each other and yet the song was bittersweet, because it was the girl coming to terms that he would never look her way. Not in the way she wished he would. This was her afternoon daydream but it ends with them walking past one another, in a way that only strangers would.

Antoine was amazed at all the things his children had accomplished in their young lives, so much more than even he could’ve predicted. Each had grown into their own person beyond the shadow of the cafe owner and his beloved wife, Colleen. Desmond was serving their country, Delphine was serving her community as a lawyer, Genevieve and Eva were serving their creative sides and Zara was serving the public as a hairdresser. Each of his children, for all their differences, were giving themselves to a cause that they believed in and which was greater than themselves. Selfless was only one word to describe the Beauregard brood.

Beau was startled at the end of another busy shift at Rochambeau when he returned home to find a light on inside. He knew he had turned them all off when he had left earlier that morning and Colleen was away for the weekend, visiting Genevieve in New York City and watching her slay Jennifer Hudson in a production of Dreamgirls. He was taken aback by something fierce when he entered the home, his service pistol drawn and he found his second youngest baby playing her piano and writing a beautiful melody. He needed to change where he hid that spare key.

Coming up behind his daughter as she sat in his chair, Antoine rested his hands on her shoulders before kissing the top of her head. He had learned to navigate the wild curly hair that Evangeline had inherited from her mother. “Ça a l'air magnifique ma petite fille.” The former police officer missed speaking French in the Quarter. When he and Collie moved to Edenridge with their children, he discovered fairly quickly that he was definitely not in New Orleans any more. His beloved had warned him of the ghost stories and the monsters that lurked beneath her hometown but Beau had never been the superstitious sort despite growing and maturing in a world enveloped in the fog of Hoodoo, Voodoo and Black Magic. He believed in the evil of man’s heart but also the good and that was the part he had dedicated his life to. “Are you happy with it, mon Cherie?”

“Hi, daddy,” Eva closed her notebook, leaving her pencil inside it, before placing it on the keyboard. “Um, yes and no. I know what I got is good but I want it to be better. I’ve been working on this song specifically far longer than the other ones for my client. It’s just,” she briefly paused as she stared at the keys of her travel instrument, contemplating what she was missing and why her song just didn’t feel there yet. She looked up at her father and sighed, “You and mom have this profound love story and I’ve had two boyfriends that all ended with a mutual break up. One because he and I were far too committed to our own pursuits and it just never felt like we were dating in the first place and the other because he thought he was too grounded for me and didn’t want to hold me back.” There was no bitterness in Eva’s voice when she talked about her exes and if anything, she was glad they maturely let things go before it became toxic and they did start hating each other. She wasn’t so attached to them that she needed to keep the romantic flame alive. At least with one of them, she would still consider him her friend but she wondered if she simply was missing something and just didn’t understand what the concept was all together. How could she write about love if she never experienced it, truly? Not young, first love but the kind of love that gets immortalized in classic literature. A soulmate kind of love. A love that lives forever and throughout history. A love so strong, it’s painful.

“I get it, I’m very whimsical and I’m always traveling and that’s hard to commit to. But,” she explained, her creative madness spinning in her head as she tried to make sense of her thoughts, threading all the pieces together. The song was clearly there but she was trying to find the heart of it. Gently pushing her keyboard stand to the side, she stood up to offer her father his seat as she rambled on, “This song is supposed to be about people you know are supposed to be… but they have so many obstacles that force them apart, that they never do cross the line and all they’re left with is what if. I guess if I knew the feeling of what it meant to love someone like you love mom, maybe I wouldn’t constantly rip my music sheet and start over. I can’t be stereotypical either and have just another love song. No. This song is meant to be sad because these lovers will never know even though it’s so clear they’re meant to be together. Am I making sense?”

“You’ve never made sense in the twenty three years since I first held you in my arms in that hospital room and wept.” Beau moved around the chair to meet his child’s gaze and offered out his hand for her to take. “VAL: Play the Cafe Playlist.” The small orb on the side table illuminated itself at the sound of Antoine’s dulcet New Orleans drawl and burst into life with the music of Beau’s favorite artist, the legendary Sam Cooke.

As “Bring it on Home” played around them, the elderly man pulled his child from her seat where he entwined his fingers with hers whilst wrapping his other arm around her waist to dance along to the music. Music had always carried such power in the Beauregard household. When Antoine was a boy, he and his parents would often take part in Mardi Gras, his father playing trumpet and his mother the trombone. Even after they had passed, he would always go with their instruments in hand to make sure they never missed a show. When Beau was an active police officer, it would be the music that helped center him after a particular horrific evening on the beat.

There was one instance in particular that he remembered. He had yet to make detective and was still nothing but a beat cop when he became the first responder to a scene. Three little girls, mutilated by the train tracks. After handing over to the “real police” Beau drove to Tulane University and climbed into bed next to Colleen, they had only been dating a few months and she held him close whilst he wept. He awoke the next morning to find her dancing so gracefully in the kitchen to Nina Simone’s Sinnerman whilst cooking breakfast and he knew then that he wanted to marry that woman.

He proposed a week later.

Desmond and Delphine never had the ear for music that Beau would’ve liked, they had too much of Collie in them. Evangeline and Genevieve though? Those girls would sit for hours listening to Antoine’s old vinyls. They would sing and they would dance and they would brighten the world with the stars in their eyes. It was no wonder both now shone so bright. “Love is out there for us all, baby girl. Some find it, others don’t. That’s a sad cross we all bear.” He looked deep into his daughter's eyes and offered a supportive smile. “It’s something we long and yearn for. It’s what makes the word turn. You don’t need to plan roots to find it. For you, it’ll happen when you least suspect, I mean who couldn’t love that face? Or your mama’s hair?”

After blowing some of her curls up when her dad complimented her hair, Evangeline softly put her toes dressed in yellow bumblebee socks on top of his feet. Something they’ve always done, ever since she was young. She’d put her little toesies on his feet, usually he was dressed in business casual shoes like old oxford sneakers, and he’d lead them in a playful dance. Holding onto him, she grumbled, “That’s not the point, daddy. The point is, I need this song to be perfect but I’m doubting myself because maybe I’m out of my element.” Even if she acted like his advice was not needed, her expression betrayed her as her mind lingered on his words.

Getting boys to like her was easy, but being with a boy that she could see a future with? That wasn’t. Her type, at least what she thought it was, were intellectual boys with clear passions. Dean loved his ghost stories and being part of the journalism club, he also had an eccentric group of friends she enjoyed being around from time to time. Her other ex, Terrence, she met in Atlanta. An aspiring filmmaker who didn’t see beyond his vision. She already knew getting involved with him wouldn’t be easy, seeing how she traveled a lot and he was innately selfish but she tried it and it led to her breaking ties because he really didn’t care about her mind and her aspirations. It was his way or the highway and that kind of mindset, be it friendship or lover, would never work for a child of Colleen and Antoine. They all were their own individual, fierce ones at that, and each had a mind of their own. They couldn’t be kept on a leash, and that was a simple fact.

Her healthiest relationship was with Dean who she didn’t really date until after he turned eighteen and even then they were just friendly, hardly intimate, and it felt like she was helping him get over his trauma from the shooting than them actually having sparks and a heated honeymoon phase. Love was weird. She thought logically, if she dated a friend or a guy passionate about something, just like her, she would feel something but in the end, all she felt was loneliness and realizing what they had was not love. Not really. Terrance liked the validation she gave and Dean was… simple. Sweet. She craved something interesting, challenging but she also needed someone who understood that she wasn’t always all there. Sometimes she just got lost in the clouds. At the end of the day, it was her dad who brought her back to Earth and reminded her of what really matters. She loved her dad, ridiculously so and if he would be her forever love, that was okay in her book. She didn’t need a husband when she had the best dad in the world.

“Mon petit, you wouldn’t have been asked to write the song if people didn’t believe in you.” Beau was instantly transported back years as Evangeline placed herself atop his feet. There was nothing more precious to him than a dance with his girls or a quiet Sunday watching the game with his son. Like his middle child, Antoine had always carried self doubt in his heart. Was he good enough to catch a criminal? Was he good enough to teach? Could he make a decent cup of coffee? Was he the right person to try and make a difference in the lives of those that he felt needed it?

What gave him the right?

“You’re not out of your element, sweetness. You’re the periodic table.” Beau was smiling from ear to ear as he danced with his baby girl. Before he could say another word, there was a knock on the front door. Stopping the movement, Antoine tapped a finger on Eva’s nose with a little smile. “Hold that thought, button. I’ll be back.” He propped her back down onto the floor before he made his way to the other side of the sitting room to the front door, opening it up to be greeted by a familiar face.

“Sylvester? To what do I own this fine pleasure? I promise my beignets are up to code.”

“Are you free?” Sly’s exasperatedly asked, his expression distraught as the weight of the world looking like it was just about to push the officer over the edge. Rocky was known for his strength. For being a boulder throughout adversity, throughout the harsh climate change, and throughout all his losses that try time and time again to force him into the dirt he came from. The thing about strong people is, they didn’t start off strong. They know what it means to be weak and they fight. They have a reason to keep going even if they had the things they love ripped away from them and they’ve had blows straight to the heart trying to destroy them. Even strong people need support. Sylvester “Rocky” James was no exception. “I need to clear my head but if this isn’t a good time, I—”

“OH SNAP! I forgot I had something to do,” Eva rushed around her dad’s house to gather her things, having received a text from her brother. Internally, she felt impending dread that Desi would be mad at her for forgetting to pick him up. It was going to be a surprise for their dad. All his children back, like the good old days. Hurriedly and with a little struggle she put her shoes on over her bumblebee socks. Eva’s style was always fun and eccentric. Today she wore a long teal floral maxi skirt, loose white tank, light blue washed out jean jacket, fun socks and combat boots. With her leather tote hanging over her shoulder, she scurried beside her dad to give him a kiss on his cheek. “Love you daddy,” Evangeline beamed brightly before quickly waving at Officer James, “Hello and goodbye Mr. James. It’s good to see you. And he’s free! Make yourself at home.” As much as she wanted to make conversation, she was in a rush and luckily for her, Sly was good at getting the hint.

The officer stepped to the side so she could rush past him and gave a weary smile, unable to bury his depressive state, especially now that he was near one of the few people he trusted with all his heart. “Good to see you too, Eva. Now, you better not speed. Don’t need you getting in an accident. No place is worth rushing to if it risks your life. Remember that.”

“Yes. Absolutely. Got it. No speeding. Thanks!” Prancing down the front porch stairs and getting to her silver 2018 Subaru Outback, her green 2000 Subaru Volkswagen met the end of its life not too long ago, Eva rummaged through her bag. There was an immediate look of bewilderment. She couldn’t find her keys and she could’ve sworn she put it in there. She checked again.

“Two seconds, son. And I’m all yours.” Beau motioned for Sly to take a seat on one of the porch chairs that he had overlooking the street before heading back into the house for a moment. He headed to the kitchen and looked upon a hand carved wall hanger, which had a photo of every Beauregard and beneath each image, a key hook. As sure as the worth of gold, beneath Eva’s beautiful smile sat her car keys. Antoine quickly grabbed them as well as two sodas from the fridge before hurrying back to the porch. He placed the drinks in front of the police officer before tossing the keys to his daughter. “Remember me as a time of day, darling. That way you never forget!” He called out.

After watching Evangeline drive away, nearly allowing a cab to sideswipe her, Beau took his seat next to Sly and his jovial smile harshened slightly. Something was seriously wrong with his brother in blue. “What’s the matter boy?”

Where should he even start? Holding the pop given to him and pulling the tab off with his pointer finger, in one single hand motion, Sly looked out at the friendly neighborhood that Beau resided in. Eastbrook was quaint, full of history and families of all sizes. One of the more private streets, Rosebury Loop, where it reaches a deadend, at times felt like its own little world. Peaceful even with the Ossos living across the street. It housed one of the founding families, the O’Briens, who left Scott Street and immersed themselves into the community by not living in the heavens, or Scott Street as this town calls it, like most of the royalty do.

Sly could see the allure of this street. It felt like it was straight out of an old-world storybook. Charming with mossy trees that hang down the sidewalks and homes, 18th and 19th century wood frame houses, colorful doors and a feel where you want to take a slow walk to be part of this timeless picture. It made sense why the Beauregards moved here. This street was made for someone like Beau. In truth, Sly had considered for a while now, ever since Max passed away, of finally renovating his old friend’s house and moving there. Not too far from here, on Hanging Hill. Scary story aside, it was in far better condition than his Uncle Woody’s house, a safer neighborhood and just a different experience. An opportunity for growth. Maybe he was just getting tired of staying in the same place while everyone else moved. Everyone else tried to leave their past behind. He was living it each and every day, especially when another kid died and he failed to save them.

His house was full of memories, both good and bad. A reminder of how far he’s come and how nothing about it has changed. People can come and go, and most recently his house has seen more activity with Mordechai’s family. The house itself - all the same. His girls were only babies when his brothers, his blood brothers, used to visit, trying to get some money off him. They used to play it off as if they were healing and trying to do better. What they really were doing was guilt tripping him on moving back to the compound, where he belongs. He had nieces and nephews that would love to meet their Uncle Sly.

Hell, even his uncle Woody was trying to see if they were genuine or not. Obviously bridges were burnt and they didn’t have their happy ending. It didn’t help Vicky wanted nothing to do with them after all they’ve put Sly through. When he was with her, he felt like he had no spine. All he wanted was to make her happy and it seemed a relationship with his brothers was only going to destroy his own family in the end. So Sly decided to put his efforts into everything else: his children, the wife, this town and burdensome secrets.

Life didn’t always feel worth it. Sly wasn’t a quitter though. No matter how much time weathered him down, he fought and he’d keep fighting until he absolutely couldn’t anymore. He knew clinging to those that gave him purpose, keeping those that center him, like Mr. Beau, close, and grasping onto the little things that make him smile and never letting go… that’s what really counts. And yet, he could feel the constant pain that stems from years of hardship.

He didn’t want to fail his family and yet, one of his little girls was murdered and the other one was going through hell, hanging by a thread as she relived the moment of seeing the love of her life die by the hands of her father. He knew he was failing kids like him. He sees Mordechai every day now and prays. He doesn’t even believe in God but he sure enough prays. Prays he could make it up to him, a kld that’s like a son to him, for not being the rock he needed when Danny died. If Mordechai couldn’t breathe, Sly would’ve done what was in his power to help him find oxygen. Rocky had already failed his friends. No longer talking with any of his serpent brothers like he used to when he was young. The failure kept growing, the mistakes even larger and impossible to repair and Sly was still here. Why the fuck was he still here? “I don’t know what I’m doing, Beau. I feel like… I don’t know. I’m not good at this, I’ve never been good at this. I just needed you.”

“Well I’m here my brother.” Beau reached out with his giant hand and placed it atop Sly’s burly shoulder, brushing off the weight of the world so that his fellow officer only felt his presence instead. “And I always will be.” Leaning back in his chair, Antoine took a sip from his soda and glanced out at the town he called home. “You know when I first moved here with Collie and the kids, she said to me that Eden wasn’t a place for good men yet in all the time I’ve called this place home, I’ve met a lot of good men. Not all of them start out that way though but they get there.” He offered Sylvester a knowing glance. The teacher was aware of his current company's previous past wearing the serpent insignia but he didn’t hold that against him. Hell, Beau would consider Reynaldo Senior one of his closest friends. “I was having a conversation with a student recently and he was having worries about not being good enough about walking that other path. And I told him, all you have to do is try. Are you still trying, Officer?”

“Of course I’m trying,” Sly took a sip of his drink and leaned back in his own lounge chair. “I never stop trying,” he ranted. Exasperated and exhausted. Two words that described the officer nearing his wits end. Sighing to himself and resting his can on his leg, Sly glanced over to his friend and admitted, “And there, I believe lies the problem, right?” He shook his head clearly at war with himself and sipped again from his drink. “You think after all these years, I’d be so tough that I wouldn’t get hurt. I lie to myself thinking I’m unbreakable but days like these come around and remind me that what I do doesn’t really do much does it? I’m just here and I’ll always be here. And I’m small in the grand scheme of things. Rocky, the legend. Rocky, the badass. Rocky, the failure more like it.”

Beau had been where Sly had been. He had traveled down and parked on that road so many times that he had lost count. “There comes a time, multiple times actually, where a man will be tested and he will fall. We will all fall. The true measure of a man isn’t some grand mark he leaves on the world. It isn’t some legacy or legend. The true mark of a man is the love he leaves behind, the love that lives in the hearts of the people that he loved so fiercely. Your baby girl, she has had a life fraught with danger and pain yet when she is at my cafe and she is talking about you? The love in that girl's big green eyes is brighter than the sun. That’s your legacy. Maxine is your mark. We’re all small, Rocky, just specs of stardust in the grand scheme as you put it. But what a scheme.”

Being in Beau’s presence did relax him as he listened to the sage words of a man that walked a hard road, similar yet different. Life was full of hardships and they were all our own. Laying his head back, Sly inhaled and exhaled, taking in this moment and accepting it for what it was. A talk he needed. However long or small, when he was with Beau he didn’t feel as lost. This man didn’t even realize how much of a compass he was for many people of Edenridge. He meant too much to many people. Without him, this town would go into chaos.

How lucky Sly felt knowing that he met such a wonderful human being. One of a kind. The best of them. Because Sly knew Beau, he would be changed for good and that was more than enough reason to keep trying. “How do you do it, old man?” Sly opened his eyes, smirking. At least in this space, in this time, all of Sly’s worries had lessened and it could all be because he needed a gentle reminder of his measure. Doesn’t matter what side of the train tracks you live on. The violence? That doesn’t prove a thing. Good people could still burn someone and bad people could save someone from a burning building. All that was part of a bigger picture. A story. What matters is that everyone was looking at the same night sky, the same sunset and sunrise, the same sun and the same moon. And everyone wanted one thing. To love and be loved. Even if he was small in the grand scheme of things, he had someone who made him feel like he could carry the universe. He had a daughter who looked up to him and the last thing he needed to do was let her down.

Beau joined Sylvester in staring at the stars. All around the world, there were an uncountable amount of people doing the same thing as they were: living, It was times like this, wistful times with good friends which forced an old man to reminisce about bygone days. Beau had led a good life if not a hard one but he knew that there were six people that made it all worthwhile and then another few million on top of that. Some might change the world, some might leave it altogether. Every single one is different, everyone the same. In the end, they were all part of the same book. He looked at Sly one more time and took another sip from his drink.

“One page at a time…”

The decision of leaving Reeds Point, Wyoming was not one that the youngest member of the Casey clan had taken lightly. After the culmination of her university studies, Blackhat Casey’s only daughter had returned to their small, Mountain West hometown with a master’s degree under her belt and a heart full of hope for the future. In her dreams, the lover she had left behind welcomed her back with open arms, they rekindled their relationship and built the life they always dreamed of since the age of fourteen.

Reality had turned out to be the cruelest mistress around. Walker Jameson, her high school sweetheart and first love, had been diligent in carrying out her best wishes for him. Being freed from his ties to the youngest Casey girl had led the lover she had left behind straight into the arms of his true soulmate, as Willa had been eagerly told by her father. As her eyes filled with tears and her heart shattered into a thousand pieces all over again, she could hear Blackhat’s scolding words in her ear:


With no hope left for a future in her hometown, this was the moment that, in her heart and mind, Willa Casey realized that her departure time from Reeds Point and the Casey ranch had arrived.

Although she knew she was the apple of her father's eye, Willa knew well that he wouldn't take kindly to another family member 'abandoning the ranch and their legacy' as he would call it. She knew that once the initial sadness had passed Blackhat would be using every tool at his disposal to track her down, so she took as many precautions as she could to ensure her identity and final destination remained anonymous throughout the trip. Her cellphone and credit cards had stayed behind in her childhood bedroom at Reeds Point. She had emptied her bank account and retrieved all of its funds in cash, some of which had been used to purchase the tickets of her various transportation methods. A bus ride to the Denver airport, a flight to Philadelphia, a train ride to South Boston, and an Uber ride later, and Willa Jean was finally within walking distance of what she hoped would be her new home alongside her mother, brother, cousins and stepfather: Blue Hill Reservation.

The decision to wear her signature dark brown leather cowboy boots had proven useful as Willa made her way down the dirt roads of the reservation. Small pebbles and rocks crunched under her footsteps and the combined weight of the large red suitcase, matching large duffel bag and her backpack that carried her clothing and prized possessions became heavier and heavier the further she walked. She knew she could have called Kerry to meet her at the entrance to the rez and drive her to their mother’s home, but she needed some time alone to clear her head before the questions about her latest life decisions began.

The woodland scenery to the right of her path soon gave way to acres and acres of lush green fields. Curious, the young woman left her bags on the side of the road and took a few steps in the direction of the nearest bush. Careful inspection of the plant revealed strawberries growing from the soil, and Willa couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face as she plucked the ripest berry she found and held it between her fingers. Her favorite fruit being her first discovery in reservation soil was the sign she needed from above that the decision of a fresh start had been the right choice.

When the photos start to fade, and her memories slip away, what happens next for Elizabeth Deere-Echohawk? Tennessee knew for a fact he would not have the strength to remind his mother of what was important. What was right in front of her. He wasn’t like his twin who knew what to say and how to say it. Her strength and sheer power of will was one of her best qualities and he could never compare to that. Winnie was amazing and she didn’t even see how strong she was. How easy she made it seem to be someone’s caretaker. Someone’s guide. Someone’s center.

Some days Elizabeth knew who her son was, other days all she saw was his father. The love of her life. Today had already been a hard day for him, seeing how he was this close to graduating and starting next week, he would be a rookie lighthorseman. The thought of his father played back, like a broken record, and he wondered if he was being dumb and if he was about to make the worst mistake of his life. He wondered if he even had what it takes to be a lighthorseman and stand beside the likes of Fallon Tatanka and Sheriff Rudy Wolfe.

Ten had his doubts. Not of himself, because he knew he would protect his home fiercely. He had his doubts because he wondered if he was doing this for himself or was he doing this because, in some way, he wanted to be just like his dad. He knew he could never be the Bright Star this village knew and loved. He could never be as steadfast, as wise, and as brilliant as his dad. Part of him wondered if it was possible, in some way, to live a life using his father as his example. His blueprint. His map to a happy, fulfilling life. A drunk decision one night to become a lighthorseman led to him attending the program and challenging himself. Actively pursuing this career path, finding excitement to leave bartending behind, which he was never good at, and join a cause that he firmly believed in. To this day he had no idea if that drunk decision was his or not but he ran with it and made it his own. In days, Ten would cross the finish line, almost there. Finishing a goal. In days he would swear an oath and be a sword or a shield for the people, depending on what they need. In days, he would be responsible for protecting not a few but many. In days, he’d be a lighthorseman.

Here Ten was, sitting on a stump, staring at a basket filled with strawberries, getting cold feet. Shaken and on the verge of tears, the grief overtook him. His mind tried to bury his father’s life, days long passed by, and the emptiness in his mother’s gaze as she searched for her past in her children. He wanted to have purpose and this choice could very well give him that but he knew if he continued to walk forward, he wouldn’t be there to hold his mother’s hand. He wouldn’t be able to tell her all the names of the faces she didn’t recognize and be like yes, this person, she’s your friend. Or yes, I am your son who is all grown up. Right here, right in front of you. Your son who chases a feeling, following his heart, just like you always said he would.

Today as he watched Kerry and Winona tenderly look at each other as they all walked with Elizabeth and listened to her stories, her history, and the struggles she went through to be where she is today, he couldn’t help but think one day, those two would get together. He could see it a mile away, how badly they burned for one another. They were fools to think they hid it well. What made this bittersweet was that one day, his mom would forget it all and not see them get married, have children, or just be so deeply in love with each other, just how she was with her Bright Star. Add that on top of the fact that their future kids would never meet their grandpa, the world in this moment felt far too heavy to carry alone.

Was he even going to be able to make it to work tonight?

Of course he was.

He couldn’t do that to his sister. She busted her ass off on the daily. The least he could do was show up and be there for her in the only way he knew how. Sighing to himself, Tennessee rubbed his eyes, wondering if he could just shut off his brain and take a nap. Whether he had time for a nap or not was entirely up for debate. Once he was done rubbing his eyes, making sure no tears slipped out, he dropped his hand to the side only to see a sight he didn’t expect. The past two days seemed like the time for offcomers to visit. He couldn’t get a good look at her from how far she was but her frame alone made her seem elegant and small. Standing up to make his presence known, he waved at her, “Are you lost?” He spoke loudly so the stranger could hear him.

The big, ripe strawberry Willa had been holding fell to the ground beneath her when she was startled by a masculine voice breaking through the silence. The young woman’s head immediately snapped up, her senses on high alert as she looked for the source of the words. She could see a male figure in front of a stump in the distance, standing in front of what seemed like a basket full of berries. A lonely female carrying multiple pieces of luggage and appearing to be lost in unknown forest territory would be easy prey for anyone with ill intentions… That was, if she wasn’t the daughter of Blackhat Casey.

“In a manner of speaking,” Willa replied to the man just as loudly, making sure her naturally honey, dulcet voice showed no signs of worry, apprehension or fear: only assertiveness and fortitude, just like her father had taught her. Meanwhile, her hand was discreetly posed on the handle of the silver revolver holstered on her right hip. 'It's a dog eat dog world out there, Sweet Pea. You gotta kill or be killed' was Blackhat's mantra when it came to firearms possession for self-defense. He’d taught her how to shoot with a handgun by the age of eight, and by age thirteen she was proficient in the use of rifles. So, naturally, a handgun and ammunition had been the first things she’d bought in Philly before boarding her train ride to South Boston. You know, just in case-- to keep herself safe. “Who are you?”

While part of him was lingering on his own grief and sadness, the other part of him understood the situation. He needed to. To read the room was only a small portion of his upcoming job as protector of the people. Ultimately they were strangers and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. “Tennessee,” he called back, adjusting himself to pick up the wicker basket. He needed to deliver it to the Summerhill house, seeing how his sister and mother picked plenty for them. He was sure the Summerhill girls would be grateful for it and knowing Yana, she’d prepare smoothies for all of them.

He didn’t want to keep shouting though. If a girl was in need, he wanted to assist but if she said no. No means no. “Is it alright I approach you, Miss?” He honestly asked. “My sister, mom, and my friend just headed back not too long ago. If you need help, I can show you to the station?” Could she even hear him from this distance? He hoped so.

If not, he could inch a little closer…

Assertively, he did take a couple steps forward. If she showed clear signs of discomfort, he would stop. “You’re definitely a new face! I know just about everyone who lives on the Res. While I can’t promise you we got everything you need, we’ll help you the best we can to get you where you’re going. Can you hear me? Sorry, I’m trying to respect your boundaries!”

Rather than back away, Willa straightened her shoulders and wrapped her hand around the revolver’s handle, ready to spring to action in a split second. This guy could just be saying things to earn her trust only to turn around, kidnap her and take her back to his cabin in the middle of the woods to do God knows what. But if there was a life skill that the brunette luckily possessed, it was the ability to decipher most people’s intentions. And Willa could see that the man’s tone of voice, the words he’d chosen to communicate with her and the way he carried himself came from a place of respect, politeness and a true desire to assist her if she was in need. She didn't perceive a threat in his demeanor.

Allowing herself to relax, Willa released her hold on the handgun and took the remaining steps to close the distance between them. Upon first impressions, the man who had identified himself as Tennessee was nothing short of handsome. He appeared to be half a foot taller than her, with well-styled black hair, beautiful brown skin, and captivating dark eyes: all part of those beautiful features that distinguished Native Americans-- ones that Willa had always found fascinating. It made the young woman break into a smile.

When the girl approached him, everything about Tennessee radiated like the sun. There was a warmness about him, with the way he looked at her. His eyes brightly smiled with his lips and he beamed a youthful energy, which shined through even as he stood there trying to handle the situation maturely. He was carefree and relaxed, especially now that he had company that wasn’t too close to home. Whatever was creeping up on him, while he sat with his thoughts, combating sadness, all that had dissipated and his focus was now the offcomer.

"My name is Willa. I’m moving here from Wyoming to be with my family, but I wanted to take a little time for myself and explore the Res for a bit before I called my brother to pick me up. What I didn’t realize was how heavy these bags would get the longer I walked down these dirt roads!” she explained with a chuckle, gesturing towards the suitcases and duffel bag that she'd left on the side of the road.

As she introduced herself, his intrigued gaze never left her hopeful eyes. He didn’t let his curiosity check her out nor did he breach any closer to cause her discomfort or force her to bring her walls back up. He could tell easily that she was a pretty girl but if his mama taught him anything, it was to look at someone’s soul, not what was on the surface. True beauty were the flowers that helped other flowers bloom.

Holding the wicker basket in one arm, he nodded before realizing something, “My friend is from Wyoming! He doesn’t really talk about anything else in regards to his life before he moved here but that I do remember.” Common sense would tell Ten that this friend was connected to this young lady right here but Ten sometimes was oblivious to context clues. “Maybe you know him? I mean it isn’t everyday we get someone from the same state.”

His mind had a delayed response with her last comment about her bags. Something his sister would’ve likely picked up on first. “Oh wait, sorry. That was rude of me. You need help with your bags? Here, we can trade! You can be the keeper of strawberries and I’ll be your mule.”

A giggle escaped from Willa’s lips at Tennessee’s comment. His eagerness and overall jovial demeanor reminded her of a golden retriever: friendly, sweet and helpful. It was surprisingly quite endearing, and it made her feel bad for almost pulling her gun out on him earlier. “Only because you offered,” she told him with a smile, exchanging her luggage items with Tennessee for the basket filled with yummy strawberries.

“So you have a friend from Wyoming, huh?” the brunette asked as they made their way down the dirt road, kicking some rocks for entertainment along the way. From her conversations with Kerry, Willa knew that her family members were the only Blue Hill citizens that came from the mountain west state. So when he talked about a male friend from her home state, there was a 80% chance that Tennessee was talking about her beloved big brother. Curious about what impressions her new friend had of her family, the youngest Casey decided to inquire more about the subject. “Wyoming may look big on a map, but when you’re actually there it just feels like it’s all one big small town-- if that makes sense. You tend to know lots of people, or know someone who knows someone who knows someone,” she explained. “Maybe if you tell me more about your friend I can see whether I might know him or not.”

“Hey, the Res is like that too. Well, actually we’re like one big family so we try not to cross mingle if you know what I mean,” Ten chuckled to himself, knowing if it weren’t for the program that lets them go to schools nearby like Salem, Pinehurst, or Edenridge, they would be reverting back to the past and trying to procreate with blood. It was a new dawn and a new age and Blue Hill did not do that shit. That he knew of. With her duffel hanging on his shoulder and her suitcase being carried by the handle, since the gravel made it hard to roll, the native man considered her words. Wyoming was like a village and everyone knew everyone which meant this girl might’ve heard of Kerry.

What a small world!

He watched her as she talked, a smile never leaving his face. Nodding when she asked about his friend, Ten was quick to answer, “This guy came in like he was from a Western movie. He got swag for days, like all the girls drool over him beside my sister. Though I know the truth. Hehe,” Ten’s thoughts trailed off as he thought of something that turned his smile into a grin before realizing he was now talking in his head and not outloud. “This guy! Yeah, my friend really loves Johnny Cash. Never really listened to that myself until he showed me, now I can say I can Cash. Cash is good. We usually have bro nights — him, me and Tank. Though he’s hard to crack open like one time, he told me his broken watch he wears all the time is from his little sister but he never gave me a name. Weird seeing how he walks my sister home every night, but whatever.”

What else could he say about Kerry?

“Oh! And he has a lot of hats. Like A LOT of hats. For different occasions too. Never met a guy that had that many hats. Hell, I couldn’t afford that many hats if I wanted to,” Ten admitted, looking back at the small woman beside him. He was glad she appeared when she did or else who knows what other dark things his mind would think of. He had gotten so caught up with talking about Kerry that he didn’t realize he didn’t bring up a name. “Sound like someone you know?”

Old Western movie swag? Check. Her brother had been the wallflower type for most of his life, but he’d earned his confidence after escaping their father’s dictatorship and enrolling in the Armed Forces.

Fan of Johnny Cash? Check. The Cash, as Tennessee had so comically called him, was an artist all of the Casey children had grown up listening to thanks to their fathers and grandfather. Kerry in particular had grown fond of the singer since he was a boy.

Difficulty in opening up to others he hadn’t known for long? Check. Another challenge that the people that cared about him and had the best intentions for him could blame Blackhat for. A lifetime of physical, verbal and emotional abuse would do that to you.

Consistent use of a long-since broken watch gifted to him by his sister? Check. The leather watch had been an item that caught fourteen year-old Willa’s eye during one of her trips around Downtown Reeds Point, and she had saved up her allowance money for weeks so she could get it for Kerry’s sixteenth birthday. He’d put it on immediately after unwrapping it that day, and he hadn’t taken it off since.

A collection of hats that would make any cowboy jealous? Check. Hats were to Kerry like boots were to Willa, what men were to their cousin Rochelle and what destinations were to their other cousin Joelle: something worth collecting. Some had been gifts from his mother, his aunt, his sister and his cousins; and some had been purchased throughout the years. Still, it was certainly quite the collection, and Willa was happy her brother had managed to keep it.

That her big brother was walking her new friend’s sister home every night? Now that was a juicy piece of gossip that had Willa going from a smirk to a full-fledged grin. Throughout his life, Kerry had never been the type to get caught up in romances like Willa or Jojo, much less get entangled in the webs of lust like wild child Chelle. To know that there was a woman out there who had captured her brother’s attention to the point that he was walking her home every night was a very unexpected but exciting revelation. She couldn’t wait to grill him about it later.

Did it sound like someone she knew?

“Yeah, you can say that,” came the girl’s vague response, unable to stop smiling. It truly was a joy to meet people who clearly thought as highly of her brother as she and the females in their family did. A man as wonderful as Kerry deserved nothing less than that. “He sounds like a cool guy.”

“Too cool. He makes me look bad,” Ten grumbled, as they continued to trek down the dirt path, with Willa chuckling at his comment. He led the way to his home, unsure where to drop her off. Certainly though, he would figure it out, one step at a time. “Now, we can talk about Kerry all day but I want to know a bit about you. As your mule, I think I deserve a little treat. You said you have family here. Or around here. Why didn’t you move here when they did?” His brown eyes curiously searched her face, genuinely concerned why now she chose to come when she could’ve left before. Was she running away from something? “I hope that’s not too personal, if it is… we can talk about… food. Everyone loves food.”

The cheerful demeanor Willa had presented throughout their earlier conversation was quickly dampened by unease. There was no way for Tennessee to have known how loaded of a question he had asked, and how complicated the entire story behind it actually was. But something inside the Casey girl was telling her that this was the time to let go of some of that burden she’d been carrying for years-- that this stranger would be capable of listening to her without judgment. And before she could talk herself out of it, the brunette embarked on the narration of some of her life story.

“My father isn’t exactly a good man…” Willa began to explain, and immediately felt a twinge of hurt and guilt in her chest. Blackhat had treated her like nothing short of a princess the majority of the time, but that didn’t mean she was naive to the different types of abuse he had inflicted on their family. “Although he spoiled me as his only daughter and treated my aunt and my cousins fairly well, he wasn’t as nice to my mom or my brother. My dad didn't lay a hand on us girls-- though I think he might have grabbed my cousin’s arm hard enough to leave a mark once--, but he did things to scare us and keep us in line. He’d punch walls, he’d throw things around the room, talk about how if we did this or that he’d bury us in the backyard… His favorite way to keep us in line was to flick a bullwhip next to whoever he thought was disrespecting him, because he knew we hated the sound and it would make us flinch. Fear, threats and intimidation were his favorite ways to keep us submissive. My brother had it the worst, though. My dad wanted him to be his heir so badly, but my brother had too much of my mother’s virtues in him, and that made Dad even angrier. He was beaten so many times-- for the smallest of things, too. And even then, there were times when he willingly put himself on the line of fire to keep us girls as safe as he could. He wanted to leave so badly, but he was only able to after he joined the Army. Once he enlisted and left for basic, he never came back.”

“Then when my two oldest cousins left for college and didn’t come back either, my aunt moved back to Texas to be with her family. Her husband-- my dad’s brother-- had died when the girls were five and seven, so she stayed in the ranch until the girls left because my dad had fulfilled his promise of taking care of them. Then after I went to college, my mom finally left the ranch too. She waited until she knew I’d be okay, bargained with my father to get a divorce, took her chance and never looked back. She’d heard about Edenridge from my aunt MaryJo, who has a brother that lived there, and thought that would be the perfect place to start out fresh. She wasn’t expecting to fall in love with your Chief and end up moving in with him to this reservation, though,” Willa confessed, a small smile peeking through the clouds of gloom of the conversation. “So that’s why we all moved here at different times. My mother Darla came in first, after she got together with Chris. Then came Kerry after he was done with the army-- Mamma told him where she was and how they needed ranch hands and he moved here with her. Joelle and Rochelle came in after that, to both be ranch hands and train with Brad Clearwater for their rodeo competition events. And now here’s me: just graduated from college, desperate to get away from my hometown, and so ready to be with my family again.”

Realizing that she had shared so much more than she had intended, Willa’s face flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just dump all of this on you like that,” she apologized, tucking a strand of her behind her ear and keeping her eyes glued to the ground. “Guess that’s one way to over-answer a simple question, huh?”

While this was more than Tennessee could ever expect, he was sitting on all the reveals she threaded in her story. Her mother was Darla, Chief Coldwind’s wife. Her cousins were Joelle and Rochelle, two girls he’s found comfort with, in more recent days. They found their footing in the Reservation and absolutely loved it here. Far better than their home, they’d say. The one reveal that hit him the most was that Kerry, his comrade, his buddy, his pal… Kerry Casey was her brother. And everything she revealed about her brother only caused Ten to frown. He didn’t even know how to answer but he didn’t want to stay silent for too long. He didn’t want her to feel ignored after she so courageously opened her soul to him. How brave she was to show him her heart. “I… wow. Great Spirit, calm my mind.”

With his hand that wasn’t holding the suitcase, he rubbed his temple, “That is awful… sorry, I… you know what? Nevermind all that.” He thought carefully and swiftly, deciding to reassure instead of throwing her a pity party. “I can promise you the Reservation, while small and could use some funding, is a great place. We have good people that go out of their way for each other and your family, which I’m still processing is your family, they’ve really become part of our family. I…” he was trying to grab onto the right words, as everything she had just loaded onto him caused him to malfunction. “... I think it’s great that you’ve come all this way to be with people that make you feel loved and safe. I’m sorry to hear that about your dad. If it means anything to you, I actually really appreciate your company right now. You caught me at a weird time, my mom, well.” He cleared his throat and looked away from her.

He glanced up at the sky, trying to find courage and strength from some greater being or even his father’s spirit. She was so honest to him, it was only right for him to do the same. He didn’t know if his words were coming out right but instinct was telling him to not hold back and talk. Just talk. They only just met but he wanted her to feel comfortable around him. He wanted her to feel safe. “My mom is losing her memory and she called me by my father’s name. My father died a couple years back, on me and my sister’s birthday. We’re twins, actually. You wouldn’t be able to tell if you met her. She’s always been so focused, responsible and smart. She always knows how to pick me up when I fall but I’m getting off track, sorry.” He paused again, taking a moment to sigh deeply.

No longer walking, stopping for a moment to gather himself, he noticed they had reached the Blue Hill Reservation sign. Looking at her, really looking at her and the soul that shone through her beautiful green eyes, Ten tightened his grip on her suitcase handle, adjusted her duffel and continued to confide, “There was a raid and he was a protector. We lost a few lives that day and I don’t think my sister and I will ever look at our birthday the same. I guess, in a way, I’m really grateful for your brother. He’s healing my sister, even if she doesn’t realize it. She closed up a lot before he came here so yeah, I guess you can say your brother is someone I consider important. My best friend even. I’m glad you all got out of your bad situation and I hope I can become someone that protects people like you.” He wondered if that was too domineering, so he stumbled back on his words, “Not saying you need protecting, I just mean, I want to help people. You know, like my dad. I’m sure you’re a total badass. Rootin’ tootin’ cowboy girl shootin’ skills. I just want to be something to someone. I want purpose. Am I making sense?”

The young woman nodded, having shifted her sights from the ground and to Tennessee's face as he’d rewarded her sincerity with his own. His words had taken her on a rollercoaster of emotions. She was grateful for his sympathy at her situation-- it soothed wounds in her soul she didn’t realize she’d had in the first place. Her compassionate heart went out to him as she listened to the struggles he had faced throughout his own life. She couldn’t imagine the heartbreak of losing a parent, watching the other slowly fall apart in front of you and being unable to do anything about it. There was comfort in the midst of the sadness, though, with knowing that Kerry had been such a rock for this family like he’d been for his own. His way to describe her demeanor from earlier had made her giggle, and she could see his genuine desire to serve and protect reflected in his beautiful dark eyes.

“You’re making absolute sense,” Willa reassured him, feeling comfortable enough to hold the arm nearest to her and squeezing it gently. She wanted to do whatever she could to ease any doubts Tennessee had about himself. “Finding your purpose, letting your purpose find you… I’ve been down that road myself. I’m still trying to find mine-- which is part of the reason I came to Blue Hill, too. But I know-- actually, I’m sure of it: we’ll both find that purpose of ours. And about being something to someone, just look at it this way: you’re your sister’s defender. You’re your mother’s protector. You’re Kerry’s friend. I’m hoping you’ll be my friend and keep me safe too, even with my rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl shootin’ skills,” she said with a joking Southern drawl before letting out a bright laugh. “See? That’s four people that you mean something to right there. It’s a start, right?”

It was a start. There was nothing wrong with humble beginnings. In truth, that was what life was all about. New beginnings and taking people along for the ride. He had three people, and obviously more if he were to include his mother, that he meant something to. Wait? He meant something to her? A girl who hardly knew him? He was taken aback by how caring she was and how she readily accepted him. For the first time in a long time he felt like he could be exactly who he was meant to be and that feeling only came because he met Willa Casey.

“Yeah. And I think-- No. I know. You and me? We’re going to be great friends. Though, don’t get me wrong, you look like a sweet cinnamon bun but I feel like you got some spice in you. Spicy hot wings that could wreck me. Sounds like a good time. Sounds fun.” He gave a playful, toothy grin to the grinning brunette beside him still holding his arm before nodding toward the direction they needed to head towards. “Come on, let’s get going. It’s time to start the next chapter of your life. Welcome to Blue Hill, Willa.”

Beau didn’t know how long Eva would be gone for but there was always time enough for a good book.

Antoine’s love affair with the written word began nearly sixty years ago, in a little place off the beaten track in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. As a boy, Antoine’s family had very little in the way of finances or even a decent place to live. He was the second oldest of six children, his parents Marcellus and Monique were humble people, a day laborer and a housekeeper respectively. They were good, hard working people and even as a boy, Beau wanted to do everything to help them provide for their family. Which was how, even at ten years old, Antoine found himself scouring the Quarter to find anyone willing to hire a child.

One evening, New Orleans was struck by a terrible storm and Beau was unable to make it home. The streets were closed and he was lost in the monsoon, so the boy found the only building with a light on and hid inside. He had stumbled into a tiny bookstore, which May has well been a castle. Mister Moriarty, the kindly owner, offered the boy hot cocoa and a choice of any book to read to pass the time whilst the storm raged. Antoine found his way to the classics and began reading H.G Wells “Time Machine”. Something about the idea of seeing what life could be like if things in the past could be changed was intriguing.

From that evening onward, Beau found himself immersed in books. He began walking for Moriarty, cleaning the shop and maintaining the books. Even during the brief time before he became a police officer, where Antoine tried his hand in the underworld in hopes of helping out his family, he always made the time to go back to that shop and help out. To him, they weren’t just words or stories, they were lessons, they were worlds he could inhabit and feel and relate to. It could take only one book, one life or turn of phrase to completely change a person's outlook and perception on a world fraught with trials and tribulations. Whenever Beau needed to know the answer, whenever he needed the answer to help someone he would find it in his books.

As he collapsed into the comfy chair that Colleen had got him for his last birthday, Beau’s chestnut eyes fell upon the framed photo on the side table, his five children smiling together at his retirement party. They were his world and the reason he pulled himself out of bed in the morning. The resolute twins, Desmond and Delphine. His little creatives, Genevieve and Evangeline and his wild child, Zara Antoinette. His babies. His life.

Beau picked up the book next to the photograph of his family and examined the cover. It was a simple black hardback, a silver engraved tree in the middle. There was an author's name written at the bottom but his eyes were feeling slightly heavy or at least heavy enough that he couldn’t make out the name. As VAL continued to play Sam Cooke’s magnum opus ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ Antoine settled on the idea that he would probably go to sleep when Eva returned. He was old now, it was past his bedtime. Though if for nothing else, he could’ve sworn it was Hamlet he had left on the table…

As he prepared to open the book, he was disturbed by a thrice knock on the front door. Had Eva forgotten her keys? Probably, she often did. It was a good job that he and Collie were going to get her a talking key ring for her birthday. She always had so many ideas. He pushed himself up from the chair he had just got situated himself in and rested the book back on the table before heading towards the door once again. Opening up the heavy door, Antoine was blinded by a white hot light, like someone had immediately turned on their high beams directly into his gaze. As the brightness faded, the old man unshielded his face to look upon a familiar figure standing in his doorway.

“Hey Mister Beau! Long time no see!”

Charlie looked exactly as he did the day he……wait when was the last time Beau had seen the young native boy? He couldn’t place it. He was always one of the tallest of his students, standing a whopping six foot three. He looked happy, healthy, he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a buttoned down shirt and thick rimmed glasses with a book tucked under his arm. The morning…wait it was morning? Wasn’t it just the evening? Did Beau fall asleep? What was…why was his head so foggy? “Ch…Ch…Charlie it’s early, what are you doing here?”

Brushing his hand through his shaggy black hair, Charlie pulled the book out and offered it up to his former teacher. “I brought you an advanced copy of my next book to proofread. It’s not finished yet, obviously but I’d love some feedback whenever you get a chance but don’t worry about that too much right now. Just think about your party.”

“Party?” Beau was struggling to make sense of the morning, he felt like had been asleep for days and was only now just waking up, almost to a new world or so it felt like it. The faint smell of baked goods wafted through the house and the low humming of a female voice emanated from the kitchen. “Collie?” Why was he surprised to hear his wife sing? Who else would it be? He had to stop eating cheese before bed.

“I’ve said too much. Listen, have a great day, I’m sure I’ll see you at some point but I have to go and get gone before the wife wakes up. She can be cranky. Talk later Mister Beau!” Charlie jumped down the steps of the porch with a wave and climbed into a nearby car, leaving Beau alone, holding the boy's book.

“Bye Charlie.” Antoine waved as he took a few steps out of the front door to stand on the patio. Edenridge looked colorful. The sky was a light shade of blue with an orange hew sinking in the distance from the rising sun. He looked out to see the earlier risers heading to work, walking their dogs or jogging around the housing cul-de-sac that looked like it had been copied directly from the American dream itself. He could smell the damp of a summer's rain and Colleen’s wildflowers in bloom. It smelled cleaner.

Turning and entering back into his home, Beau wondered why his head felt so cloudy? It was as if he had been drinking the night before and had only just awoken to the world. He was clinging to a thought, a whisper, the last breath of a dying fantasy. Something carried on the current of the soft summer wind made him think that something just wasn’t right. Something wasn’t as it should be and he might possibly have crossed over into the uncanny valley. He walked by the sign for his retirement party and towards the kitchen where he could hear his wife.

It was as if it was a dream…

Like many days in her bedroom, though this time they had a small home of their own, sun rays of brilliant colors eased their way into an open window, the light making Penelope Decker’s skin glow. A nearly translucent white curtain swayed with the morning breeze calling for her to rise. The girl whose skin was that of the purest white snow, whose eyes were like an enchanting forest, something that could silence clocks, silence minds and whose body had become ravishing, over the course of time, more womanly in a sense, was peaceful and sound asleep.

The dark haired woman was still petite and delicate but she had grown in an unexpected and more sensual kind of way. Or perhaps that’s how she carried herself? Confidant, self assured and centered. Happy and full, with no unanswered questions, just how life was supposed to be. She could say she did that all herself but the reality was because she had everything she wanted and needed, all in the form of a boy she couldn’t live without, Poppy was complete. Poppy was whole. Poppy was happy.

The friendship quilt that she helped sew with her sister that consisted of memories of her, Charlie, Decky and Jade was hanging off the bed. Two of the blocks were Decky and Danny’s first kippahs and another block was a pattern Max help design with Jade, which had angel wings, representing everything Jade felt she was and colors to showcase her outlook in life. Poppy’s form was hardly covered, seeing how most of the blanket was almost on the floor. She wore one of Charlie’s shirts, a mustard colored checked flannel, that was gigantic on her. Everything of his was huge on her. Especially on her. It had risen up throughout the night and now she was curled up and sleeping on his pillow.

Waking up was the worst part of the day. While she loved being productive and immersing herself in the community of her home, Blue Hill Reservation — she and Charlie had moved there right after graduation — she also liked this bed and how comfy it was. The pillow smelt like Charlie too. This was a trap which only forced her to go into a deeper sleep and never want to wake up. Oh, how wonderful it felt to feel comfort, to feel safe and to feel loved wholeheartedly by the one person you’ve loved with every bit of energy and soul, for as long as you could remember.

Charlie Jay. Her forever. Her always. Her entire world.

He tried to pull into what would be considered their driveway as quietly as possible. Though their driveway, like most of the area around their home by the foot of the Blue Hills was just dirt and rocks. When Charlie and Penelope had opted to make their lives together on the Reservation, they made the conscious decision to not live at the Silverheel ranch, no matter how much his little sister Mitena begged. Not that she was there herself, too busy shacking up in Pinehurst with Lexie and teaching kids all about music. No Charlie knew that despite their relation, he was no Silverheel, that was Tena’s birthright. He was a Strongbow, the son of James. Which was why when they arrived, they found his old familial house, which sat empty and abandoned and decided that it would be where their future together started.

They didn’t have a lot of money to start with, especially considering how quickly they got married but things took a sudden change when Poppy took it upon herself to send out copies of Charlie’s novel to publishers across the country, after some expert editing from her of course. Eventually, someone decided it was worth a damn and picked it up. What followed was an absolute whirlwind for Charlie. Something about the book resonated, especially with younger people and over time it became a New York Times best seller. The young native could never have expected such a response to the thoughts and feelings he wrote in his journals as a teenager and now his publishers were screaming for more, though for the last year, Charlie had been suffering some writer's block.

Poppy had been great in supporting him as wife, as his editor? That was a different story. Penelope Decker was a hardass if ever there was one. It was her that suggested giving Beau an advanced copy of his latest works in hopes that their former English teacher might provide Charlie with the same inspiration that he had given him as a teenager. There had never been a bigger proponent for the talent of Charlie than Beau except maybe his mother, Ronnie. Having just undergone successful surgery on her eyes, things were looking good for Mama Decker. She had gotten back to work, taking a part time job at Main Street Music and she was dating again for the first time in a long time. Amongst all her trials and tribulations, Ronnie never once ever stopped believing in her son, she never gave up. Not once.

Charlie crept into his home, having taken his shoes off on the porch and tried to silently make his way towards the back of the house where no doubt he would find his forever love starfished across the bed. He didn’t really know why he was trying to be a ninja because Poppy Decker could sleep for the dead. He slithered into their bedroom and caught sight of the sun illuminating her pale features as she slept. Creator, she was absolutely perfect. Gently placing himself down the bed next to her, Charlie softly caressed her long brown hair, a smile across his face.

He was happy.

Feeling his gentle touch caused her to stir in her sleep. Subconsciously and habitually, she moved toward the heat that was radiating off her husband. Nuzzling her face against his chest, she took in his natural odor, which was much stronger than the scent remnants on his pillow. She slid her hand around his body, intertwined her legs with his, straight into a lovers’ knot, and held him close. The flannel she was wearing was loose and had gradually fallen down her shoulder when she moved closer to her beloved. There was no doubt he could see what was underneath by simply glancing down. Her eyes had yet to open and her chest moved with soft breaths. Penelope was still asleep but now she held him captive.

For someone so small, Poppy had the strength of a Boa Constrictor. Maybe she was secretly hitting the gym with her Uncle Craig on the sly. Charlie didn’t mind though; whenever she was touching him or even just in his vicinity he felt pure joy and elation. Sliding down the bed slightly to give her more room to snuggle into him, Charlie leaned his head forward and pressed a soft kiss to Pop's cheek. He was quite possibly the luckiest man alive. He had found his person early in life and he was never going to let her go. Their love was profound and their lust was intense. She was the main character in his book and she always would be.

The way his shirt fell off of her shoulder was all it would take to put Charlie into a certain kind of mindset. His large hand moved to allow his fingertips to dance over her shoulder like the morning sun as it kissed her skin. How could he ever want to be anywhere else than with his wife, on the Rez and surrounded by people that adored them? It just wasn’t a reality he would want to be a part of. This was home.

“Rise and shine, Mrs. Decker.”

“Mm…” Penelope whined, not wanting to open her eyes. She was too comfortable and she wanted to cuddle him forever. Sure, today was a brand new day and she likely had a few things to do, but did any of that matter when she was exactly where she wanted to be? “But Charlie,” she softly protested. “I don’t want to,” she continued to complain. She really did not want this dream to end. For how long they’ve been married now, this all felt surreal. Some days she thinks back on their hardships, especially when he was stuck in his head throughout middle school and into highschool. She looks back and wonders how did they make it this far when there were some days she worried he’d succumb to his self doubt and pain. None of that mattered anymore because they made it. They were here. Both well and alive. He was her’s, she was his and they were together.

Sluggishly, and begrudgingly, Poppy opened her eyes. Her pretty greens didn’t take long to go straight to those earthy hues that connected her to his soul. She drowsily smiled. She loved waking up to his face. Her hand, having released him from its hold, slid up his chest before finding its destination. As she stared at him adoringly, completely and utterly in love, she booped his nose, “Good morning, Choo Choo.”

“Good morning, my heart.” Charlie leaned and kissed Poppy’s soft, pouty lips gently. Breathing in her scent was the best part of his day. Staring into those big green eyes was the best part of his day. Holding her warm, ghostlike skin between his fingertips was the best part of his day. No matter the chaos of his mind, which still raged ever onwards and despite therapy with Shannon, Charlie found an anchor and a home with the girl next door, the girl he had loved all of his life, Poppy James or should he say Poppy Decker now?

It didn’t take much for the writer to pull Penelope into his lap where he held her close. The decision to move to Blue Hill was her idea. Poppy had visited with Charlie a few times when they were still in high school and she fell in love with the place and its people. She especially loved the Chief of the Reservation, Chris Coldwind. Part of the reason for their move was because of the beauty of the place, the other because Poppy thought a change in scenery might inspire Charlie’s words. His first book had so much darkness, so much pain, perhaps she thought the light of Blue Holl would penetrate his soul. Charlie wasn’t so sure, as good as his life was at that present time, there was still a black spot on his soul.

“So…” The indigenous man placed his hand on Poppy’s thigh and wrote her name with his finger atop her skin. “What are your plans today? After we get breakfast first of course, I’ve already texted Resi for the bagels.”

With her long, beautiful dark hair cascading down and tickling his face, she leaned toward him and cradled his head, brushing her nose with his. With her mind finally processing the new day, the do-list came rushing in, as it always did when she woke up, “Breakfast always first then I was going to say hi to Landon and Bucky, see the progress with the educational center renovations. Afterwards, I was going to help with the community garden with the Summerhill girls and I promised the Chief I’d also help paint his house!” The more Penelope talked, the more she realized she might’ve overbooked herself, “But have no fear baby, I know today is Beau’s retirement party and I’ll be ready. I promiseeeee. Plus Maxie needs help setting things up. Heh...” Poppy scrunched her nose, she really did have a busy day ahead of her. Even with all that being said, her mind still left plenty of room for Charlie, “Were you able to give your draft to him?” She asked curiously.

“Poppy Decker, you are such a Rez Dog.” Charlie culled his wife’s face, his thumb dragging tenderly over her lower lip. She was perfect and she was his, no matter how busy she made herself. “Yeah I handed it over. I re-read it before I took it to town…so yeah I haven’t slept. I must say your snoring is a great way to stop me falling asleep whilst I read.” Sleep was something that had avoided the Decker boy his whole life. It was something he had grown accustomed to lacking and didn’t bother him anymore. In spite of this, Penelope and Ronnie both were insistent he see someone about it for medication or techniques. It made him feel loved. “I’m not sure it’s good though, Pops. I think it’s lacking something, I just don’t know what.”

When he commented on her snoring, Penelope casually rolled her eyes before attentively listening to him and his concerns. He was always hard on himself. That, no matter the day or age, would ever change. “Well…” Penelope responded, stroking his hair and thinking on his words. Even with his circumstances getting better, even with him being happy with attainable goals and a support system that loved and adored him, he was still the saddest boy she ever met. His issues would not be fixed overnight nor would they be fixed in a year. This is who she chose to be with and everything that came with him. His sadness, his need for alone time, his mind that harbors so much chaos and so many questions, his heavy heart, his tender soul… this is what their love looked like.

Through the course of their life she learned rather quickly that love was difficult. Full of pains. Love requires determination and a deliberate choice, everyday, that this is your person and they will always be your person. Love was once lonely but love progressed into light. Hope. Something beautiful. Something for her to call her own. No matter what tomorrow brought, they’d have each other and would go through the highs, the lows and everything in between together. Love changes all the time, never granting permanence but something you never want to let go. Penelope keeps an open mind, taking things day by day but the one thing that would never change for her is who she’d wake up next to, who she’d eat bagels with and who she’d cry and laugh in front of. Without Charlie, her Charlie, she would be lost and that’s because there was no other choice but him. He was who she loved. He was who she chose to be with.

Instead of going on and on and on about things that were beyond her, like making suggestions to help his writer’s funk that he may not want to hear, Penelope decided to speak in his language and quoted, “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. Ernest Hemingway.” Everyone has their personal truths, something that would be so fascinating if it was written out into a story. Writing even one sentence, that is always knocking at your mind’s door, putting pen and paper together, and just letting your heart bleed out, that’s when the words start to come. That’s when things get easier and all those words at the tip of your tongue flow out like this was exactly what you were meant to do. That this, whatever it may be, was your purpose. Charlie was talented. He was so capable of moving others, romancing his reader and guiding them on a journey, but even one person was enough. If he could make one person cry, one person laugh, one person feel, wouldn’t that be enough? It only takes one person to make a difference and she knew in time, he’d say exactly what was on his mind. He just needed to take a moment to breathe. Just breathe. If there was anyone that Poppy believed in, it was him.

“I love you, Charlie.”

Marinating on her words, Charlie was reminded once again why he loved Poppy. Why he chose her to give his heart to. No matter how dark the cloud that hung permanently over his head was, she always found a way to be his sunshine. “I love you too Pops.” He had said those words a thousand times before and would a hundred thousand times again. Three little words which lose meaning for a lot of people but not Charlie. He meant it the first time he said it at a party freshman year and he meant it now, in their marital home. “And ma’am?” He rolled over with Penelope in his arms, resting himself on top of her and kissing her nose. “Quoting Hemingway to me? Mrs. Decker, are you trying to seduce me?”

Penelope gently smiled. She radiated warmth and joy. She couldn’t believe this was her life and he wanted her. Everyday he wanted her. If she could stay like this, in space and time, in their own little bubble she would. This was their world and from the day he confessed to her to tomorrow, they would continue to write their love story. They would never stop writing their love story. Even after they died, and their children have children who have children, their love would live on. They were soulmates after all and that would never change. “When am I not…” she whispered, bringing her hand to his face, running her fingers across his cheek until they met with his lips. She traced his mouth, staring at it but not going in for a kiss. “…trying to seduce you?” she teasingly purred, before making eye contact once more, her lips slightly parting. Her body relaxed from under him as she silently yearned for his touch, hopelessly devoted to him. Always.

Charlie’s hand slowly unbuttoned the long shirt of his that she wore so much better than he did as he lost himself in those heavenly green eyes of hers. As his fingers explored her now bare torso, his wanting gaze fixated on his Penelope, Charlie took the opportunity of her lips parting to meet her in a deep kiss. Drinking in her love with his tongue, allowing it to fill his heart up, the writer could not hide both his desire and worship of his pale Goddess. The sun kissed her alabaster skin and made her glow in a way that was beyond comprehension, like the angel that she was. As the breath left his body and their souls sanded together, Charlie stopped for a moment to look at Poppy’s face once more.

“I love you so much.”

Unreserved fire and passion bottled inside her, Penelope strained against his body, leaving no room between them. Her delicate hands and legs wrapped around her lover as she pressed her forehead against his. She craved to be touched and to touch. She craved to be wanted and feel needed. She craved Charlie and she wouldn’t stop craving him because she knew, since the beginning of time, she was his and he was her’s.

They were meant to be.

“I know,” she breathed.

Ernest Hemingway had said: Show the readers everything, tell them nothing. Penelope believed that could be said with love too. Hearing him say those words meant everything and more to her but she wanted to show him his love would never be in vain. The only thing that would take her away from him was death itself so while they lived each day in togetherness, creating memories after memories until they couldn’t anymore, she would show him so much love it would overwhelm him, overflowing in his soul to the point that he was addicted. She would give him enough reason to never let go. She would be the one that grounded him when the chaos of his mind became too much. She would stay and wait for him. She would be his constant. As long as they had each other, that’s all that mattered. He loved her and that was more than enough to make her the happiest girl alive.

With her heart beating fast as if this were their first time, she insistently kissed him, letting the intensity gradually grow as she clung to the person that was her world. All she could do was breathe him in like he was the oxygen that kept her going. She was floating in this feeling as he drove her mad. She hoped he knew how crazy she was about him. How mad they were together. There should be no doubt in his mind that Penelope loved him and that she was completely and utterly his.

She hoped he knew that.

That she was his and he was deserving of her.

Charlie Decker deserved to be happy.

There was a new journalist in town who didn’t know any better and Maxine Gonzalez was outside of the Edge of Sin, her territory, slowly losing her patience. Her and her friends had only taken a moment to go outside, on break of party planning so Elysia could smoke, for this fool to approach her like she ran the place. An audacious stranger expecting to understand the many secrets this town had to offer. Not even Kylee Grimm and Wesley Silo involved themselves with serpent and angel affairs. Fear Gorta too since the newest development was they rejoined their origin gang, making amends with Big Rey Gonzalez.

It was too early for this shit too.

It was too early for Helga Stephens from The Reformer.

“It’s interesting that an establishment like this is still running and crime litters the streets of Edenridge. Makes you wonder if people like Deputy Chief James and Chief Broadus have led this town to corruption.”

“Max, I can take care of this if you’d…?” Ely's voice trailed while she flicked the ashes off her cigarette, losing her train of thought when she met the eyes of not her best friend but the Queensnake. Also known as Striker in the streets of Eden. “Or we can go inside.” Ely double-backed, knowing that look, as did Indira and Owen. It was a little unnerving at times, especially since up until junior year, none of them knew that Max had any of this boss bitch energy in her. She kept it tidy behind a lady facade. Max was no lady though. She was the daughter of Craig Royce, Sylvester James and Victoria Mooney. A legacy of three Southside serpents. Striker, Rocky and Fates.

Venom and poison ran through her veins just as much as the elements did. Fire, for her passion. Lightning, for her ambition. Water, for her love. Earth, for her intelligence. Air, for her dreams. Instead of saying anything in return, Maxine coldly watched the other woman scope the area, which led Ely to nod her head to the other two. After resting her cigarette in the outdoor standing ashtray, knowing well enough how much Max cared for the environment, Elysia Fable strolled back inside the Edge, leaving her dear best friend to take care of business.

“You know, I have connections. They could easily get you to talk,” Helga smiled, still on the offensive. She had been interrupting and bothering Max for the past week, having done her research and knowing that this girl here was married to no other than Reynaldo Gonzalez Jr. The King of the Southside Serpents. The reporter was persistent, and obviously desperate. Max could respect the hustle up to a point. Now, it was getting out of hand. Last night a few of the baby snakes approached her, the young ones just trying to make a living, and told her that this reporter lady approached them at their corner and tried to get them to talk about how things were run, putting on the disguise that she was interested in joining. She even went out of her way to dress the part.

God, Maxine hated journalists.

“You got a lot going on, I’m sure, and I’m surprised no one’s cleaned this up. You, no less, who I learned cares about this town so much you have multiple projects going on in the background. It’s all so fascinating, don’t you think? How this,” Helga looked up at the Edge and back at Maxine, smug as if she had clear dirt on her, “is the normal here.”

Maxine didn’t need her husband to worry that a rat was trying to slip in their den and cause displeasure. Whatever this woman might have on the Gonzalez family, if anything, was not enough to get Maxine to bat an eyelash. Looks like Helga was banking on getting access to the Edge, thinking ReyRey was the backbone of the Snakes and not his wife.

When the reporter finally shut the fuck up, Maxine, stoic in her demeanor, shouldering the burdens of Edenridge and carrying the crown of the Southside with her beloved, a natural born leader, not a parasite, took a step forward, incing ever so closely to the stranger. “Let me tell you something, Miss Stephens.”

Grinning widely, Helga crossed her arms, with her small notepad and pen in hand, and gave the Edenite the floor, “Please do.” Regardless if this went good or bad for her, she knew nothing would stop her from getting her story. She wanted to make slimy towns like Edenridge great again. It was her job to reform and that’s exactly what she would do. Some would say she was in over her head. She would say nothing was impossible, not even pipe dreams of taking down the Pinehurst Inquirer. Her dreams were attainable and it started with the most haunted town in the United States. Edenridge.

Never raising her voice, Maxine narrowed her eyes and cooly admitted, “I don’t like being threatened.”

“Oh, so what does that mean, Queensnake?” Helga teased, amused at how this young girl carried herself. What? Only twenty five with a body that looks like anyone could snap in half? Helga wasn’t impressed and if she were being honest, Maxine did not look like she was meant for this life. “Does this mean you’re going to turn green? I’m shaking.”

“No bitch,” Maxine leaned forward and hissed. Her serpentine eyes reached Helga’s soul, causing the woman to take a step back. Helga Stephens couldn’t look away and part of her didn’t want to, the other part of her was starting to realize that maybe force wasn’t the best approach. As if all calculated and planned, Maxine seethed, “I turn red. I give no fucks okay? Now!” Striker slithered closer, backing the reporter to the wall of her business. The venom was reduced to a simmer, as Max forced a charming, winsome smile and heavily suggested, “For your own good, I will advise you to back the fuck off.”

Even if she was growing increasingly afraid for her own life, Helga couldn’t help but counter, “Why would I do that? Why would I let you and your husband continue to commit crimes? This town needs fixing and you clearly aren’t doing anything about that.” The reporter stood her ground, even if dumbly.

The way she sweated was more than enough to keep Striker in attack mode. Maxine’s cold green eyes scanned the woman’s body, before grabbing her attention again, trapping the Rat in the infamous Carlisle gaze. Mesmerizing, bone-chilling and absolutely haunting. “You better be very, very careful where you walk. I won’t be as forgiving next time.”

“I’m going to stop you right there.” Helga raised her hand, putting it in between her and the pale skinned woman. “Do you know who I represent?” She gestured to herself, as if everyone knew her name and where she came from. Without a doubt, Miss Stephens was becoming defensive, not liking the downright disrespect this little girl was showing her. Helga Stephens had more experience, more years and more knowledge than this wannabe snake would ever know. To think a frail girl like Maxine James would go on a power trip now that she was married into the Gonzalez family. Please.

“I don’t give a FUCK.” Maxine growled, grabbing the woman’s chin and forcibly backing her into the wall. “Remember who the fuck I am and,” the Queensnake leaned in close, her red painted lips inches away from Helga’s. She whispered, “Back off.” It only takes one more wrong move for all of Max’s pent up aggression to unleash. It was then that Tate went to check on her. When she saw ReyRey’s best friend, Maxine released the reporter and left her rage and anger outside, refusing to bring that in her den.

“See you later, Helga Stephens. Or not.” The Queensnake disappeared from sight. It didn’t take long for the frazzled woman, a stranger in a strange land, to rush into her car and speed off. Maxine was annoyed but not bothered. She had better things to do like plan Mr. Beau’s retirement party. She had better things to do like be with her friends. She had better things to do like grab lunch with her father. She had better things to do like protect the empire her husband continued to grow and spend her days in his loving embrace. Maxine Gonazlez had better things to do and none of those things had a dumb reporter bitch named Helga in it.

Spencer had loved flying all his life.

He was born for the sky; the one thing he had left from his birth parents was a soft toy plane so being a pilot felt like it was fated. On those long, lonely nights before the Kesars brought him into their world, Spence would imagine himself piloting one of the planes he could see soaring through the sky, unknowingly shepherding the parents that left him behind to a new destination. The sky, the infinite journey across the planet, that was meant to be an escape and it was but now he had something to come home to, someone to come home to.

Jane.

It wasn’t difficult to visually fall in love with Jane Taylor. With her gorgeous green eyes, silky blonde hair and incredible body, any man or woman would literally kill to be seen standing next to her and Spencer to this day had no idea what she saw in him. However it wasn’t just her breathtaking looks that allowed his heart to soar. What really captured his soul was her wonder at the world. There were moments, which he froze in time in his head, where he would look at Jane and she would just be stood silent, staring at something as innocent as a game console with an ethereal amazement that such a thing even exists on this Earth.

He first knew her once upon a time in the orphanage, back then she was called Anya and did not speak English. She was one of the girls that left in the middle of the night and never came back. It happened more often than people liked to admit and it was a main reason as to when Spencer himself was adopted, he wanted to take a young girl called Flora with him. Thankfully, the Kesars allowed this and Spencer gained a sister. It wasn’t until his Senior year of high school that the girl with the big green eyes resurfaced in his life as Jane Taylor, transferring in after being homeschooled. Spence was assigned as her buddy to help her get acclimated with Edenridge life. Their love didn’t blossom right away but once it did it was stronger than anything and flew higher than the stars. When he was a boy, Spencer would look to the heavens above and wonder if his parents were space people who had left him there to live amongst the humans. Sometimes he looked at Jane and he wondered if she was the real visitor from the sky.

He couldn’t wait to see her, to be with her. All through the long haul flight from Perth back to Boston, all that was on Spencer’s mind was Jane and the next week of their lives. He had plans; big plans for the coming days. After Beau’s retirement celebrations were through, Spencer would be taking Jane and her parents, Charlie and Samantha to Russia. The reason? They were going to look into Jane’s family and try to find the past that someone had locked away from her. For a while she had been yearning for answers about where she came from, another thing that bonded her with Spencer; orphans in search of family. He too was going on that quest but not in the same way. Whilst he was in Australia, the young pilot had picked up a ring which now sat roomed away in his travel bag; a ring he hoped Jane would take, a ring which would tie them together forever as family.

Having just asked Sam and CT for their blessing, Spencer now stood outside of his home, his tie loose and his body aching to get out of his officer uniform and crash for a few hours before going to see Jane. It was early day time and most of Edenridge was starting their morning with aplomb, his was just ending. Spencer pressed the key into the lock of his front door and entered the house to a sweet smell…pastry? He dropped his bag by the entrance and poked his head around the corner, his kitchen light was on. He definitely didn’t leave it on. Spencer had gotten into a perfect routine before his flights and he knew that there was no reason for that light to be on. He took a few steps forward, reaching for a baseball bat before freezing. Now with a full view of the room, a smile crossed his face as he gazed upon that which made his heart skip a beat.

“Hey beautiful.”

With one airpod in her ear, so she could hear her surroundings, Jane Taylor, once upon a time Anya Kamensky, was swaying her scantily clad body to the newest playlist her cousin Jade linked her to on Spotify. Currently what was playing: Just Like Heaven by the Cure. She had set her mind on making waffles and to her misfortune, she could not find the waffle maker. That was only a minor obstacle for Jane since she learned how to cook at Dolly’s from Brandon Lyon. Using Spencer’s grill-pan, she let the waffle simmer and form ridges. While the taste and texture would be 100 percent waffle, the telltale ridges would lean more toward pancakes. No matter! Jane was improvising and making food for her man. Plus! Grill-pan waffles held syrup and butter differently than traditional waffles. Toppings pool into a luscious stream along the ridges and in all honesty, it gave each bite so much flavour. One could easily say that breakfast was Jane’s favourite meal of the day.

Her parents had given her a heads up of when Spencer was heading back to his place. They said he stopped by to see them first and she was quick to make her moves. For the past week she had worked with her best friend, Faye, to surprise her boyfriend in a way she hadn’t done before. Sexily. She had already decorated their bedroom in every way that her more experienced friend said would make him lose his mind. They also visited the ‘Panty Lady’ to get Jane lingerie in her favourite color, blue. The moment he texted her he landed, she made sure to break into his apartment and execute her plan of attack. She was hoping breakfast would be done before he arrived but it made sense he was eager to go home and go to sleep. He was up all night.

“VAL: Stop music,” Jane gently commanded her smart device, her earpiece immediately pausing her spotify. With spatula in hand, she quickly flipped the waffle before twirling herself to face her lover. “Hi, Pooh Bear! Welcome home!” She enthusiastically greeted with an innocent glint in her green eyes and a wide, child-like smile. How she was behaving contrasted how revealing her body was but teaching Jane how to be sexy would take more than just a week with her best friend. Around her neck, she wore one of the necklaces left by her birth mother and pearl stud earrings to match. While some people wouldn’t say visiting their boyfriend was a special thing, and Jane was practically wearing nothing, she wasn’t held down by social constructs and if she wanted to wear her family heirlooms, well, Jane Taylor would wear her family heirlooms.

Although it took a few years to teach her how to live a normal life, all the people she loved working in tandem to help her embrace the childhood she lost, Jane was now confident in herself, could speak fluent English and had more in life than she could ever dream of. She had a mother who would die for her and her sisters, quite literally. To this day, Samantha would stop everything if Jane cried ‘I need you’. She had a father who made a promise with her birth mother and kept to it, being the best man Jane could ever ask for and giving her an even larger family in the form of the Fallen Angels. Charlie Taylor meant so much and more to her. She still had all her sisters from the time no one really talks about anymore, seeing how the last time she saw one was yesterday. She had new family, who always kept her in her best interest, like the Taylors, the Dawsons and the Callahans. She had friends she found on her own, like those that worked at Dolly’s and loved seeing her smiling face. But more importantly? She had love. Jane had someone who was her whole world and her other half. Jane gave someone purpose and in return he loved her unconditionally, all the trauma, all the sadness and all the side effects from her past, he loved. He loved her and that really was what life was about. To love and be loved in return. She loved him too.

“I’m making waffles!” She beamed, stating the obvious which is something Jane did more often than not. She didn’t know any better and it was her cute way of showing she cared.

“I can tell!” Spencer’s face was plastered with a grin that covered ear to ear as he wrapped his future fiancée up in his arms. “Smells great!” Jane looked absolutely ravishing and as his steely eyes drank in her perfect body bathed in royal blue, he could feel the warmth of her skin on his. He could tell this was Jane’s sister Faye having some form of influence on her. Over their years together, his lover had shared parts of her past that were unthinkable to a normal person but one of the few bright spots of her stories were her sisters as she called them, Faye being the brightest. When he had met her, Spence found the Asian woman excitable, playful and a tad irritating. She was flirty and revelled in her sexuality. Faye was the complete opposite of his Jane.

As time has passed and more and more of Jane’s previous life was unveiled, Spencer found himself crossing paths with more and more people she considered siblings. Imogen. Mika and then there was Cameron. “I bumped into your brother this morning. And by that I mean I nearly ran him over with my car.” Cameron was the closest thing to what Jane could consider a twin as possible. He was a touch older than her and they shared a father and a birthday but had different mothers. In his youth, Cam was a scary guy and a bad dude but now he was a husband and a father and ran his own little carpentry business in the Southside. He was still absolutely terrifying though. “He was going to work and sent his love. Says Jasmine misses her auntie.”

Family was a common theme for Spencer and Jane. Having both been orphans and having family thrust upon them in their lives and probably was part of the reason they gravitated towards one another. The young pilot had spent many years proving himself to Jane’s chosen family whilst she immediately ingrained herself in his. Flora absolutely worshipped the ground she walked on and in turn Jane would tell Floss she reminded her of the most beautiful girl in the orphanage, Kelsey. Spencer remembered Kelsey somewhat and his lover was right, she was stunning yet from what he could recall in his nightmares, Kelsey was not a good person.

About now, Spencer would be questioning how Jane got into his house but he knew better than to ask. She had more skills in her pinky finger then he had in his entire body. Besides, how could he focus when she looked like that? “Now that the pleasantries are out of the way..” He felt her fingers tighten around his handsome pilot's uniform as their eyes locked in a deep loving gaze. “Would it be ok for me to kiss the love of my life?”

“You may,” Jane granted, putting the spatula down on the counter behind her, while keeping her attention on her boyfriend. With her chest pressed against his uniform and her hands resting on his shoulders, she was quick to take the initiative and kiss him first, having eagerly waited for his arrival for what felt like hours. The alluring blonde wanted to do that since the last time she saw him. She always wanted to be in his arms and be given all the kisses in the world that he had to offer. She wanted to give him all the kisses in the world too. She wanted him. Each and every day she wanted him.

Jane knew it was greedy of her to want so much from one person but Spencer didn’t mind. He understood the value of her need and how he, to her, was a constant which wasn’t something she had during the many years she lived in the dark. He was her first friend out of the Garden and he was the first and last person she heard from each and every day. They built a dynamic where neither could go a second without thinking about the other. It might’ve been a bit obsessive of them but at least they could say they loved and were loved. With all their heart, with all their soul, they found their other half. She giggled into their kiss, completely elated that he was home. Her hands shifted to his face, tenderly cupping him. She closed her eyes and surrendered, falling even more in love with him by the second. Jane was a being with so much love inside of her and that love all belonged to him. She belonged to him.

Spencer scooped Jane up into his arms and stepped forward a few feet, carrying the smaller woman to the nearby table and placing her down on top of it. As his hands caressed her strong thighs, the pilot took a moment away from their kiss to really think of how lucky he truly was. When Jane re-entered his life he was pining for another girl, a neighbour girl who had no interest in him whatsoever. Spence wouldn’t want to admit it but during that time; there was a darkness encroaching his thoughts, an inner monster that was scratching at the cellar door waiting to be unleashed. He had felt it all of his life and he wondered if perhaps it was his true self. Then Jane Taylor entered his history class and the trap door stopped rattling, the beast fell silent and the birds outside began to sing.

Gently, his fingers traversed the wonder that was her body, moving from her thighs and skimming her firm backside, up her back and arms until they reached the straps of her blue lingerie. Spencer smiled as he planted another soft kiss on her pouty lips with a short laugh. “You’ve been spending time with your sister while I’ve been away haven’t you?” As he felt her legs tightened around his waist, his eyes fell upon the classic jewel situated around her neck. Jane had such love for pretty trinkets such as the one she presently wore. In her mind, they were a portal to a life that she never knew but so desperately wanted to grasp between her finger tips. It was Spencer’s hope that the ring in his bag would be a perfect addition to his lover's collection. “If this is the welcome I get, I’m going to have to start doing more long haul flights.”

“Noooooooooo,” Jane protested, frowning at the idea of Spencer being gone for longer periods of time. “Video chat isn’t the real you,” she complained, her arms wrapped around him. Before he could respond, she could smell the burning of the sweet delectable treat. “Oh shoot,” she gently slid off the table, pushing him back so she could turn off the grill pan and salvage the last waffle. “Well, at least I made a bunch before this one.” She knew she ruined their moment but she couldn’t burn his apartment down. That would be the worst girlfriend move ever. “I’m sorry, my Other Half.” While sad she wasn’t kissing him still, Jane didn’t sit on her sadness for too long. Instead she grabbed the stack of waffles, holding it up to him like an offering, “We should eat and you should tell me all about your flight!”

Spencer chuckled as he took the plate of sugary goodness from his beloved and placed it down on the table where she once sat. He took off his flight jacket and hung it off the back of a chair before taking his seat at the dining table. “It was a fairly uneventful flight.” Reaching for a fork, Spence sliced a corner off of the waffle and took it into his mouth. The moan that soon escaped from between his lips was a perfect summary for how well Jane had cooked his breakfast…or technically was it his lunch? “Hey, come here.” Placing his fork down, Spencer wrapped his fingers around his girlfriend's hand and pulled her into his lap. With Jane now situated atop him, he continued to eat his breakfast, his free hands fingertips tracing circles around her back. “Some minor turbulence and I’m pretty sure Samara tried to curse a passenger but beyond that, the usual. Australia was very pretty but there’s no sight I’d rather see than you.” Cutting off another chunk from the waffle, Spence placed it into his mouth. “You should try some.” He mumbled. “Come here and give me some sugar for my waffle.”

“But you’re sticky,” Jane playfully teased, only jesting. Leaning herself to one side, she turned her head to look over her shoulder toward him. As he requested, she went in for some sugar but instead of kissing him, she licked his lips to taste the syrup and simpered, “Yes, definitely sticky.” Over the course of years, there was one thing about the shark girls that was a certainty. There was part of them that still lived in the past. Not in the sense that they lived in their trauma, even though that was still very much true and it took some girls longer to process it than others. One of those girls being Samantha, Jane’s mother, who was still trying to accept a life that wasn’t what she originally hoped for.

Most if not all of the girls had their inner child still living at the center of their heart. For Samantha, her inner child was that of a big sister always looking out for her siblings. She has channelled that in helping this town improve the welfare of kids who aren’t blessed with the best upbringing. She’s worked directly with the Southside Serpents to improve environment conditions and lessen the rate of children falling into the hands of the Shark. She’s even gone to school for social work.

Jane, on the other hand, is one whose inner child is her personality. If she wasn’t looking at the world in wonderment or intrigue, or excitement, then the chances are she’s stuck in a PTSD episode which required someone to bring her back out of. There have been nights where Spencer isn’t present, even if he very much is, where he’s talking to a wall and his Jane was that of a ghost. Voidless of emotion and hard to reach. Today she was here and she was with him. And that’s all that mattered. Today, she was Jane. “Pooh Bear!” she exclaimed. “Are we going to the party?”

“Beau’s retirement party? Of course!” Spencer had always really loved his classes with Beau. He actually had quite the love of dusty old books on long forgotten shelves. He wondered if that was some sort of passion that had been passed on from his birth parents? Yet he and his former English teachers' conversations were not limited to the written word. Beau always had the uncanny ability to relate to his students on extremely personal levels, to know something that they needed when they needed it or how to explore their interests. Spencer was sure that at some point Beau must have seen his books on aviation and then spent an entire weekend reading up on it just so he could find common ground with the teen. That was just the sort of guy that Mr Beauregard was.

Spencer brushed a strand of Jane’s hair away from her beautiful face and smiled. “I’ve got a couple of dollars saved.” He began as he tried not to lose himself in her smile. “How about after I get a few hours power nap, you and I head out to Ospreys and buy you a new dress and I can show you off to everyone at the thing and they can be insanely jealous of me?”

Wrapping her arms around her lover, Jane’s eyes sparkled in giddiness, “A new dress? Will you pick it out for me?” She gazed into his eyes and played with the chain around his neck, the dog tag that belonged to his father. “Though I’d like to think the dress I’m wearing right now is very cute.” After all, she picked it out especially for him. From behind him, she had twirled the tag around his neck and was now holding it in her hands. She embraced him and stared at it. Her mind drifted as she waited for a response for him, thinking of family and whether Spencer was happy with this life he had with her or was it too simple. Was she enough to give him purpose or did they both need to discover their roots to be whole and happy?

Jane held the tags in her hand, something she did often when they were cuddled up on the couch or laid in bed together. She liked the sound of the metal clanging together. Spencer found the dog tags hidden inside the plane plushie he had as a child. “Robinson” was the name on them. Alexander Robinson was his father; killed in an accident in basic training. Though Spence chose not to pursue the link further once he found them; he didn’t want to insert himself into somebody else’s life without them wanting him there. None of his birth family ever came for him, so it was obvious that he was meant to stay away and he was alone; except for his Jane. “We’ll pick you out something nice and blue like you like.” He smiled whilst his hands cupped her face and he became locked inside of her big green eyes. “As for this dress, well I have to say baby I really fucking like it.”

Burying the sad thoughts beneath the surface, Jane released the dog tags and kissed his lips that tasted like breakfast. It was a little peck at most, since she wasn’t thinking about anything beyond the moment they were sharing together. She nodded, pleased her purchase was worth it, “Good because I bought it just for you.” Bringing herself closer to his face, she traced circles on the back of his neck and spoke softly, “Can I nap with you, Spencer?” Polite and sweet, yet her eyes said it all. While she wasn’t acting aggressive, nor behaving in a provocative way, she looked fixedly on him with heat emitting from her body. “I really missed you.”

Spencer knew every look in Jane’s eyes. He knew when she was mad, he knew when she was sad, he knew when she was confused and he knew when there was something she wanted. Pushing his plate away, he wrapped his arms tightly around his girlfriend and began to pull them both up as he got to his feet. Within a second her legs were gripping his waist like some kind of constricting snake but he didn’t mind. He pushed his lips to hers and their tongues began to dance like only lovers could. With Jane’s body enveloping him, Spence walked them both a few feet out of the kitchen and into his bedroom where they swiftly collapsed onto the bed.

Jane has decorated the room for the action they were about to take. She had lit candles and the soft flower petals were like gentle kisses on their skin. As they began to explore each other and clothes began to fall to the wayside and heat took over their beings, Spencer gently held her face in his hand, sharing breath he could only gaze upon the beauty of this woman, this woman who was his everything, this woman who was his heart. “I’m so in love with you, Jane. I love you so much.”

“I know, my Other Half. And I’m so happy you love me,” Jane’s eyes grew a little teary, as she thought of how much she’s been through and how she was still able to heal and find love. That she wasn’t a monster that her Creator forced her to believe. She was worth love and worth a life. She wasn’t locked in a dark room anymore. She had a light and that was Spencer. “You are the most important person to me, I hope you know that.”

“I do.” Spencer knew that they were two lost souls, bound together by a trauma that dare not speak its name. “And you are to me.” They both had spent so much time wandering in the dark, clamouring at walls, scratching at floors, searching, foraging, desperate to find something or someone to cling on to and they found each other.

“I love you, my Pooh Bear.”

Thank whatever powers that be, they found each other.

“So much and more.”

The faint sounds of a Taylor Swift song could be heard echoing around the large kitchen of a spacious, craftsman style home at the dead-end of a cul-de-sac on East Edenridge. A redheaded young woman in teal shorts and a gray tank top could be seen by the white quartz kitchen island, singing along to the lyrics and transferring beautifully iced mini cupcakes into cardboard boxes with the precision of a surgeon. The countertop was lined up with these small white cardboard boxes, each containing six bite-size delights of assorted flavors. Meanwhile, nestled on her chest, safely tucked inside a beige cotton knit wrap carrier and seemingly unbothered by the music or the movements, was a small infant with hair as red as the woman's.

As she took a moment to watch her daughter sleeping soundly on her chest, Caitlin O’Hara couldn’t help but be filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Ten years ago, she would have never dreamed of having the life she did now. David O’Hara, one of her brother’s best friends, had been her crush since she had figured out the definition of what the word even meant. She had swallowed her feelings for years, suffering in silence as he lived up to his casanova name breaking hearts along the way. She’d tried to push her emotions aside and move on with someone her own age, finding company in a short-lived relationship with soccer star and fellow classmate Marco Brady. But no matter how hard she tried to forget, her heart yearned for the tall, curly-haired basketball star with the charming smile and eyes of the most beautiful shade of blue. That was the only person out there in the world for her.

Her late night confession a few minutes before bringing in the new year and a shared kiss as the clock struck twelve were the catalysts for David and Caitlin’s relationship. The two continued to keep in touch throughout that semester, and officialized their relationship when the O’Hara son returned home for the summer after her junior year. Her parents and her brother had been furious at first, feeling that David had betrayed their trust by what they saw as him ‘romancing’ Cece behind their backs. The O’Haras, on the other hand, were mainly concerned about how things would go considering the four-year age gap between the young couple. And the one thing both families agreed on? That their children were rushing into something they were not really prepared for.

And yet, against all odds, Caitlin and David’s relationship strengthened by the day. The young man respected the boundaries set by the Clearys, and was able to prove to them that his intentions with Cece were serious and genuine. Meanwhile, Cece continued to demonstrate her maturity and level-headedness throughout it all, reassuring her parents that she had unyielding clarity about what she wanted and who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. During the holidays of her senior year, David gave Cece a gift she’d never forget by proposing to her. A month after her high school graduation and his college commencement, the young couple’s lives were forever united in marriage. They began their journey as newlyweds in a small apartment in Westwood, and eventually upgraded to their beautiful Eastbrook home when David scored his first big contract. Three years after their marriage, David and Caitlin had welcomed their first child into the world: John David O’Hara, a beautiful boy who was the spitting image of his father. And a mere twelve weeks ago, they had grown into a family of four with the arrival of the blue-eyed, red-headed princess named Lena Kate.

As idyllic as things could look from the outside, like everything else, some days went better than others. There were plenty of struggles to be had by being a stay at home mother to two little ones under three years of age, with a husband working full-time and going away on business some nights, and trying to fulfill the duties of her small cake business. Sleepless nights, tears of frustration, time spent doubting herself and her parenting choices and wondering whether she was doing enough or even doing a good job in the first place were things the young mama struggled with some days. And yet none of that could sap away Caitlin’s happiness and her thankfulness for everything she had. Becoming a mother to two adorable children that were half her and half the love of her life and spending her days caring for her little family had always been her biggest wish. Nothing made her heart fuller than cuddling up in bed next to David with their daughter cradled peacefully in her arms, listening to her husband read a bedtime story to the sweet little mini-me on his lap.

It was the life she had always dreamed of.

“Listen DeShawn: signing with me and the agency is going to be the best decision you’ve ever made. Trust me, I’m Irish.”

David O’Hara entered the kitchen of his home and immediately lowered his voice as he talked on the phone, not wanting to disturb the sleeping bundle of joy attached to his wife’s chest. Despite only having Len twelve weeks prior, Caitlin’s figure was amazing. She had spent a lot of nights with her cousin Bronagh at the gym working out with that goth girl, Reagan’s sister… Mei, that she went to high school with. Coming up behind his wife, Davey kissed her neck and gave her firm butt a light tap, earning himself a giggle and light swat from her. “Yeah, that’s right: no luck but what we make. I’ll speak to you soon, D. Have a great day.”

After hanging up the phone, David kissed the top of his newborn daughter's head. “I did it, kiddo: Daddy just signed DeShawn Marcus!” He pressed his lips to his wife-- of course she tasted like strawberries, and his heart fluttered lightly. After college, Davey had begun working for his aunt Carise, recruiting athletes and sportsmen for her prestigious school. It allowed him to be home every night whilst still being involved in the sports he loved. On the side he also did some recruiting for a few agencies that would pay him a nice fee. One such agency was desperate to land linebacker DeShawn Marcus on their team, and using as much of the old O’Hara charm as he could muster, David had landed the coveted deal. “That’s our next vacation paid for.” He grinned.

“Maybe in five more years,” Caitlin was quick to joke with a grin of her own, pulling her husband into a tight side hug to avoid squishing their baby in a frontal hug. "I knew you had it in the bag, baby. Congratulations!" she told him sweetly, standing on the tips of her toes to reach up and kiss him on the lips again. "I’m so damn proud of you."

And she meant it. For as far as she could remember, David had always stressed about disappointing not only his parents and her, but most importantly: himself. They'd had plenty of long conversations throughout the years about his fear of not living up to the high expectations set by his father, and the worry of having to settle for always living in the shadow of the pillar of Edenridge society that was Coach John O'Hara. Thankfully, with his talent, hard work and determination, David had managed to build his own path in life, allowing him to shine under his own light. He brought pride to every person that cared about him, and continued to do so every day with his actions. When Cece said she was proud of him, she wasn't just talking about David the athletic talent recruiter. She was talking about David the husband, David the father, and David the man. She couldn't have chosen a better life partner even if she'd tried.

"And to prove that I never doubted you, I made you this." Caitlin declared as she pulled out a small box out of the fridge and placed it on the counter in front of David. "Go ahead. Open it." She instructed her husband, anticipation and excitement painted all over her freckled face.

David did his best to feign surprise but if there was one thing he knew about his wife, is that if she could find a situation to bake, his woman was gonna bake. He flipped open the simple white box that she had handed him and a smile spread across his handsome face like wildfire. “Babe…” Of course she had outdone herself. He wasn’t expecting anything less from Caitlin. The cake was beautifully decorated in white frosting with little green shamrocks, golden pearls and a congratulatory message, and no doubt beneath its breathtaking visage, it would be a mixture of all of his favorite flavors; Madagascan vanilla and fresh strawberry. “This is amazing, kiddo. Thank you.” He kissed CeCe again, pushing a strand of her bright hair behind her ear as he did.

“You’re welcome,” she told him sweetly, letting one of her hands tangle itself in the curls on the back of his head, pulling his head down towards her and locking her lips on his in a slow, deep kiss.

The feeling of movement inside the carrier cut hers and David's kiss short (a common occurrence since having their first child), and Cece peered down at her chest to watch as baby Lena's eyes slowly blinked open. "Hi, baby!" Cece cooed brightly with a soft smile to the squirming little one, planting gentle kisses on her ginger-haired head. "Did you have a good nap? I bet you did: you slept for nearly two whole hours!” she said excitedly, bouncing the baby a few times. “Mama’s very happy about that. And now daddy’s back home to hang out with us! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

David lowered his gaze to his bouncing beautiful baby girl, Lena Kate (named after his favorite cousin) and booped her tiny nose. Seeing his little girl smile from ear to ear warmed his heart like nothing else possibly could. Becoming a father was David’s purpose, it was what he was put on this Earth to do. He had spent much of high school wondering what was next for him, what path was the right path. Being with Cece and having kids with her, becoming a Dad and a Husband: that was everything he ever needed and wanted. “The most exciting thing about growing up, LK, is getting old enough to try one of Mommy’s cakes and then earning one just for yourself when you accomplish something. And I know you will accomplish greatness.” Davey moved his hand stealthily, distracting his stunning wife of nearly six years from his hand grabbing firmly onto her rear. “Speaking of cake…” He teased her. “How goes the baking for Beau’s thing?”

The firm, suggestive pat on her behind brought up a flush of color to Cece’s face, and she quickly retaliated with a smack of her own against her husband’s rear. David being the very physical type had been a quality she’d both loved and absolutely despised in the past. After all, how would anyone feel watching their crush parading around with their hands all over somebody else? Now that she was on the receiving end of it? She couldn’t get enough of it, even if it still made her blush most times.

"I'm actually almost done!" Cece announced proudly, gesturing to the array of open boxes spread out across the kitchen island. "I was packing the cupcakes into the boxes when you walked in, so all I have left to do is finish that up, close them, pack them up and take them over to Beau and Colleen's," she explained. "By the way: remind me to bake two dozen cupcakes this week if you can, please. If it hadn't been for our parents taking JD for the weekend and Lena coming in to help with LK for a few hours yesterday I wouldn't have been able to get anything done."

Marrying into the O’Hara family had come with the blessing of being able to expand on the amount of beautiful individuals who loved and cared about her and her children as if they were their own. From the day Cece found out she was pregnant, both her blood and marriage families had gone out of their way to assist her, David and their kids in any way they could. They made sure they were fed, that their house was clean, that they had time alone for themselves separately and as a couple. Anything they needed, the young couple knew they had a large support system they could count on. When people said it took a village to raise a child, they couldn't be more correct.

“Yes ma’am.” David made his way over to their fridge and picked up a small sharpie that sat on the counter. “I’ll add it to my list.” He began to scribble onto a whiteboard attached to the fridge. “Remind Caitlin to make two dozen cakes.” It was the last in a long line of reminders and other notes that Davey had written for himself; things which included the likes of calling clients, gym time, shooting hoops with Clay, the best times to call Jamie since she was currently teaching in New Zealand. Unfortunately, David O’Hara had the memory of a goldfish, so the list and the board was a necessity in his house.

Returning back to his wife, Davey cupped her pretty face and kissed her softly, watching her beautiful blue eyes flutter at his touch. “People are gonna love these, kiddo. You’ve outdone yourself.” He lowered his hands and retrieved his daughter from her carrier, taking her into his arms as she let out an adorable yawn. “Oooh, big yawn.” He cooed and he rested her over his shoulder.

Her little blue eyes widened as Mongo, the family’s British Bulldog, waddled into the kitchen causing Lena Kate to burst into a giggle. “Mongo, I swear to God: you touch Mom’s cakes, I'm sending you to Sabrina for a ritual sacrifice.” Duke joked with the pooch, making his wife laugh while his daughter cooed at the dog. “It’s gonna be weird seeing everyone without their kids for a change. Clay and Sab without Lilly, JJ and Cameron without Jasmine. Probably give Beau a heart attack, make him feel ancient if we all turned up with the next Elite.”

"Can't say I'd blame him. It makes me feel ancient just thinking about it," Cece replied with a chuckle. It wasn't often that she had time to sit down and think about it, but it was hard to believe that, not too long ago, her, those David had mentioned and others in their circle were all highschoolers worried about relationships, friendships, grades, parties, competitions, getting into the colleges of their dreams... How they were now responsible for caring for and raising little humans and the ways the children had changed them was a remarkable thing to see.

"But you know who'll be making bank today? The babysitters. With how many students Beau has impacted throughout the years that have had at least one child by now, I'm sure every sitter in town's booked for the day." The woman commented, adding as an afterthought, "Thank God for your Pinehurst family, Davey. You know I hate to be away from the babies for a while-- especially with Lena being so little and all. But damn if it doesn't make me feel better that I'm leaving them in good hands." Learning to let go and trusting their support system with the care of their children had been one of the hardest things for Cece to get used to as a mom. With John David, it had taken nearly nine months until she was ready enough to do something as little as go to the grocery store to get baking supplies without him. This go around, with her second baby, it was easier. Today, twelve weeks after birthing her, would be the first time leaving LK under the care of her namesake without Cece being around. With Lena Clearwater's first pregnancy going swimmingly, the blonde was trying to get all the experience and practice she could before bringing her own little cowboy into the world.

“I wouldn’t thank God yet, kiddo.” David raised LK in the air like an airplane and smiled as the little girl belly giggled. His O’Hara blue eyes locked with his daughter's-- a mirror image of his own. “If my auntie Carise is there, then LK is going to end up a multi-gold medal winning Olympian before the end of Beau's party.” Davey’s usually deep voice shifted in tone into one playful and childlike. “Isn’t that right, baby? Auntie Carise is gonna make you a star, that’s right. And when you need representation Daddy will make millions off of you. Yes he will. Oh, yes he will.”

Of course, he was kidding. His mother's youngest sister had mellowed over the years, and wasn’t always trying to force the family into high-stakes sports careers so she could make a fortune now. Instead, she was happy as a grandma to be with Lena and her husband Brad expecting. “I can drop her off in PH by the way.” David returned his attention to his beloved wife. “You focus on the party and catching up with some old faces. I wanna swing by Blue Hill anyway. I heard through the grapevine about some baseball prodigy there and I wanna get in before anybody else.”

Cece could feel her smile dim. “Will you be back in time for the party?” she asked her husband, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. While she was always grateful for his initiative and would never get in the way of his work, she also didn’t want to go to a party without him.

“I absolutely will be.” David smiled brightly as he booped his baby girl's nose again, and she let out the cutest little giggle. “I’m hoping it doesn’t take too long but you never know.” He placed LK down onto her car seat which sat nearby before turning and wrapping his stunning redhead of a wife up in his arms. He picked her up off of the floor before sitting Cece down on the kitchen counter. “Don’t worry babe, I’ll be home before you know it.” Davey placed his hands on either side of Caitlin’s cheeks and offered up a warm look of deep love. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Good. Because Lena said she could take both the kids until tomorrow, and Rhett said he’d take Mongo for the night. So that means we’ll have the house for ourselves as soon as we come back from the party…” she trailed off with a suggestive smirk and raised eyebrows, shooting her husband a mischievous look that spoke volumes about what intentions she’d had when she was making these sleeping arrangements.

“Have I ever told you that I love the way you think, Mrs O’Hara?” David knew exactly what Caitlin was hiding behind both her words and her big blue-green eyes. It had been a while since they had been intimate, nothing new to the parents of two young kids and a fur child. Lena Kate was only twelve weeks old, so there was still an air of sensitivity to their world. If his cousin was willing to take the kids earlier, Davey could get back to the house whilst Caitlin was out and decorate for some romance. He wanted to treat his wife like the Goddess she was, which meant some great cheesy tropes needed to be put in play. Flower petals, candles, some soft rock power ballads. He was sure that her uncle Lance probably had a mix he could borrow.

The redhead chuckled and shrugged her shoulders, her slender arms wrapped around her husband. “I think you might’ve said it in passing before,” she joked, looking up at the man with eyes that mirrored the same amount of deep love and affection that she saw reflected in his.

Smiling, David leaned in for another kiss from his best girl. “I love you, Cece.”

The young woman’s heart melted inside her chest, and tears of happiness momentarily blurred her line of sight. Those words always sounded like music to her ears, lifting her spirits and making her feel nearly invincible. “I love you more, Davey. Always and forever.” She declared fervently before pulling her husband into another kiss.

Elaine and Mikhail O’Hara were proof of how a combination of determination, drive and a sprinkle of nepotism could help you achieve your dreams in record time. Upon graduating from high school, Lanie had wasted no time in diving straight into the family business of real estate sales. Just like her cousin Diana had done fifteen years before her, she obtained her real estate license, secured additional certifications specializing in luxury real estate, and started the process of building her network, her clientele and her personal brand. Under Di’s and her parents’ tutelage, Elaine had polished her skills and become a wealth of knowledge in her regional markets. Her charisma, optimism, enthusiasm and genuine interest in ensuring her clients had only the best made it easy to rise up the ranks and earn a name for herself. Thanks to her hard work, she was currently listed as one of the top 10 luxury realtors in the New England region, with a six-figure annual salary. She was expected to take the top spot of the list before her 30th birthday.

Her husband hadn’t settled for less, either. Right after finishing high school, he decided to pursue higher education by attending Boston U with a major in exercise science, a minor in health education and working on an associates in nutrition, where he balanced his studies with his point guard position in the school’s basketball team. Throughout his time in college, he fell in love with not only his choice of major, but with the idea of mentoring and developing young athletes in the sport he cherished so much. Fortunately for him, the opportunity of accomplishing his dream arrived sooner than he’d expected. Coach John had used his influence and O’Hara charm to convince the Edenridge High principal that an assistant coach position should be opened, and the candidate selected had been none other than his nephew.

When Mika had started, it wasn’t an easy job at first. Mika had prestige from his time as the second coming of Duke, and with that prestige, as well as having the foundling name, came pressure. This kind of pressure was something that he thrived under. There was no luck but what you made, and with those words etched into Mika’s soul since he first joined the Edenridge Celtics as a player, as the literal successor of his uncle and older cousin, Mika etched that into the kids who he helped coach. It wasn’t an easy thing to manage because Coach was hard even with Mika. He had to find the perfect balance between being a motivating, defensive coach (which he started out on) and the encouraging, yet oftenly-harsh, coach. Three years in and Mika had never felt more secure and confident for his job. His progress was going according to the life plan he set out for this part of it. Making a difference in his kids’ lives. Talk about a hell of an accomplishment.

The news they had received? That was something they hadn’t planned on accomplishing so soon.

A deafening silence hung in the air as the white Mercedes SUV drove down the streets of Edenridge on its way to the pristine neighborhood of Scott Street. The figure of a slim blonde dressed in casual designer wear could be seen in the passenger seat of the vehicle, staring blankly at the world rolling past her. A tall man with broad shoulders was beside her in the driver’s seat, his eyes fixated on the roads he was driving them on. The faint sound of music could be heard coming from the speakers, but neither the driver or the passenger made any efforts to turn it up or down. Instead, they both remained silent and lost in thought while crossing the gate to Scott Street, pulling into the garage of their home (formerly Lanie’s parents’ house, which became a wedding gift to the young couple) and letting the SUV come to a stop.

As soon as Mikhail had cut off the engine of the Mercedes', a silent Elaine was nearly leaping out of the vehicle and rushing into her home. She sped through the kitchen, down the hall, up the steps, down the corridor and straight into the master bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She needed a moment alone to process the overwhelming amount of thoughts, feelings and emotions threatening to swallow her whole.

She made a beeline straight to the bed, where she kicked off her shoes, settled in the middle of the mattress, and grabbed her purse. With shaking hands, Lanie pulled out an envelope from inside the purse, retrieved its contents, and slowly began to flip through the images. Tears fell on the surface of the black and white screen captures of what looked like two small beans with two nubs on the sides and two at the bottom, with a string attaching each of them to the sac surrounding them. On each image, the same context could be found in top left corner: O'Hara, Elaine | 08/27/2001 | GA=10w2d. The photos and the document that remained inside the envelope confirmed the news she hadn’t anticipated to receive just yet: that she was ten weeks pregnant with twins-- merely three weeks away from the completion of her first trimester.

“Lanie was really quiet the whole drive home.”

Mika sat just as in silence, still in the Mercedes while his partner of nearly a decade hadn’t wasted any time. Actually, it wasn’t unlike her. Both of them had never been able to sit still for very long. Every day, they rose with the sun. Every day they always went for runs, or just went to Asgard Fitness and did whatever day workout was set for that day. Mondays and Fridays were cardio while Tuesdays were arms. Wednesdays and Thursdays were legs and core respectively. Every day, they went together. With her busy schedule as realtor for the rich and him an assistant coach, they barely had enough time by the end of their days to do much of anything. So those morning workouts and always going for a bite to eat. Some days it was Dolly’s. Some days it was the Hole and some days they went to Kori Plaza and got some street food. But it was always together.

Ever since they found out they were pregnant, Mika was honestly not sure how to process that piece of information. Their life revolved around their jobs and each other. They had a routine, but now with this news, that wouldn’t exist anymore, or at least not in the version of itself that had existed before getting this life-changing news.

It weighed on Mika’s mind as he reached into the backseat and finally went inside the home, the sound of the garage door closing seeming like a welcomed white noise as he just stood with one foot still in the garage and one in the house. He knew how he felt about it, which was numb to it. He couldn’t imagine what his wife was feeling, though. The way she rushed into the house and as he went to the kitchen, it was clear to him she didn’t waste any time. Where did she always go when she needed alone time? Their bedroom.

Mika went to the laundry room and put his bag on top of the dryer and headed upstairs. He walked at a slower pace than he thought he would all because he was trying to figure out what he might say and how he would approach this. He softly knocked on their closed bedroom door, slowly opening it, saying “Lanie..” loud enough so that she could hear him but quiet enough to be a safe space in human form. Truth be told, it was all he could muster without letting his own emotions swallow him up. Being a father was always in the cards for him, but he never thought it would be something that wasn’t planned ahead of time. Such was life.

Upon hearing the sound of her name, the tearful blonde looked up from the ultrasound photos and at her husband. The fear she felt in her heart was reflected in the soft features of her delicate face. She tried to find the words to respond, but all she could manage to do was take a deep breath and resume her silent crying.

It broke his heart to see his wife like this. To see her in such a state. He had always and only seen Elaine as strong. A force. A literal hurricane to everything that came in her path. She’d knock it down with the confidence of someone that couldn’t be beaten, but she looked defeated. This force that was his wife, the love of his life, something happened. It was a shock to find out they were pregnant and that some of the things they had mapped out for the next few years might be altered in some way, but he didn’t expect to see it take such a toll on her.

By her side, Mika just put his arms around her. He didn’t even think. There was a part of him that just knew what to do. Years of building their relationship and all those years of his own therapy, there were some things Mika picked up along the way and one of the most important things was comforting and just being there. He wasn’t sure what to say at this moment, so he just held her, gently guiding Lanie into his arms so that her head was placed gently yet firmly on his chest, lowly repeating “it’s going to be okay” even though he didn’t even know what it was in this case or if it would be okay, but she needed to know that. She needed to believe that he believed that. For so long she was the rock for both of them, especially when he found out his father had killed himself, she was that anchor in his life.

Now it was his turn to be that for her.

Lanie allowed herself to melt into Mika's embrace, using the rhythmic sound of his heart beating against her chest to find her center. It was a melody that made her feel peaceful, calm and safe since they’d first started dating. “I feel so ungrateful,” Lanie croaked out, wiping away the mascara-stained tears from her cheeks. “There are so many women out there suffering and wishing for a blessing like this to happen to them every day, and here I am making a big deal crying about it,” she chastised herself with a scoff. “And it’s not that I’m not happy about it: I am, I really am. We always talked about how great it’ll be for us to have kids someday. But not right now. Not so soon.” she told Mika with a defeated shrug, blue eyes filling up with tears again as her voice broke at her last sentences.

“From the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed, I’m always on the go. I have calls, I have meetings, I have showings, networking dinners, mixers, fundraisers… We pay people to prep our meals and clean our house because of how little time I have left to even think about those things. Sometimes I’m so busy we don’t even see each other after our workout in the mornings, and I have to schedule our dates in advance just to make sure I’ll be able to make it. We got pregnant in the first place because I was so busy I forgot to schedule the birth control appointment, and it took me this long to even realize that I was pregnant because I kept brushing all the symptoms off with how caught up I was with everything else going on. If I barely have time for myself, how will I be able to have it for two whole kids?”

Mika hated hearing Lanie criticize herself so much. It gutted him that this was what she felt at this moment. He was no stranger to it himself, but he had always seen Lanie as this strong woman. When they met, even back in that first impression, there was something about her. Something about Elaine Lancaster that caught his attention. He was a stupid kid who was mad at the circumstances that brought him to Edenridge in the first place, so it took him a while to swallow his own ire and go seek her out. That sealed them always being by each other’s side. From getting into trouble in the southside to school dances, house parties and occasionally skipping school (sorry Mr. Beau), Mika always held his now-wife in the highest of regards. That’s why it broke him to hear her say such horrible things.

He held Lanie as close as he could, looking at her and this time making sure she could see him say the words and not just hear them. “No person in history ever felt they would be a good parent and it’s okay to feel like that. But I know you’ll kill it, Lanes. Take it from someone who has experienced at least four different kinds of mothers in his life. I’ve seen how circumstances make or break people and you are one of the strongest people I know. We barely are given the time to spend with each other, but we find a way. Having kids is one hectic task and we’ve had more than a few years of practice.”

“Dealing with other people’s kids isn’t the same as having your own, Mika. I can be the Cool Aunt to our family and friends’ kids any day. I can babysit them, take them out, take care of them, keep them clean and fed and happy and entertained. But a few hours of a day or even a couple of days of that is nothing compared to knowing you’re responsible for a whole child 24/7. Or, in our case, going from zero to two.”

Mika understood more than anyone how doubt could creep in at any moment and without warning. So he could understand a lot of what she was feeling, but he did want to make one thing clear, so he temporarily moved from holding her and gently gripped her shoulders as he shifted himself on their bed. “If you ever feel like you can’t give your 100%, I’ll make up for it by doing 110%, 130%. Doesn’t matter. Our vows were more than that. Me making that promise in front of your family and mine was more than just words.”

“I know you will. You’ve always been the best boyfriend and husband ever,” Lanie reassured Mika, momentarily offering her husband a little half smile. “And I don’t doubt for a single second that you’ll be anything less than a present and supportive parent. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still scared that I'll bring kids into this world and end up traumatizing them and you because I wasn't present enough. Or that I'll be away from my job too long and end up losing my clients and going into debt and then we'll all be in a really bad situation because any of our basic needs are not met. And I just… I don't want to disappoint anybody, Mika. I don't want anyone to hate me."

She had a point. Not about hypothetically traumatizing their future kids. That was something Mika knew wouldn’t happen. They were decent people at least and had their heads on right. No, what Mika could understand and even partially agreed with was the fact that they were very active in their respective fields-- her with the realtor empire she was foraging for herself in the New England area and him with the Celtics at EHS. They barely had enough time for each other outside of the mornings they spent working out.

As he thought about it a bit more, Mika came to understand and even feel similarly, though he wouldn’t show it on his face. “I’m not saying it’ll be easy. It’ll be an adjustment for both of us. Our lives will be different. Sacrifices might be made, but we have had so many things test us. I mean, I had to fend off your cousin Chelle's suggestive comments for God’s sake.” Mika couldn't help but laugh, thinking about Rochelle Casey and just how very forward she was. It was all in fun and games, but that was an experience that he wasn’t sure he wanted to have again. “We both have had life test our relationship so many times. It’s not that we were ever out of sync, because not even Timberlake can tear up our hearts. It’s because we’ve always been ambitious to succeed and I know we’ll succeed at being the best parents to our future children.” Above anything else, he wanted to assure her. Mika was terrified, just as she was, but he had to be strong for her. For both of them.

"You really think so?" Lanie heard herself asking Mika, uncertainty ringing clear in her voice and reflected in her eyes.

Somewhere deep down, Mika was uncertain himself, but maybe that’s what every new parent felt. He wondered if his mom had the same doubts. Did David have the same doubts when he found out Caitlin was pregnant with JD? Mika was terrified by the idea of being a father because of his own. If it hadn’t been for Sergei, Big Rey and Coach, how would Mika have turned out? The thought was more frightening than being a father himself. But looking at Lanie, he realized that he didn’t need to be afraid because they both were going to be first-time parents. That was a frightening thing to comprehend, but Mika knew they had a support system. He knew they wouldn’t be alone.

“I really do.” His certainty was reflected in his voice. His resolve that they really were going to be fine. Challenges were what they thrived on as a couple. Nothing was a bigger challenge than the notion of parenthood.

Lanie had been Mika's partner in crime long enough to have the ability to read his emotions and see right through him. Although she knew that her husband was trying his best to put on a brave face for her, it wasn’t hard to tell that he was just as nervous about this recent life development as she was-- the tell-tale way in which he scratched the back of his neck was evidence enough. But just like she could sense his trepidation, she could also hear his wholehearted conviction when he said that they would make it all work out in the end like they always did. They were a team; had been since that day they decided to give their teenage love a try when they were still freshmen in high school. They had grown up together, seen each other at their highs and lows, been each other’s rocks and centers whenever the going got tough. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, Lanie and Mika were in this together till death did them part. Parenting was just another opportunity to help each other grow. As long as she had Mika, Elaine knew that everything would be okay.

"Okay." Lanie eventually murmured after a long silence, taking in and slowly exhaling a deep breath. "Parents, huh?" she asked Mika with a nervous, shaky laugh. "Twin parents." Another nervous laugh, this time followed by a sigh. "That's gonna take some getting used to."

“I blame my side of our genetic lottery. Between David and Jamie and then my sisters, we were bound to have twins at some point.” But Mika didn’t think it would be their first batch of kids. The universe always loved to prove him wrong. Back when he was still a troubled boy who didn’t know what he wanted, it had put Lanie in his life. He was too confused about his feelings for not only her but about being a fish out of the sea he was used to. He adapted and it was all because of his wife of three years and the mother of his future…children.

As Lanie lamented on their new normal, he cracked a grin while making sure she was looking at him. “On the bright side, you’re gonna be one hot MILF!” He remarked teasingly, nudging his wife in the shoulder lightly and shooting her a wink.

Mika's comments earned him the first wave of laughter and genuine smile of the day from Lanie, and she could feel her worries easing away as she laughed. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? I'll probably need to ask Chelle to teach me a few tricks to fight off any moms at the playground that make passes at you!" she joked right back, wrapping her arms around her husband and holding him tight as she guided both their bodies to lay down on the bed, letting herself rest her head on his chest. "You're going to be a great dad. There's no one I'd rather do this other than you."

An expression of dread crawled itself onto Mika’s face like a spider was on his skin, color lost from his complexion. In the moment after that, he realized that Lanie was merely jesting and he mentally wiped the sweat from his forehead. When they were laying down, he looked down at her, running his hands through her soft, golden locks that felt like a field of sunflowers, gentle and to be treated with the utmost care. There was no doubt she could feel the elevation of his heartbeat the very second after she said she didn’t want to do this with anyone but him.

Instinctually, Mika made a sound, seemingly agreeing with his wife. He didn’t want to let her on -- at least, not make it too obvious -- but she had to know where his mind was. He kept thinking about his own father. How that mentally scarred him for so long. Despite not living with the old bastard for years until the time of his death, Ivan was fresh in his mind. It’s been close to five years since Ivan killed himself and Mika had to make peace with that. Ivan was a bad father and a worse husband and human being, but he was Mika’s father. It shouldn’t matter because he had two men who helped him see the light that was in him this entire time, but Ivan was still his father.

So that made Honey Badger doubt his ability to be a good father. What if… No. You’re not like Ivan. You were given a chance to live. Now you will. Mika calmed the demons that wanted him to doubt himself and refocused his energies on the positives.

Mikhail was deep in his thoughts for a few moments longer before he finally broke the silence. “Our kids won’t know what I experienced. My dad was a poor excuse for a father, but five of his six kids turned out to be good people… Even though I sometimes doubt my own goodness.” He laughed at his own expense, but sometimes you needed to laugh at yourself to balance the weight of your creed. “They’ll know they’re loved. I told you this when we first talked about the idea of children-- though granted, I never thought it would happen so soon. But whenever I found out I would become a father, I made a vow to never be the kind of father Ivan was. I have my own demons and bouts with them, but our kids will never feel small or like they aren’t valid in feeling a certain way. I will make sure they know they’re loved and respected.” He spoke as if making a promise to his unborn twins. If it was true that, even at this stage, everything said and felt could be heard and sensed by the kids, then Mika wanted to get an early jump at being a good father. A father like Coach. Like Big Rey. The two men who helped Mika see he wasn’t who his father was. He was his own man. He wanted to instill those values into his twins as well. Whether they were both girls, both boys or one of each, he would give them the same values that he himself picked up much later.

The blonde had listened to her husband’s words in silence, allowing him the space he needed to voice his own worries about the upcoming change in their lives. In times like these, Lanie could imagine how the fears of repeating patterns with his future children could strike fear in her husband’s heart, and how he was just as afraid of messing up as she was. When the O’Hara boy had initially opened up to Lanie about his family, the subject of his father had been the first one they had covered. The shadow of Ivan Zima’s legacy and the negative consequences he’d had on his family members loomed over his youngest son for as long as Lanie had known him. Many of the behaviors and decisions Mika had made in his life had stemmed from the harrowing experiences from his upbringing, and the promise he’d made himself to be a better man than Ivan had been his motivation behind his accomplishments. So far, he had done exactly that: becoming an honest man with a job completely unrelated to the life, who treated his wife like a goddess and valued his family above everything else. There was no question in Lanie’s mind that Mika would be the father he wished he had-- the one he had found in John O’Hara and Reynaldo Gonzalez.

Elaine shifted around the bed so that she could rest her chin under Mika’s clavicle, her face inches close to his own. “I know you will,” she reassured the man, offering her partner a soft smile. “I don’t doubt for a single second that you’ll be the best dad ever. And just like you said to me earlier: if you ever feel like you can’t give your 100%, I’ll make up for it by picking up the slack. You’ll never be alone on this journey, ever. We’ll do this together, as a team: just like we’ve always done everything else. When I tell you there’s no one else I’d rather do this with other than you, I mean it.” She reiterated, planting a kiss on her husband’s lips. “I love you, Mika. We got this. I’m scared shitless about it, but we got this.”

“And we got that, too~” Mika jokingly gestured to Lanie’s stomach, planting a kiss on her lips as well when her eyes diverted away from his. It wasn’t to make light of anything about this situation. It was very serious, but they had to be able to joke about it. Mika was afraid enough for the both of them and even without saying it, he knew she knew it. All they could do was be brave for this blessing that was about to change their lives forever.

Early morning rising was never something Jessica Hyde was ever a fan of. For years before becoming the wife of her longtime boyfriend and giving them everything they’ve ever talked about, she wasn’t known for waking up with the sun. She hated when she had to wake up that early for school. She hated leaving her bed. In college, she hated it even more but she had so much to look to during those years. Even while going to college full-time and getting her leg in the Milligan family business of managing the Milligan Apartments, Jessie was also there for Cameron.

She loved her Cameron. She loved him with all her heart. He had problems and early into their relationship, she came to see some of it. His mind was almost as beautiful as the sapphire gemstones she could get lost in forever, but in those very eyes, she saw a darkness but there was light at the end of the tunnel. She helped him in every way that she could. Jessie was a force. The Milligan girls all were forces, but JJ had this special power of seeing the light before anyone else could. She was by Cameron’s side when he started therapy and through all the ups and downs on the roller coaster that has been their entire relationship, they were so happy together. They were married and had a beautiful 5-year-old gingersnap for a daughter. Jasmine April Hyde was the apple of their eyes. She had her father’s eyes and JJ’s grandmother’s hair.

And every day was a blessing with the only two people in this world who could make these early mornings where even before the sun officially rose bearable. Cameron was always up before JJ did and it took a while before she trained her body to wake up with him because between attending to the Milligan apartments as the part-time super and dropping Jas off at daycare or with Papa Charlie (whenever he could take her, otherwise it was with her parents), they only had the hour or so in the morning to spend as much time as they could with each other. Some days it was longer and some days it wasn’t even that, depending on how soon Cameron needed to be at the workshop.

Unfortunately, on this particular day, Cameron was rushing. Jessie hadn’t gotten their daughter up before he was out the door. When Jas was up and was eating breakfast - eggs, toast, and bacon - Jessie was having her coffee and saw that on the countertop, still hot to the touch, was the coffee thermos that Cameron used all the time to keep his coffee in.

A black coffee with a dash of cinnamon. No cream. She always thought her husband was a menace for that, but he was not like most in so many ways.

“Looks like daddy forgot his energy juice, Jasmine.” Jessie giggled as she watched her daughter laugh too.

“Uh oh! Dada needs energy!” The little Milligan-Hyde girl chipperly said, arms raised up in the shear excitement she was feeling.

“I couldn’t agree more, sweetie. Finish up your breakfast and we’ll get you dressed. We’re going on a road trip!”

“Yaaaay!”

Jasmine was a force just like her parents were. In what seemed like blindling speeds for the 5-year-old, she scarfed down what remained of her breakfast, drank her passion fruit juice (she was obsessed), and in twenty minutes, both mother and daughter Milligan-Hyde were out the door. JJ got Jasmine in the family’s 2017 blue Mazda Sedan and situated in her booster seat in the back seat behind the passenger’s side (she always wanted to be where her father would typically ride as she was a massive daddy’s girl).

Cameron had already had a day. He had woken up late after his usual two hour power sleep and rushed out the house without following any of his usual routines. To any normal person that would’ve been fine but for him, well Cameron needed his routines. Structure and balance helped anchor him in the wild sea of chaos that was his mind. They protected him and everyone around him from the rage that bubbled constantly beneath his surface, the rage that he promised Jessica and his baby girl Jasmine that he would keep in check.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder they called it, IED. According to the doctors and therapists it was a behavioral disorder that causes disproportionate reactions to situations in the form of anger and violence. There was little in the way of treatment for it, there was only managing it. Which was why the routines were so important, following a path allowed for Cameron to focus on his steps rather than the steps made against him. There were a handful of medications he took but he believed they were more for show than anything else, they didn’t make him feel any better but for his wife and daughters sake, he would keep pretending.

Today was an important day; Beau’s retirement party. Cam had been tasked with carving an effigy for the old man; others would call it an obituary. He had yet to start it before that day as the shop had been very busy and his workload was hefty, hence why rushing out to get an early start on something due that weekend was extremely frustrating. It didn’t help that he was nearly run over by his sister Jane’s boyfriend Spencer that morning. He didn’t like that guy all that much but he made his twin happy and that’s all he cared about. Cameron would protect his siblings and his family with his life and he had no qualms sacrificing the lives of others for them.

Sitting at his desk, carving into the wood, the carpenter did not raise his head when he heard the bell above the shop door jingle. “Hey, sorry we’re not open yet.” He spoke rather bluntly as his blue eyes fixated on his knife work. It wasn’t until he heard the pitter patter of tiny feet that he raised his head from his job and saw the beaming face and flaming red hair of his daughter with arms outstretched.

“Daddy!” She excitedly called out.

Cameron had just enough time to put his knife down and push it to the other side of the table before Jasmine leapt into his lap and wrapped her little arms around his neck. There was one other thing on the planet that could calm Hyde’s inner turmoil and that was the love of his little girl. Whenever Jasmine was around, she helped to soothe the devil within, her words and spirit washing over the flames like a cool breeze and light rainfall. She kept him sane. “Jasmine April Hyde why are you not at home young lady?”

“Because someone was in such a hurry this morning, they forgot their coffee,” JJ laughed as she walked closer to where her family was, holding the still very warm thermos in her hand. “So we just had to make a trip out of it.”

The little redhead stared fondly at her papa, though was immediately lured in by the shiny metal objects in front of her. “Ooh shiny!” She had reached out to touch them.

Jessie was trying to maintain a straight face for the sake of not encouraging Jasmine to touch the tools and whatever had her attention. It amazed her how much of both Cameron and herself that their daughter inherited. The natural attraction to her husband’s workspace mixed with the recklessness that JJ had all her life was a dangerous combo. But if there was one thing that always filled her heart it was seeing Cameron be at peace whenever Jasmine was in his lap. A true peace that just made everything make sense.

“She’s truly your daughter, Cam,” JJ snickered, setting the thermos on the table and giving her husband a kiss.

“Thank you.” Cameron held his wife’s face close with the free hand that wasn’t preventing his five year old from picking up a jagged work blade. He really could kiss Jessie forever. He hadn’t really acknowledged her in high school as he should’ve, at least not until he started the therapy. He had always known of JJ’s feelings for him and for a time he had used them to his advantage. She had social standing after all, power and privilege that Cameron, as a Southsider never could have. Even his younger brother Mika held that power in his hand with his connection to the O’Hara foundling line. Cameron did his best to exploit both of them for his own gains.

Many believed that he was a wild animal, a being of pure instinct. The reality was that Cameron Hyde possessed an indelible IQ that many could only dream of. He just had a habit of letting his emotions govern his actions. It wasn’t until he finally had what he felt was a grasp on reality that he realized that Jessica James was the love of his life and that he would marry and start a family with her. It’s what he wanted and Cameron always got what he wanted.

He kissed JJ again before freeing her so that he could focus on his baby girl. “So what are you two’s plan for the day? Are you helping prep for the party? Also whose taking Jasmine tonight, I forgot?”

She nodded, smiling at how adventurous their daughter was. She really did inherit both of their unique sense of fearlessness with Cameron’s attraction to shiny objects. They were both builders in a sense. The Milligans were the ones who built Edenridge’s infrastructure and Cameron had his woodworking. Both built things and set out foundations where anything added just increases the value and meaning of it. “I’m going to be heading over soon. Charlie agreed to watch her for the afternoon. I know she loves spending time with him and Sam.”

Her relationship with her biological father was, for the most part, still fresh. It’s been close to half of a decade. Understanding her entire background was important for her and now her family was even bigger. Jessie was still coming to terms that she was tied to the Angels, but that was something for another time to think about. “I might be able to arrange for Lamb to take her tonight, if I can sweet-talk her enough. She’s always had a weakness for my puppydog eyes and..” She glanced towards Jasmine, smiling at how utterly content her daughter was in Cameron’s lap, “she could never resist spending time with Jasmine.”

It was a strange thing, the difference that time can make. As a teenager, Cameron had constantly feuded with Clay Costigan. Whenever he saw that foppy haired rich boy it would make his blood boil. Clay had it all. He had good looks, social status, somehow he passed school with flying colors despite being an idiot and he had a station within society. Cam hated him for it, despised him for it. Yet here they were, ten years on from high school and the two men were now related through Cameron’s wife and Clay was considered an Uncle to Jasmine and the idiot's twin Laura was an aunt, who so fondly looked towards her time with the child. Time really was a strange thing.

“I mean, who could?” Looking down at his daughter, her big blue eyes twinkling as she gazed upon Cameron’s work tools, he smiled and kissed the top of her tiny ginger head. “Worst case scenario, I’ll just give my mother a call. No doubt she’d love to spend time with Jas, though I’d rather Laura take her.” Even after all the years that had passed and all the therapy sessions, there was still a huge part of Cam that couldn’t forgive his mother April for the life that he had led, the life that, in his opinion, she had forced upon him because she couldn’t control herself. Cameron had learned to be cordial with his mother, he had learned to tolerate her presence and allow her a relationship with grandaughter, that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t believe she deserved any of it, Jasmine was a treasure, a reward, April McMahon didn’t deserve to find that treasure, she deserved to drown in the search.

Cameron brushed the back of his daughter's hair as he looked towards his wife. “Thank you for this, Jess. I needed this today.”

Jessie looked at her husband. Today must have been a bad day. She didn’t know if it was just work or if it was something else. Sometimes she struggled to truly comprehend Cameron because he was such a complex person, but she knew enough to know what he needed. Being with him for as long as she has been, she’s come to slowly remove the layers of the man that remained closed off from her for so long. Jasmine was the blessing they both needed because all what seemed to not make sense to her did when she saw him hold their daughter for the first time. Similarly to how he was holding her right now. She was his center. Hell, Jasmine often reminded Jessie that no stress was too much if she could do right by her and Cameron.

It didn’t matter the reason that brought her and Jasmine to Cameron’s workshop, she was grateful that the greater powers aligned for this moment to happen at just the right time. “Did something happen today?”

“No. No.” Nothing did happen but Cameron couldn’t shake the feeling that something either did, would or was happening. Like a sixth sense or a character breaking the fourth wall, the carpenter could just sense that something was off with the world and it was forcing his hairs to stand on edge and sharpen like a thousand tiny daggers on his skin. “Just feels harder to put out the fire today, you know?” He tapped the side of his head with his index finger, signifying where the issue truly was. Cameron began to gently run his hands through his daughter's growing red mane with a smile on his face. She helped to put out the fire and he hoped to whatever celestial entity that was the puppet master begins his life that she would never see the inferno inside. “I didn’t really sleep last night. That’s probably why.”

She nodded, understanding at least a main part of what he meant. She couldn’t truly understand because she didn’t live with that fire that consumed Cameron on some days. Everyone had their off days, but for Cameron, it always seemed different. “It almost makes me think that there really is some higher power or spirit or guardian angel that arranged…this to happen at just the right moment.” She glanced down at their obviously content daughter who was just as happy and at peace in her father’s lap as Cameron was having her there. “Charlie T loves to quote the FAMC’s mantra of ‘from darkness we rise’, and I never really gave it much thought, but maybe that’s who we are. We can come from darkness and rise into light. Our Jasmine is our light. No amount of chaos is any match for the superpower she possesses. That much I’m certain of. Our blooming flower has this ability to make any soil rich with life just by merely existing and shining her light on it.”

“You’ve been spending too much time with my mom.” Cameron had done what he could to mend fences with his sole surviving parent, April. He didn’t approve of her lifestyle as a bible thumper but she had found whatever purpose in a fake God that she lacked as a mother to Cam when he was a boy. They had nothing, he grew up with nothing except the festering vile and venom that ran through his veins and it was all her fault. April had money, or at least her family did. She had a sister who was doing well for herself in Pinehurst and she chose not to ask for help, she chose not to provide for her only child. It took a long time for Cameron to forgive her for that.

However seven rehab stints and a granddaughter later, April seemed to be making strides. Cam allowed her to be in Jasmine's life which would help to provide a safe family structure, something that he himself never had. And it was a conversation JJ, where his wife said to him: ‘Maybe your Mom finally learned to be a Mom when she became a grandmother.’ It did seem like that was the case. All that Cameron knew was that he would never, ever let Jasmine feel the same way he did. He would give her every right that she could ever want and everything she would ever deserve. Nothing was going to stop him and nothing and no one would ever stand in his way lest they be buried six feet in the ground.

“Alright baby girl” Cameron bounced Jasmine on his lap slightly before kissing the back of her head and lifting off him and onto the ground. “Daddy has got to get this done before tonight, so I think it’s time for you and mommy to go on your daily adventure.”

Jasmine pouted when she was lifted off of her father’s lap. To her, even though the time spent with her daddy seemed like a lifetime to her, the worst thing was when that time was cut short. “But daddy…!” She whined, a sad expression on her face.

It broke her heart to see, even for a moment, her daughter become sad. She knew their daughter cherished her time with Cameron because it was just as much her happy place as it was Cameron’s. She knelt down to Jasmine’s level, running her hand along her daughter’s ginger locks. “Your father is right, Jasmine. He has a lot to do. Besides!” She literally lifted her daughter’s spirits up as she repeatedly raised her up to the sky, securing her daughter in her arms until Jasmine’s contagious laughter and radiant smile filled the workshop. “If you stay, you won’t get to see your Auntie Lamby, who I just know is dying to spend time with you!”

As the girl laughed, she excitedly squealed, “Auntie Lamby! Auntie Lamby!”

Like the flip of a switch, the glooming cloud that poured over Jasmine’s mood had been cleared and she was re-energized. Jessie knew it was because of the support system they had, between her girls and her family, that Jasmine could live the life she deserved. Seeing her smile was the one thing that made the tough times worth it. Seeing her with Cameron and how at peace both of them were made every bit of stress that her life came with worth it.

“That girl, I swear, she never fails to surprise me,” she mused, almost giggling, watching Jasmine do a little in-space dance, which allowed JJ enough time to give Cameron a tight hug and a series of kisses. “I’ll see you later tonight. Love you.”

“I know.” Cameron nodded as his steely gaze drifted across the visions of love that were his wife and daughter. They were so alike, even down to a light freckling that existed in the base of their necks, the curse of the ginger. “If I make some decent progress maybe we can meet for lunch. See who's about town. There’s gonna be a lot of old faces just dying to catch up.” Cam knew that one face that would definitely not turn up was that of the father he shared with Jane and Mika. He had made sure of that with the use of a rope and with the help of his long suffering wife. That monster was long buried in the dirt where he belonged and Jasmine would never know that running through her veins was the same dirty blood, the same devil’s vile and venom that cursed Cameron and his siblings with demonic thoughts and the capability to awash the world in violence and hurt.

She would never know.

“Give my best to Laura.” He refused to use that silly moniker she chose to go by; Lamb. What self respecting person would allow themselves to be named after something raised for slaughter? She was as bad as her idiot brother. The sad part was, the doofus’s daughter also happened to have become best friends with Jasmine. “Don’t get into any trouble.”

“Who us? Never. We’re complete angels!” Jessie said, just briefly before she and Jasmine left the workshop and she secured that daughter of hers, whose energy was newly rejuvenated after the prospect of getting to see her auntie Lamb was mentioned. It warmed her heart that her baby girl was able to be surrounded by so much love and not have to know what it was like to feel pain. To know what it felt like to have to suffer. To be around with so much love. Even April, her second namesake and sometimes the bane of her Cameron’s existence, has proven to be essential in being that safety blanket for her rebel of a daughter.

Not all too different than she was at one point.

She smiled and got into the driver’s seat and drove away from the southside, playing the classic bops of her childhood that Jasmine was taking a liking to.

Life didn’t get any better than this.

Joy Darling, the daughter of Gabriel Darling and Naomi Nesta, was standing at the entrance of her new family home, with a neon green duffel bag hanging over her shoulder watching in complete bewilderment as her father’s girlfriend and her daughters, Sofia and Daniella, were sliding on the wood floor and dancing to Straight Up by Paula Abdul. The VAL system had cued Miss Belmonte’s dance playlist and now was resounding out of the bluetooth speakers that were set up on the kitchen island.

Joy and her brother, Abel, were still getting used to the Belmonte family, which were, in their opinion, or her’s since she couldn’t speak for her twin brother, chaotic and crazy, especially in comparison to their Nesta side. Nestas were cool and collected. Stern and fiercely loyal. Only loose when they drank too much. There were instances when Grandma Nesta was made mad. Those times showed a Nesta could become straight up scary. She knew how to put the fear of God in someone, even worse than they’re unhinged Grandma Temperance Darling.

A dinner with all of Miss Belmonte’s siblings and Tiziano Belmonte was a lot to process and usually had a lot of screaming, but Joy could tell it was out of love. It was vastly different from a dinner with her whole Darling family, where it seemed a lot was left unsaid and it was routinely traditional. Prayer. Small talk. Papa Jacob gives updates on the farm or sees what his children got going on. Grandma Tempy probes and tries to find out information on her children’s love lives, inquiring who’s going to have kids next. Once they have their three course meals, her grandparents dismiss themselves to read their bibles and the rest of them enjoy a few drinks before dispersing. Well, not her and her brother, since they were not yet twenty one, unless Uncle Elijah sneaks them a little something and says ‘don’t tell your father’.

Hesitant, Joy didn’t know if she should stay or go inside, thinking about whether or not her mother would be okay with her father moving on and getting back with an old flame. Buying a house together too. She was happy for her father, of course, and her mother didn’t seem too bothered but still, she didn’t know how she should feel about it. Most of them weren’t even children anymore, Franco Belmonte being the only one required to stay in the nest since the rest of them were in college. Speaking of Franco, he was on camera duty, capturing this moment in film so his mother could post the milestone on her socials.

Was it selfish of her to be unsure of all this? She loved both her parents dearly, but change was always weird for her and this was the biggest change she’s experienced ever before. From Pinehurst to Edenridge, her father started his own practice away from her mother and built a life with another woman, who had her own little family. Cat and her kids went about life unburdened by worry and absolutely carefree. Or maybe that was just how she perceived it. She didn’t know Miss Belmonte’s story nor did she know her future siblings well enough either. They were all unbelievably friendly and accepting, and here she was stuck at the doorway, overthinking taking a step forward. Joy wasn’t one to dance through life, not like her father’s new family.

“It’s all good, Joy.” From behind his sister, Abel placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed his forehead to the back of hers, connecting them as he had done for years and years when the younger twin got that look on her face, that look of uncertainty and trepidation. “They’re harmless white folk, they ain’t gonna be no problem.” He looked up past her ear at the dancing women who had her to clock either of the Darling twins in their disco haze. “Then again I’m pretty sure our new grandpa is actually Vito Corleone or Tony Soprano so it might be worth you dropping your bag and shaking what Gramma Nesta gave ya.”

If Abel was honest, he had little care for his twisted family tree up until fairly recently. As a boy, beyond his mother, father and sister, he knew only his Gramma Nesta and Uncle Courtney and had heard stories of his late Uncle Elijah. There was Destiny, Courtney’s daughter and then there was Xavier or “Prof” as he preferred, a boy whom his uncle Courtney treated like a son. He knew very little about the Darlings until during high school their school had to merge with Edenridge High, which his father took as a sign to try and reconnect with the family he left behind.

Meeting Grandma Temperance was a terrifying experience, not least because of her religious fanatical beliefs and an entrenched racism bubbling beneath the surface of her glamorous farmer's wife exterior. He could almost imagine his teenage father telling her that he was running off with a black woman and now understood why they had never met this side of their family until that point. Besides the Darling grandparents, his aunts and uncles were all quite fun and his cousins Ezra and Mercy were cute little things. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t take long for Temperance to plant the seeds inside Abel’s mother’s head. She had this way about her, this ability to sow discord. He didn’t know for sure but he was pretty confident that his Grandmother was the main reason why his parents were no longer together.

Abel wasn’t too shocked when his father decided to stay in Edenridge post divorce. He had grown up here, he had roots here and being back in Pinehurst would likely bring up many memories that he didn’t want. He was surprised however when Gabriel brought home his new girlfriend, Cat, or should that be old girlfriend since apparently they also dated in high school? Either way, everything came at a great time of flux for the Darlings as both Abel and Joy were about to start college. The Belmontes did seem like a nice family and they had been nothing but welcoming to them since their father first introduced them. He knew over time they would get used to this strange new world of theirs but that didn’t make it any less intimidating, which had been written all over Joy’s face since Abel picked her up from that all girls’ school in Atlanta, Georgia. Spelman College.

“Couple of hours here and I’ll take you to see Mom before the party, how’s that sound?” He was most definitely his sister's keeper, despite her being infinitely smarter than he was. Hell, the only reason Abel was even in college was because he got a basketball scholarship to Duke. He knew sports, he knew music and he knew fashion, whereas Joy had the worldmind and knew everything about anything ever. Despite this, there were days he still saw her as the little girl who fell out of their tree house and broke her leg and whom he had to rush to the hospital on his pushback, so innocent and helpless. “I’m sure Granny will make us some Jerk Chicken.”

“I want my mom now…” Joy whispered to her twin. Dropping her bag, like her brother had suggested, she took a step in but instead of joining her new family she ran upstairs to find a private room away from it all. As she ran off, she took her phone out and tapped speed dial one: Mama. It wasn’t long until there was a resonating slam on the door announcing the young lady’s departure. This caused Cat to stop dancing and turn down VAL’S volume, genuinely concerned if she and her family were being too much.

With the tradition done and over, Daniella pulled her sister by the arm to check out the backyard. Really though, she wanted to have a moment alone with her big sis who was finally home, taking a moment from her busy sports schedule to be with the family and to attend Beau’s retirement party. It wasn’t even game season so it wasn’t like she needed to compete with the UCLA Bruins right now. Whether she was with her team or not, Sofia Belmonte was always playing football. Or soccer. Whatever you prefer to call it. Practice, practice, practice. It was a never-ending cycle. It was her life. At times it felt like a sad life. Sometimes Dani did worry about her big sis, like what does she do outside of the game? Did she have friends in Cali? Did she party? Did she have a life? …Outside of kicking a ball? Was she happy?

Before they exited, both girls grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. When they walked on the back porch, closing the screen door behind them, Dani clapped her right hand on her bottle, “Okay!” She excitedly chirped, demanding Sofia’s attention. “Now that you’re home. You’re finally going to confess to Ricky, right?”

Sofi didn’t expect the question and the sudden bluntness from her usually timid sibling. Granted Dani’s first year at SCAD really opened her up and made her vocal in general and unapologetic when it came to her opinions. Still, Sofia was not used to this side. At all. And was in the process of drinking her water when suddenly, the shock took over her and she spat what was in her mouth to the side, missing Dani by inches. “…what?” Sofi choked.

In response, Dani sassily rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. You two need to stop whatever highschool teen drama you both had going on and move on and just admit you both loved each other. Maybe, still love each other. I’m a firm believer that even if you’re traveling, he will always be thinking about you and waiting for you to come back home. Or hell, maybe he’d travel with you during game season!”

“I can’t ask that of him, that is expecting too much. We’re not kids anymore and we kind of… grew apart. For all I know, he’s married to Flora,” Sofi deflected, having avoided keeping up with Ricky’s socials out of fear of finding out something she didn’t want to know. Finding out he was happy with a life that didn’t include her.

“Please. Flora gently broke up with him to taste pussy,” Dani scoffed at her sister’s doubt. Sofia Belmonte sucked at showing her heart and speaking out her truths. Out of fear of something. Rejection? Or maybe she thought she didn’t deserve to be that happy. Maybe she thought she was giving Ricky a better life by distancing herself. Maybe she thought she couldn’t love. Or maybe it was just as simple as Sofi was scared. And terribly inexperienced. Whatever it was, she needed to stop and Dani was going to force her to take a chance, for herself, even if it was a scary place for her to be in. Even if she would have to be completely and utterly vulnerable. Even if she wanted to be stubborn as fuck and fight her feelings. Ricky was worth it and so was she. Plus if it led to dick, Dani could stop teasing her poor older sister who never tasted that good life of sex. “You’re going to spend the rest of your life asking yourself: What if. You might be thinking, what if he is taken? What if he doesn’t like me back? What if he hates me? Stop thinking about those what ifs. Start thinking about the what ifs that are positive and could also happen. What if he isn’t taken. What if he does like you back. What if he does still love you. You will never know, Sofia Elena Belmonte, until you fucking TALK and communicate with him.”

“And,” Franco interjected, entering the conversation, having slipped outside when neither of his sisters were paying attention. “Isn’t closure better regardless? You’ve had a crush on him for years and I’m sure just getting an answer would be a relief. You’ll get to move onto the next chapter, and we’ll be here for you no matter what, you know?”

With this weird intervention, Sofia’s eyes began to water, “You two need to stop growing the fuck up. I missed when you both were twerps who wanted to watch mom’s favorite movies over and over and joke about the local gossip.” She went for another sip of water, feeling her mouth dry up because of the anxiety that was building up inside her.

“Oh, and I have a girlfriend,” Franco bashfully admitted, which was rewarded with Sofia spitting out her drink again. This time away from anyone. Dani smirked, knowing all the details already. She loved watching her sister react. Pressing her buttons was always a favorite pastime of theirs. Honestly, Dani just loved being home again. As beautiful as her college was, and how fun it was too, there was no place like home.

“What the heck?” Sofia coughed, patting her chest and putting her bottle down on the patio table.

Before she could interrogate, Dani was back at it again. “I totally just texted Ricky too, with your phone, telling him you really needed to see him. You’re welcome,” Dani giggled, pulling out Sofi’s phone from her dress pocket and offering it to her, “Really? His birthday as your passcode? Not clever, sis.”

“SHUT UP!” Sofia ripped the phone out of her sister’s hand and rushed down the back porch stairs and far, far from the house to sit under a tree. Once she was settled, her back leaned up against the bark, she nervously stared at the text that Dani sent waiting to see if he would respond.


Part of her hoped he didn’t.

Meanwhile, Cat approached Gabriel’s son, Abel, and frowned, “Was I too much? I’m sorry if I was.” Gabriel Darling had yet arrived, having gotten a call from his own mother, who was doing what she did best, which was check on her kids. More recently, him. Ever since he came back into the picture, Temperance called at least once every other day and as always, she had impeccable timing (not). Abe was left with his future step-mother, seeing how the rest of the kids ran off to do anything else. He was left to do damage control and there was no doubt that the Italian woman standing before him was growing increasingly insecure by the second. “... I’d check on her but I’m unsure if she wants that from me. Everytime I try to connect with her, she doesn’t receive it well. Are you okay with this?” Cat gestured around them, showing what she meant by ‘this’ change. The change that his dad had just bought a house with her. A new woman that wasn’t his mom.

“Try not to worry yourself, Miss Cat.” Abel placed his bag down onto the floor as he looked up at the beautiful woman he had no doubt his father would soon call wife, “Joy struggles with any kind of change, even minor ones. She once locked herself in a bathroom for three hours because a pack of cookies had seven bites in it instead of eight.” The young basketball star wasn’t lying, Jovie had always had great difficulty when things in her young life didn’t go the way she planned or at least the way she thought they would. There was a time when Gabriel and Naomi thought it best to have their daughter seek help for her aversion, believing it a medical issue such as an adjustment disorder. If life was a highway, even a small bend in the road would send Joy careening off of a cliff and into shark infested waters. “It’s nothing personal, really.” Lucky for her, even in spite of their obvious differences, she’d always had Abel to pull her out of the deep waters.

Pulling up and parking behind his son's car, Gabriel Darling paused for a moment before entering his new home, where his new family would be waiting for him. Life finds a way of coming round again when you least expect it. Gabe was happy with his life in Pinehurst, he was happy with Naomi, Abel and Joy. Yet when his mother called, telling him that his sister Serenity was pregnant and that she needed him home, he knew that he had to be there but he really didn’t want to be. It was Naomi who convinced him to go home again. He didn’t expect that when he did, the cracks would begin to show and those cracks would turn into fissures. Life on the farm changed the Darling’s world and eventually the chasm between Gabe and Nomes became too hard to cross.

He hadn’t thought that by moving back to Edenridge that he would end up meeting old faces and friends and slotting back into a world he thought he’d left behind. His childhood friendships with the likes of Bobby Osso, Jonah Steen and Lydia Anderson carried on like he had never left but it was when Gabe bumped into a recently divorced Cat Belmonte, the one that got away, a woman that he once believed he would marry, that the world came around again. In her presence, Gabriel was sixteen again and a love he thought once lost, was found.

Walking into his new home, his large six foot three frame nearly forcing him to head butt a pretty chandelier in the entryway, Gabe ruffled his oldest child’s dreadlocks. He knew Abel hated this. There were only two things that his boy considered sacred, his hair and the basketball court. “Why don’t you drop your stuff upstairs and then when Joy’s ready we’ll make a plan for the day?” He watched as Abel followed his suggestion and departed the room, his duffel bags slung over his shoulder. Gabriel stepped forward and slid an arm around Caterina’s slender waist. Even after all these years, she was still one of the most beautiful woman on the planet. “You ok?”

“I think so,” Cat leaned her head on her lover’s chest, contemplating the course of events that had transpired and her short interaction with Gabe’s son. “Your son reminds me of someone who is wiser than people give him credit for.” She smiled to herself as she thought of a dear friend that to this day still came into her shop for the Costigan special. Though now he had a wife and a daughter, and Cat couldn’t be happier for him. She loved seeing those she cared about become exactly who they were meant to be. For Clay, he always was a loving person. Cat saw that in him at such a young age and now he was surrounded by exactly that. Love.

As for her, she closed her eyes and took in her boyfriend’s scent. Content and at peace. “Joy ran upstairs,” she admitted, still wondering what she could do to make it better. “I know her trusting me will take time. I just hope I can do it.” Going quiet briefly, she held her first love and now forever love, still surprised that time brought him back to her. What she and Gabe had in highschool was simple. They were two kids extremely attracted to one another that found an escape from their hardships and struggles when they were together. They were each other’s safe place and way back when they were each other’s biggest fantasy. Unfortunately, Cat was deeply insecure when she was with him and when his mom didn’t immediately accept her or gaslit her because of how Cat presented herself, both her and Gabe decided it was best to call it quits. For each other’s sake.

Who would’ve expected Temperance would accept her after years and with her son already having a wife? Cat was still unsure where that woman stood with her but what she did know was she wanted to be with Gabe and she would do her part to make sure he wouldn’t run away. He’d stay by her side like they always were meant to be. She opened her eyes and glanced up at Gabriel. Gently caressing his face, she smiled, burying her worries and focusing on the moment with the love of her life, “Welcome home, baby.”

“It’s good to be home.” Gabriel leaned down and kissed his beautiful girlfriend's face. He smiled like a Cheshire cat as he caught a glimpse of her pretty hazel eyes. God he loved those eyes. “Trust me though, Cat. Joy will come around. Yeah it’ll take a little while but she’ll see in you what we all do eventually. Give her her space. You know she likes you after our trip to New York together but this whole moving in together thing is unprecedented ground for her.” Gabe wandered deeper into the kitchen and picked up an apple from the freshly set basket on their dining table and tossed it into the air, only to smoothly catch it behind his back with his other hand. “Couldn’t do that again even if I tried.” He chuckled before taking a crunchy bite. “Where are your kids? I was half expecting them to have already burned the place down?”

Her gaze softened as she watched Gabriel move around their house casually and freely. There were times she felt like they’d gone to the past and the boy she was staring at was the nerdy, goofy kid that made Edenridge feel like home. She strolled to the kitchen and gestured toward the sliding glass double doors that led to their backyard. Franco and Dani were sitting at the patio table texting on their phones and Sofi could be seen at a distance by a tree, hitting her head on the trunk, likely out of nerves. The two adults watched as the eldest brought her attention back to her phone, waiting for something. “Gotta’ love technology,” Cat commented, rolling her eyes and taking a seat on a stool by the island. Inhaling and exhaling, she closed her eyes and took in the peace and quiet. All the kids were doing their own thing and she could finally rest her mind. The hard part was over. Or so she thought.

Opening her eyes, she surveyed their home, already thinking of ways of decorating it and making it their own. She was getting excited at the mere thought of buying items that suited both her family and Gabe’s. This was a new chapter for them. A new chapter for her. Though underneath all the excitement part of her was nervous. Part of her was scared. She wondered if they jumped into things without thinking about anyone but themselves. She had dealt with Tommaso for far longer than she should’ve and now that she was grabbing onto something, clinging onto it for some sort of happiness, she could feel her insecurities creeping up on her like she was a teenager again. Cat was finally taking the steps she needed for her own happiness. That didn’t change that this was something daunting to her. It wasn’t the change that scared her, like it did Joy. It was the risk of falling incredibly in love and not feeling like she deserved it. “We’re not moving fast, are we baby?”

This was typical of Caterina. For as long as Gabriel had known the beautiful woman, she had long held the deepest of insecurities within her heart. She was an anxious person, her nerves often dancing on a knife's edge but all hidden beneath the facade she had painstakingly built around herself. “Cat, we've known each other for over twenty years.” He leaned into his elbows, securing a position on the same kitchen island that his girlfriend had perched herself at. “Some might say we didn’t move fast enough.”

Gabe knew where these feelings of hers were coming from. Both of them had been married previously and both of them had fallen into each other's arms again quicker than they might have suspected. Yet that was the key as to why it was the right thing, Cat and Gabriel had been together as teenagers and had only really ended things because of outside forces and naivety of youth. Now they were older, wiser; a little greyer and had more life experience to allow them to make the positive choices that they neglected the first time around as well as ignore negative influences. This was Edenridge and people liked to talk. The word homewrecker had been floated, the question of Sofi’s paternity had been asked and racial prejudice had been fired at them by a select few.

“Get out of your head baby. Take a breath.” Gabriel reached out and laced his fingers with Cat’s and kissed the side of her head. “Be here with me and our family. It’s a brave new world and we’re going to face it together.”

“Our family,” Cat repeated after her boyfriend, smiling at him, deep in thought. Her hazel eyes went from his face to his big, rough hands. They held her small ones firm, yet tenderly. This was all profound that now, as she approaches forty, she was finding herself and it was with her highschool sweetheart. “You missed the dance-a-thon, Gabriel,” she smirked, talking lowly for only his ears, as she glanced back up at him. “This house won’t feel like home until you dance with me, you know that right?”

Never letting go of his hand, she slipped off the stool, turned him to her and leaned her chest against his. Tilting her head down and looking up at her lover, peering up at him all innocent-like, she pushed her worries to the side to be in the moment with him. “VAL, play Faithfully by Journey.” As Val responded, Cat led her man to the living room floor. She placed one of her hands on his shoulder, keeping his other hand in her gentle grasp, shifting their bodies intimately and closely, ready for a casual slow dance. “You remember when no one was dancing at our winter formal and you came to me all nervous-like, asking me to be your first dance?”

“I certainly do.” Gabe smiled as he began to move slowly with his lover wrapped up in his arms to the music. “Though if I remember correctly, I wasn’t the only one asking you to dance. Just the only one you said yes to.” He looked back on those days fondly, the days where in the throes of youth he found a deep love with a woman that was way out of his league. As he looked back on the day in question, Gabriel let the smile on his lips curl in memory.

In those bygone days, one would be hard pressed to find a closer group of friends than the ones that surrounded Caterina Belmonte. Cat just always had the ability to draw people to her, she was always surrounded by friends and people that adored and worshiped her. The Heartbreakers, Bobby, the jocks, the nerds like Gabe, hell, even some Pinehurst Monarchs, they all were a little bit in love with Cat. He considered himself lucky every day that she chose him over the rest of them. “I also remember Bobby taking his bat to Matty Fell’s car for some perceived slight. Man, Bobby was nuts.”

“Still is, but he has Lydia to be his center,” Cat leaned her head on her boyfriend’s chest, holding him close, leaving little to no space between them as they swayed to the song they danced to many, many years ago. She closed her eyes and breathed in his warm and spicy scent. For once in her life, nerves aside, she was at peace. It took her years to fight the demons that lurked over her shoulder, especially in regards to her self worth, loneliness and the unbreakable feeling that she was more of an object than a person. Now she could say she was okay. She was doing okay and that she would continue to be okay. Even on days she wasn’t okay, she had Gabriel to hold her, just like he was doing right now, dancing her worries away.

That didn’t change the fact that Cat still needed to hear time and time again, the reasons he loved her and the reason he came back. She needed to hear those words because without them, she would be lost. She was a good woman. A good mother. A good daughter. A good lover. But her voice never seemed to be loud enough, and she still struggled to convince herself that she was a good person. She wished she could see herself in Gabriel’s eyes. She wished she could see how beautiful she was to a man that absolutely adored her. Sadly, her heart couldn’t believe in that whimsical fairytale. There was too much damage to repair. She, however, would continue to trust the process and trust him. They were okay and they’d always be okay as long as they had each other. “What made you come back? To me, I mean.” She opened her eyes to bring her attention back to her boyfriend. “I know why you came back. For your family. But what made you want to try this again? You’re handsome. Smart. Funny. Loving. A complete catch. You could’ve dated around and found a new girl. Someone fresh that you’ve never experienced. What made you think of me?” She gazed at him thoughtfully, with so much curiosity in her big, hazel eyes, seeking to hear things her heart already knew the answer to. “… I never thought you’d come back, honestly. So the fact that this is us now. It’s like a dream come true.”

Cat had days like this, where the melancholy settled in and she needed to hear why she was loved. For all the distance between them, Gabriel couldn’t help but notice how similar Cat was to his daughter Joy. “The main reason I came back was because Matty still had those photos from our senior trip to Calgary and he told me I had to love you, so it’s basically blackmail.” Gabe was known for his smile. It was big and toothy and even when he was trying to be subtle it was a huge grin that he was unable to hide. Jokes had always been his way of putting people at ease. As a child, with a family like his, Gabriel needed to find a way to deal with the insurmountable pressure that came with being a Darling. For him, humor, the theater and Cat were those emergency exits.

With his love in his arms, he pressed his lips to her forehead and left his chin there to comfort her as he continued. “I came back to you because no one has ever made me feel like you do. When we were together the first time, whenever I was with you, nothing else mattered. I had no problems, no heartache, no deep fears that swallowed me whole. It was just you and me.” Gabe raised his fingers to gently caress Caterina’s soft cheek. “After my divorce, I was looking for a way to make sure my kids felt that same freedom. Then I took them for a sandwich in your shop and it just clicked. I knew it was you. It’s always been you.”

Smiling at his words, Caterina didn’t say anything in return. Rather, she pushed herself up to bring her parted lips close to his. She didn’t kiss him immediately, no matter how alluring and heavenly he was to her. Feeling his warmth, staring at him fondly, Cat brushed her lips against his, teasingly. She loved to play just as much as he loved to joke. The way he watched her, the way he openly loved her, unashamed and without restraint, and the way he held her close, needing her, wanting her, made her crave him. This feeling he gave her was something she searched for, all her life, and now she had it. She had someone that loved her and would fight for her, and remind her that she was deserving of love. She was deserving of a happy ending.

Breaching the small gap, Cat let their hearts collide. No longer dancing to the music, she held this moment like a still photo, loving him beyond reason, beyond words and beyond measure. The Italian woman could hear the thud of their combined heartbeat as they kissed. And they kissed intensely, her mouth melding into his and insisting on more. Like a blushing bride, she felt young again. Only Gabriel could make her feel like no time had passed from now since they first fell for one another; when they were young, dumb and incredibly naive to the world. She loved this man and she was so grateful he loved her back.

It wasn’t until the back porch door opened that they were pulled away from this feverish dream when Sofi came rushing in, grabbing her bag off the couch, “Gotta’ jet mom. I’m… meeting with an old friend.” Sofi didn’t care that her parents were in the middle of a make out session. She was quick to kiss her mom on the cheek and sucker punch Gabe in the arm, not ready to show him affection just yet. “Oh and I’m dropping Dani and Franco off at grandpa’s. I’m sure he could use the company.” Sofi smiled, hinting at potentially giving the two of them much needed alone time. Though she only had influence with her blood siblings. Whether Joy and Abel find an excuse to leave or not, that was their own prerogative but Sofi wasn’t going to waste her time while she was in Eden. She needed to see her once upon a time best friend. “I’ll see you tonight!”

“Bye mom, bye Gabe!” Dani gave a Cheshire-like grin as she could feel the heat in the air. “Don’t get into too much trouble while we’re away.” She simply waved at the two adults before trailing behind her older sister, taking a moment to grab her backpack with art supplies. She wasn’t going to stay at grandpa’s for too long. Dani had a date, but that was neither here nor there. None of her family needed to know what she was getting up to. That was her business and her business alone.

“Oh,” Cat tried to gather herself and think of words to say as her kids rushed out, clearly needing to escape. Before she could say more, she was occupied with her youngest. Her attention completely pulled away from her boyfriend by the sudden departure of all her babies. Well, they weren’t babies anymore.

“Bye mommy,” Franco intercepted his mother from her lover, embracing her fully and snuggling against her warmth. He let the hug linger for a long minute. Once he was happy, he freed her and ran after his sisters who had already exited the front door, going to Sofi’s polymetal gray Mazda CX-30.

Cat blinked a couple times, stunned how fast the kids came and went. They all were growing up way too fast. There were days like today she struggled to process it. “See you later, my babies,” she whispered, knowing well enough they couldn’t hear her now, seeing how Sofi was already backing out of the driveway. “Well that just happened…” She turned to Gabe, wondering how he felt with half of their little army taking the opportunity to not unpack and just leave to do whatever it is they wanted to do. She was hoping she’d get insight on how they felt about the house but nope. They clearly had better things to do.

“We’re old now, Cat. The kids don’t want to spend time with their parents. Especially when they’re making out.” Gabriel brushed a strand of her beautiful brown locks and tucked it behind her ear. “Speaking of…” As the dentist leaned down to kiss the love of his life, they were disturbed by an all mighty clatter charging down the stairs. It sounded like a rhino charging through the Serengeti preparing to fire them into oblivion. Rounding the corner however was not the gray skinned protector of the animal kingdom. No, it was a different kind of protector, it was his son, Abel, with his twin sister slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Will you stop squirming, Joy? Jesus H!” Abel had a tight grip around his other half’s flailing legs as he paused to stop and look at his father and future step mother.

“Put me down!” Joy protested. Her brother had interrupted her phone call with their mother, telling her to just meet them at grandma’s. That he got it covered. She didn’t need his help. She had everything handled and she was completely fine.

“…She got a case of the sads. It’s all gravy, I’m taking her to Gammas for some breakfast and to hopefully sort out whatever silly shit she’s got going on in….Joy stop fucking with my hair!” The basketball player waved at his father and Cat before carrying on out of the front door, leaving the new family home silent.

As they slowly made their exit, Joy stared at her father and future step mother defeatedly. She didn’t say goodbye though. She was obviously in a mood and wasn’t ready to accept Cat as her new mother. It wasn’t that the woman was a bad person. It was just no one would replace her mother and it was extremely hard for her to accept that her parents didn’t love each other. Abel said she would come around but she doubted it. In her heart, there was only one mama.

The lack of acknowledgement from Joy Darling caused Cat to frown. She knew what was going on in that little girl’s head. She knew how hard it was to accept change especially in regards to her parents splitting. Cat would never replace her mother, she would never dare to try. And she was sure her children would never consider Gabe their father. But part of her hoped their children would still look at both of them and accept that their parents were happy. That even if they weren’t blood related, Cat would be there for them, just as she hoped Gabe would be there for her kids, including Sofia, who he was made aware was Dexter’s daughter.

After years of believing Sofia was Tommaso’s, when Dexter came back into the picture to question it, she realized that there was a huge possibility that Sofia could’ve been his, Gabe’s or truly, Tom’s. She was young and was in over her head, with support from Lydia but having no idea how to move forward, afraid her father would disown her. She didn’t think about questioning her first baby’s DNA. That is until Dex tried to make amends and put food for thought in her mind. She was afraid to find out and part of her hoped Sofia’s was Gabe’s. Of course, that was wistful thinking and the results came in. Sofia was Dexter’s. With that knowledge however, Cat found herself seeing the boy she once loved. The one unchained by his past. The one that wanted to be present and live in the moment. The one that wanted to be there, and have people lean on him. Dexter slowly but surely rebuilt the bridge he had burned years ago, co-parenting and putting any bad history between them behind him. He wanted to be there for his child and that meant the world to Cat. In addition to that, Sofia gained a friend in Frankie, her half sister.

“They really do grow up too fast,” Cat heavily sighed.

“Maybe.” Gabriel’s handsome face was soon crossed by that smirk of his, the one that Cat had first fallen in love with amongst the horrible moss green lockers of Nathaniel Carlisle Hall at Edenridge High. “But the benefit of them growing up is that we have our brand new house to ourselves.” The tall man placed both of his hands on his lover's beautiful face and caressed her perfect lips with his thumb as he lost himself in her hazel eyes. “Miss Belmonte, I believe you have an emergency appointment with your dentist.”

Cat couldn’t help but chuckle at Gabriel’s roleplaying. He knew how to brighten up the mood and have fun doing it. That was her Gabe. The man she loved when they were teens and the man she still loved as adults. Humor was his gift and she adored that about him. With their collective troubles and thoughts, he continued to lift her up, putting her first before himself. He never stopped carrying her and making her feel like she was in heaven on Earth. She hoped she did the same for him, in her own way. She hoped he knew how much he meant to her.

She’d play along.

She always did.

“Oh, I almost forgot, Doctor. I am long overdue for a… filling,” she impishly batted her eyes at him before looking around, pretending to be lost, “Where’s your office again? I don’t want to postpone. I can’t possibly, if it’s an emergency.”

“Don’t fret!” Gabriel took a step back to bow to his lady. His voice changed to his best impression of a classic golden era Hollywood impression. “We will find it together because in this house I’m not yet entirely sure where it is either.” Taking his girlfriend's hand, Gabe slapped her well toned butt as he led her away from their kitchen and deeper into their brand new home where they would finally be the family they were always meant to be.

What goes around….

Angelic humming, that of a celtic melody, could be heard in the front yard of the small home of King Wilson and his beloved wife, Verity Roy-Wilson, or Vez to her friends and lovers. On Grove Street, they resided across the street from the Kingsnake and a couple houses down from the Quinns. They also had a new nextdoor neighbor, Phillip he introduced himself as, who bought the haunted house that is said to be where the Wilting Flower Suicides took place.

The once upon a time white colonial home for the beautiful Lively girls — Cordelia, Patience, Geradine, Agatha and Dorothy — now had a resident. A steal with its condition, far cheaper than it ought to be because of the ghost story that plagued it. He was a writer, he told them and he explained that ghosts were simply memories with so much hurt and so much pain. He believed the reason why he told convincing ghost stories was because he chooses to embrace their presence, their humanity and accept that ghosts were all around us. They’re not haunting us, we just refuse to let them go.

His words resonated with the redhead as she applied fertilizer around the base of her dahlias. They were growing splendidly and soon enough would make a nice flowering hedge, supporting one another. She thought back at the day of the shooting, her birthday, and how for the first time in her life, she was scared. Verity wasn’t someone you could scare easily, scary stories never fazed her, but that day, that moment, she was terrified.

She had something to live for. Someone she knew who was her soulmate, who she had the rest of their lives to spend with. And she learned the hard way someone could take that away from her in the blink of an eye. That someone being a boy who let his ghosts take over. She never thought someone that young, someone in her year, would have that in him and yet, she was proven wrong and her mortality was so delicate, so fragile like the flowers she tended to.

All that aside, what Verity liked about Grove Street was it truly felt like the least exclusive area in all of Edenridge. The north, the south, the east and the west. Each catered to those that made a certain amount of income. On Grove Street, which wasn’t too far from the railroad tracks, had this weird appeal, a clear ambience of peace and history that attracted even the likes of Vivia Belmonte. A Scott Street princess. This whole town was haunted by ghosts but here on this little street, Vez felt home. She could see those suffering deeply from their ghosts, both ReyRey and Vivia especially and clear as day. Even so, they all had a silent understanding. This was a place of rest and support, and they all looked out for each other, one way or another. Nothing like the ruthless gossip moms of Scott Street.

Glancing up and across the street, Vez frowned. She had growing concerns of Vivia, who she could’ve sworn was in the house, this very moment but she still hadn’t come out to paint on the porch. That was odd since by now, routinely, Vivia would be painting. ‘I hope she’s okay,’ Verity silently thought to herself before examining the sun and breathing in the summery, flowery scents that surrounded her and her husband.

When she heard a door close, she turned her attention to their next door neighbor and waved at him, “Good morning, Mister Phillip.”

“Good morning, Verity! King!” The older man, wearing activewear, smiled widely, always one to be immensely upbeat and outgoing, full of vigor and energy with each step. “Today is literally the most beautiful day I’ve ever experienced.” He put his arms on his hips, soaking in the beaming sun.

“You said that during the storm,” Vez chuckled, clearly happy with this new Grove Street addition, no matter how crazy he was to live in a cursed house.

“That too was a wonderful day,” he nodded, agreeing with his past self, before looking toward the two, young lovers, and commenting, “Even on your day off you plant. That is so amazing and admirable.”

Brushing her gloved hands with one another, sitting on her knees, Vez shrugged, “What can I say. It’s what I love. Kind of like your writing. You can do that practically everyday too.”

Clapping his hand enthusiastically together, Mr. Phillip agreed and resounded, “You’re absolutely right!” There was no hesitation from his reaction. Randomly, he started jogging in place, preparing to go on his run, little quirks he had now that he’s lived there for two weeks, “I’m about to go to Swerve, see what they have in stock. Maybe get an espresso from Beau and a sandwich from Cat. I sure do love it here and can’t wait for my son to see how Edenridge is literally the best place on Earth.”

King raised his eyebrow behind the book- ironically Phantom In The Field by the very man standing in front of him- he had in front of his face at Phillip’s enthusiasm and words. He’d expected whoever was going to move into the house next door to be leaning more towards the likes of the Aviles family, so when this ball of energy and positivity moved in, practically helping Vez’s flowers grow with his sunshiny disposition, he was more than a little intrigued. Especially with the fact that this man was one of the best Horror Novelists in recent memory. Even the man’s thought process surrounding the spirits that continue to wander on earth seem to differ from the expected norm, and the man has definitely left the ex-serpent intrigued for whatever comes next. He closed his book respectfully and smiled at the older man while adjusting the umbrella beside him so Vez was still shaded while she worked, not even taking his attention from Phillip while he did so.

The best place on earth. He loved his hometown and all his family that lived here, but he has never once in his life been able to see it with such fresh and bright eyes as Phillip Michaelson. He’d never be able to see this town without the dark veins that run through it, pumping with the blood of all the lost innocents sacrificed to the continuance of the town’s curses. He couldn’t see beauty in the town, but he found beauty in the people within it and that had always been enough for him; his family and friends, his wife Vez, and his girlfriends and paramours in their relationship. As a lover of literature of almost any genre, he was more than interested in getting his hands on whatever book Edenridge inspires out of Phillip Michaelson while also getting to know the thoughts and feelings of the man behind the words. He wondered if he could actually come up with anything as horrific as what has actually happened in this town.

“Your son’s coming into town?” He asked the man, his mind flashing to a certain pale and lanky friend of his as a small grin took over his features. Dean would lose his everloving shit if he found out that King lived next to Phillip Michaelson, let alone that Miles Michaelson would be hanging around eventually as well. Out of respect for his neighbor, he hasn’t let any of this information slip to Dean despite knowing how much he’d love to know, but it’s not like the man’s banned from his house so he’ll find out on his own eventually. King is prepared for the eventual fallout. “He’s got a lot of fans here, might need to pull a superhero and do the hat and sunglasses routine,” He joked. “Especially with the Dread comics rollin’ out.”

“He does?” Mr. Michaelson beamed at the avid reader, intentionally not answering the question of when his son may or may not come to visit. “I could’ve sworn his friend had more fans! I go into Swerve. It's all about Spike Langley. Then again, me and my boy did choose a niche market. Everyone loves superheroes! What we write is less super and a bit more grotesque and creepy. But I will say,” Phillip stopped jogging, meeting King’s gaze and not the book that was obviously one of his classics, “Superheroes and their stories can be quite horrific and damned tragic! Spike and Miles? They’ll make a great team.”

Speaking of his son, he needed to check on him and see how filming was going for Dead Man’s Wish. That boy kept himself busy, never taking a moment to stop and breathe. Why was he in such a rush? Phillip would never know. And honestly, the horror Legend never expected his books to go on the big screen but he was exhilarated by how ambitious his boy was and so talented too. He was a proud father who only wished his wife were still alive to see their boy surpassing him in every way he could. She called it, after all, and Phillip could hear her giggle and tease, all the while giving him that look that said: I told you so.

“What makes a hero, what makes a villain. What makes a monster and what makes a man. It’s all rather subjective and I think that’s what makes storytelling literally the most beautiful art ever to exist. Ever. Pencil to paper is more worth something than them separate. When together, ideas are created. Ideas are everything. Remember that.”

“We will,” Verity answered, even if the comment was more directed to King than her. “And you need to remember to sleep! I feel like I see your lights on and you walking around at odd hours all the time. Maybe it’s me, but you don’t seem to get much sleep.”

“Such is my life, Verity,” Phillip admitted, not going any deeper than that.

King wisely chose not to comment on the fact that both he and his wife were also awake at those odd hours, meaning that they needed just as much sleep as their new neighbor. What they were doing up at those odd hours varied, but it didn’t mean that they shouldn’t be asleep anyway. Unfortunately, when inspiration or anxiety hits, they’re out of their bed or their napping place on the couch, King off to sculpt the dreams he can’t describe and Verity to whisper her broken secrets to whichever plant needed extra attention.

“Sleep will find us whether we want it to or not,” King gave his two cents, taking the mention of neglected self care to pick up his water bottle and nudge his wife’s arm with it. She needed water just as much as her plants. “We all tire out eventually.”

“Oh King. Death will find me long before I tire out,” Phillip chuckled, as he watched Vez take the water graciously, amused at his neighbors and how aware they were of his sleeping schedule. He was intrigued by how intelligent many of the young adults and teens were in this town. Promising and with a bright future ahead, if only they believed in themselves and combated the darkness that tried to consume them.

As the neighbors talked and gabbed on about things that couldn’t be discerned from a distance, eyes were watching even still. Trying to see when the conversation would end. Trying to find the safe opening to emerge into open space. Those eyes were very skilled at such a task. Usually it was done at a more frantic pace, with bodies flying every which way. It wasn’t done from the reclined front seat of a 2018 Impreza with taught muscles kept in check. The hair was the same though, tamed from its usual wild state, held back in a ponytail so the dyed-blonde locks wouldn’t attract attention. As the third-year striker for THE Boston University Terriers tried to gauge if the conversation was over enough to come out of her hiding space, Phillip jogged onwards, leaving King and Vez to their own devices. And those devices would soon involve another member of their… unique relationship situation.

It was King who had initially won over Emerald Moore. Sure, there had been some sapphic dalliances in the various locker rooms through high school, but Emmy was pretty convinced that she was straight as cheap spaghetti and King Wilson was the only person she wanted to get cooked by. However, when it became clear his eyes were only for Verity Roy, she dialed back a little bit, found out the dalliances were far more than that thanks to Elysia… only for King to approach her while the two were out and propose more than Emerald was expecting. The forward was fine with the arrangement, but kept it hidden from the town, especially after learning that her ex-teammate was also involved.

Maybe it would have been fine if it was Juliana or Teagan who were a part of their growing love family, but Addie Davies-Drake was a whole other tempest in a teapot. The girl was a seething dynamo of love, lust and innuendo, and Emerald had to do her best to temper the girl’s expectations when they were in the locker room at Edenridge, but now that they were both at BU, things had opened up in that corner of the sextet to the point where Emmy actually had to pull herself away to come back home. And coming back home meant being careful. The saga of David O’Hara was a cautionary tale when she was in high school, and it meant she had to keep Addie at arm’s length when they were in Eden's borders. However, some new developments had made their way through the grapevine to the former Celtic, and she had to go back to town to hear about it for herself.

If Addie was at the Wilsons though, that could ruin everything they had hidden for the last two years. It’s why Emerald waited before finally strutting out of the Impreza and towards the main fortress in the kingdom. Content that she wasn’t spotted, she finally approached the man and his book. They would soon be disrupted. “Nice to know I left here last time with your nose in a book and I come back to the exact same sight,” Emmy remarked as she came into the King’s radius. “Must be a damn good book.” She looks over at Verity, still in the garden. “At least I can tell time has passed somewhat. Plants sure are growin’.” The glance returns to King. “You two sure you’re in your 20s? Look like you both could be hanging with my dad, tellin’ stories about what it was like before the internet.”

“Jewel! Welcome home,” Vez was hyper focused on her gardening, having only heard bits and pieces of information. Bruising the dirt off her gloves, having finished the task at hand, she glanced at the older woman. Once she was done taking her gloves off and placing them on the ground, she reached for the water bottle offered by King, realizing she got distracted by Phil and forgot to grab it. “Want something to drink?” Taking a sip, she stood up before continuing, “We got freshly squeezed lemonade. I could spike it if you’d like? Oh and if you’re hungry, I’ve already prepped finger sandwiches and watermelon. Summer lovin’.” The redhead grinned, already thinking about hosting a dinner for their little family. With Emmy and Addie in town, she didn’t want to lose the opportunity of all of them being together. She loved her little family.

King for his part had lifted his legs up and dropped his feet on the ground on either side of the cheap lounger, sitting up a bit and putting down his book to give Emerald both space to sit and his attention. “Also there’s nothing wrong with reading a ton so long as I give myself time for the every day tasks. I’ve already cleaned the house and agreed to cut the Digari’s lawn later for some cash,” He stated, patting the space in front of him to indicate that he’d cleared the spot for her.

He knew Emerald was always nervous about being open when she came back home, but sitting down with him in full view of his wife just so she didn’t have to be standing wasn’t some insane romantic gesture. Also, Grove Street does not gossip and spread rumors around like Scott Street did. It was more dangerous when most of the people that lived here were Serpents or Serpent adjacent with some Angels thrown in, and minding your business pays off, because the others mind theirs in return. It was one of the reasons that their little fixer-upper had become the main base for their not-so-little group of lovers.

“Welcome home, Hotshot, take a seat.”

Emerald smiled as she spotted the offered side of the lawn chair. “Thanks, King,” she replied as she sat down. Her eyes were still darting around a bit, even with Phillip having left. Sure Grove Street was relatively safe compared to the uppity houses in the Scott Street area, but you could never know who could be trusted. Even as much as King assured her any trips she took to the fortress would be between the poly. Sure, she hadn’t gotten any more call-ups to the national youth teams yet, but it was always on her mind.

She looked up at Verity, now leaving her plants behind. It was weird that the woman who was younger than her was essentially a mom figure in her life. Vez was too happy to offer that level of kindness whenever she returned to Edenridge. Sure her father could try, but it wasn’t really the former football player’s forte. “I’ll take some food for sure, and some non-spiked lemonade. Still going to be driving later.” She looked back at King. “Mostly back in town because I heard through the grapevine about some shit going down but I haven’t gotten confirmation on any of it yet.”

“Sure thing,” Verity immediately responded, before leaving King and Emmy alone to chat for a little bit. As much as Vez wanted to be a support system, and most of the time she was, King always had a better knack for paying attention to what goes around in town. The redhead would much rather talk to her plants than people, her lovers and their lovers aside. Even if she had much to say on whatever topic Emerald was curious about, she didn’t think it would hold much weight. If anything it would be a casual comment in hopes someone else would talk instead. She would certainly do her best if any questions were directed to her, though.

“If that shit going down relates to Charlie’s letters or David O’Hara and sirens on Scott Street, your info’s good,” King provided, eyebrow raised at the woman who sat before him with her shoulders squared and tensed. He wished Emerald didn’t always feel the need to be on the lookout, but he understood, and there were even times where he was able to sufficiently distract her from her near constant worries, but in plain view of others was rarely a place where he could. He held his hands out in front of him and mimed digging into shoulders with his thumbs, silently asking the girl if she wanted him to work at her coiled muscles while they talked. “Or are we talking about some other shit that went down?”

Emerald was not going to say no to a King massage, not now not ever, and she quickly moved into position to get her back worked while she unloaded. “I didn’t know about the Scott Street sirens, but the other stuff got back to me. Had to get a recap on the David stuff though.” She leans into the hands of the only man in their poly, the stress relief a big draw in keeping her in place. “How is the community handling it? I remember the shitshow when he turned up dead.”

The Moore girl frequently cited the demise of the Duke as the reason why she wasn’t willing to do anything in public with the group. At least in Edenridge. Boston was definitely opening up some avenues with Addie at the school. It was nice to be able to go out onto a patio with one of her girls and not worry about being judged. Here, there was always the fear that with Addie in the relationship, the same fears would be dredged up, and no one in her family needed that heat on them. Not her father, not Garnet, nobody.

“Well, the sirens tie in, but brace yourself,” King offered the warning as he sat up fully and settled his hands on the muscles of Emerald’s neck and shoulders, immediately digging his thumb into a knot he found. “Jamie Lord stabbed her husband after he jumped your cousin Clay, who had found out Jamie was the one sending the letters. Guess the guy thought he was protecting her by almost killing her friend, but she didn’t like that much. Clay was first on scene, I think, so he had a rough go of it until ambulances and more cops were swarming all over for a while. He’s recovering at Sinclair Health as we speak if you wanna visit. Wild times,” He leaned over and grabbed the sunscreen from beneath the lounger so that the friction from the massage didn’t rub her skin raw, immediately distracted from the debrief by his own jumping thought process. “You know, I should really invest in some oils or something, your muscles are always so tense. Not that I mind an excuse to get my hands on you, but it’s the principle of the matter.”

The news of what happened to her family did not make Emerald’s muscles any less tense. “What?!?” She knew her cousin was a bit of an idiot, boldly rushing into places he shouldn’t. It’s why it made sense he was a cop. But running into a domestic situation, getting jumped and almost killed over it? That was dumb even for Clay. “Oh my god, oh hell, Clay!” She wanted to jump up and shout loud enough for him to hear it from whatever hospital bed he was stuck in, but she also didn’t want to leave King’s working hands. It made sense David’s sister would be sending letters trying to clear him, she appreciated Jamie for that and she heard about the name in the letters being Caitlin Cleary, but ending in a stabbing? For a town that was known for violence, even that was something else. “Ugh, dumbass.” The massage was helping her calm down. “I swear, if it wasn’t for those hands, King, I don’t know why I’d keep coming back. Well, that and the family, I guess.” Emerald knew she was being facetious, but right now the kneading at her muscles was keeping her from flying off the handle a little bit.

“Oh yeah,” King laughed lightly, following her attempt to lighten the subject by adding his own sarcasm to the mix. “I guess family is important or something, I don’t know anything about that, estranged as I am with mine.”

He was, of course, anything but estranged with his family of five other siblings and their mom and dad. His older brothers both stopped by or called him out for a boy’s night out every week or two, his oldest sister was busy but they make sure to get in bonding time when their workout schedules align, his other sister lives right down the street with her two giant dogs while the youngest of their clan pops up regularly on her skateboard, begging for a drink or snack before she’s rolling away again on her next run or errand. He had no idea when his little sister slept between all her different responsibilities both in and out of the Serpents, but he’s been known to begrudgingly keep a pack of energy drinks in the back of his and Vez’s fridge for her on the bad days, just in case. Family dinner- including Vez, auntie Kamilla, Maliq, and Jonie- was a monthly affair. King understood how important family was, and he knew Emerald felt that as well, which is what made their little exchange being said with straight faces so ridiculous. He rolled his eyes and smiled fondly despite the fact that Emerald was turned away from him.

“I’m starting to feel like handing out free massages is my thing here, you all love it so much that I’m starting to regret that I can’t give myself a massage just to see if it’s really that good,” he addressed the first part of her comment a bit belatedly, having caught on more solidly to the latter. “Do I just need to find a guy to give me one or is it my hands specifically?”

“Do you want a guy? We can sign you up on that dating app your brother is working on,” Vez announced her presence carrying a tray of everything she said she would bring out, from small sandwiches to watermelon, and of course the lemonade. Not spiked. She had gotten distracted because one of her plants needed a little more love and attention, and they were practically calling her name. Her poor coleus needed a little pruning and she was a little upset she had neglected it the past couple of days. What kind of plant mommy was she?

Going on her knees, she placed the tray beside King’s lawn chair before crawling closer to Emmy. Adjusting herself, where she was sitting on her knees, she gave Emerald a little kiss on the cheek. A friendly peck. Nothing too sensual or romantic. “I’m really glad you’re home… Have you told the others? That you’re here?” She inquired, as she gave her Jewel her undivided attention. “I know Ely would be stoked and Addie would straight up rip your clothes off.”

“No,” Emerald answered. Her eyes cast down a little as she did, blunting the lifting effects of Vez’s kiss. With Devi always off doing something and Ely always busy with her art, it made it easy to slip away as she pleased. But it was tough to hide from Adelaide Davies-Drake. With all the hidden feelings that were apparently present during their time on the Celtics together, there was more resolve to keep things out in the open once things started growing in Boston. But it was still a city romance in Emerald’s eyes. It was too dangerous back home. The latest discussion had occurred right before Addie left for Eden. Emerald was still uncomfortable and had decided to sit this trip out to try and take some time for herself, preparing for her junior season. Instead, the rumors proved too much and she snuck her way back into town. It was something she would probably have to answer for at some point, and Addie would demand answers with her mile-a-minute mouth. If nothing else, she would demand penance that she knew the Jewel could provide.

“This was a spur-of-the-moment visit,” the Terrier continued as she leaned into King’s hands once more. “I haven’t even been home to see Dad and Garnet yet. The Castle was the first place I came to.” One of the sandwiches also made its way into her hands and the taste of the homemade chicken salad was dancing on her tongue. Vez knew her spices better than anyone. “I didn’t even take Ely up on the offer to see the new place yet. I know Addie was all excited about that, but you send an exorcist in there first before I go in there. Get Clay’s friend with all the books and shit, let her have the demons.” She lets out a soft moan. “If you really want I can try, King, but I’m pretty sure my massages don’t hold a candle, as much as I’ve been trying to learn from what Brionna’s been doing to my legs on the table.”

“I’ll survive for now,” King responded to the offers from both of his lovers, laughing lightly as he focused on a knot right beside Emerald’s right shoulder blade. “I think you need this a little more than I do right now. Also, given our circumstances, the day I need an app to find a man will be the day I stop believing I have game face to face, thank you very much,” he joked while waggling his eyebrows at his wife. It was a nice thought though, the idea of another guy being around during their gatherings just so when the conversations end up leaning towards girl talk he could turn to someone for an alternate conversation instead of turning to the nearest book until one of the girls noticed and pulled him back in. King shook his head, turning his focus back to the two before him as he released Emerald’s shoulders to shake out his tired hands a bit.

“I don’t know about you, Em, but I’d let Addie know soon that you came home. Unless you want her to track you down and pop up at a random time to ask why you didn’t tell her.”

That put a worried look on the striker’s face. “I know. I swear, the girl has freakin’ plot armor powers or something the way she just manages to teleport into a place at times. If she had that on the field, she’d be joining me in getting national team looks.” Emerald took another sandwich in her hand. “I just… needed to make sure what I was hearing was good info before I risk Addie being Addie and trying to jump me in the Palermo parking lot. And I know y’all been trying to make me more comfortable here and get me to show up more, but it’s still going to take a little bit for me to get to that point.” She smiles at Vez and King. “But I’m getting closer now. Hearing that the whole David thing is blowing over is a big load off. Even if it does mean I gotta go pay a visit to my dumbass cousin to make sure he didn’t get his dumb ass beaten down too much.”

“EXCUSE ME!” A playful voice called out to bring the trio of lovers attention to the sidewalk and a pint-sized pixie standing there with her hands on her hips. “Who said you three could have an orgy and not invite Addie?” The summer sun above their heads bounced off of Adelaide’s blonde lion's mane of hair as her plump painted lips curled into a smile. She unburdened herself from and then tossed her leather bomber jacket through the passenger window into Ely’s car, which she had just got out of and took off sprinting down the lawn.

With her personality being what it was, it was easy for one to forget that Adelaide Davies-Drake was a high caliber and highly decorated athlete. Serving as the defender for the Edenridge Celtics and Boston U Terriers it was incredibly difficult to get past her towards the goal mostly because she was a pocket rocket. Addie was small but she was quick and she was unafraid to go hard. Her feet carried her swiftly across Verity’s pristine front garden to the trio sitting around King in his lawn chair where she slipped out of her shoes mid run and pounded into the beautiful woman in the middle of the threesome, her jewel, her Emerald.

“Hiya!” Addie beamed as she leaned to one side and kissed Vez deep on the lips whilst simultaneously patting King on the head. The married couple of the sextet were very much their Addie’s keeper. Everyone within their group filled roles and had different relationships with one another. For Addie, King and Vez were her sounding board, like guardians who she just also happened to be having fantastic sex with. She and Verity even shared a birthday. It did make the young botanist wonder if she and her redheaded lover were laid next to each other in the postnatal unit of the hospital.

Emmy was a different story altogether. Addie had yearned for Emerald for years. She had flirted, she had thirsted, she had been borderline inappropriate, all of her hallmarks and nothing worked…at least not until college. When Adelaide arrived at Boston U, something had changed and within weeks she and Emerald were sleeping together. The older woman wanted to keep it private out of fear of what might happen to her prospects. Addie hates this idea immensely but she wasn’t going to force someone she cared deeply for to come out until she was ready. She loved Emerald too much for that. Placing her hands on Emmy’s mocha cheeks and tightening her thighs grip on the soccer player's legs, Addie lingered her mouth over the curly haired terriers lips. “Kiss me like you missed me, stud.”

It took a little bit for Emerald to have the wherewithal to respond. When Addie decided to dive into something, she always did it full force. Opposing attackers learned that. People who shared hobbies with her learned that. Emerald already knew that and still had to use every bit of her newly-relaxed muscles to tense up and keep from being flipped over the lawn chair by the impact of ADD against her body. And of course, her belief that Addie had main-character powers or something just got another bit of proof given her ability to appear immediately after she was mentioned. Her eyes darted around for a moment to make sure no one else showed up that wasn’t in their loving collective before finally relenting to the onslaught and returning the kisses back to the blonde. “Tough to do if you lay me out flat on the lawn without me being ready, Rabbit,” she offers back once her lips are free. “But I guess you caught me coming in to surprise you. Don’t know how you do it sometimes.”

“Didn’t you know, baby? Addie is magic.” Adelaide joyfully flicked her tongue out with a scrunched up face and licked Emerald’s lips. She ran her hands through the striker's curly blonde hair, straightening out what her pounce had messed up before climbing off and starfishing her body across the lawn. The feel of the fresh grass between her fingertips and on her soft skin gave Addie a warm feeling. Being around her chosen family gave her a fuzzy feeling. Her red coloured lips raised themselves up onto a smile as she realized just how happy these people made her. She was no fool, she knew she was a lot. She knew that dealing with her moods and whims was a chore and only so much of that could be pawned off on her various mental diagnoses. It made Addie thankful that she found people who accepted her particular brand of madness. She was deeply in love with all of them and she hoped that they loved her just as hard. “Hello! Why am I lying here and not a single one of you is on top of me? Not cool guys!”

“We should go inside!” Verity chirped, already picking up the food and drink, placing everything back on the tray. “Mr. Phillip will be back from his run in fiveish minutes unless he finds something or someone to distract him. That man is like clockwork but he is also a very curious fellow. We don’t need him asking too many questions, right?” The redhead picked herself up and the food. She waited for everyone expectantly.

“You heard Mama,” Ely approached the lawn, having parked her car across the street. Her arm rested over Devi’s shoulder as the beautiful caramel skinned girl held the photographer’s camera to capture this canon moment. In her free hand, the one not holding Devi close, Ely spun a lollipop between her fingers. Really what she wanted it to be was a cigarette. She promised them she’d cut back on smoking though so candy was the next best option. Placing the red sucker back in mouth, she motioned to the door, “Ándale, ándale. Epa, epa.”

King smiled at the group now gathered on his and Vez’s lawn before pushing himself up and holding his hand out to Emerald, the only person still sitting, and helping her up. He was more than happy to leave the wrangling to Ely and Vez for the moment, focusing on folding up the now vacated lounger and picking his book up from the ground. He should have expected Addie to arrive as soon as he and Emmy mentioned her, the girl was magic like that, and Devi and Ely coming in to complete their group just meant the day was going to be more exciting than his plan of finishing Phantom In The Field. You certainly weren’t going to catch him complaining, as the times when their house is filled to the brim with love and laughter were the times when he felt most at peace. He’d grown up with a full house, of course, so while he treasured his semi-solitude and quiet, it didn’t always feel quite right. Looking over to the most chaotic of their group, the one he more often than not had a mostly platonic relationship with, he found himself rolling his eyes affectionately at the look on her face.

“Adds, are you seriously pouting?” He asked while trying not to laugh at how adorable the pout was. “It’s for everyone’s benefit, right? Think of all the things you could do once that door closes.” He held his free hand out to her to help her up from the grass, keeping his book and lounger in place under his other arm.

Addie’s plump and painted lips stuck out like that of a child that couldn’t get her way. Although King made a valid point about the privacy of their castle, it still wasn’t what the pint sized pocket rocket really wanted. There was a secret she kept from her lovers and loves. The Sunken house, her “ancestral home”, the place where her mother lived before she was an orphan, the place her grandmother died. Addie wanted that house to be their home. When she had enough money, she was going to buy it and she was going to move her family there. Not her Mom and Dad, not her sister, but this family, her chosen family, the ones that each held a piece of her heart, even King. It was much larger than the Castle and Adelaide had plans, girl did she have plans.

“Fiiiiiine.” Addie did a backwards roll from her prone position until she was on her knees, she didn’t care that her skirt had rode up. That neighbor girl, Vivia, was hot and if she wanted to look, the pixie would let her, though they didn’t see her too often. They only ever saw that Gonzalez guy around the house and his little pissant gangbangers. “If this is your way of trying to get a blowjob, K, it’s not working.” Her big blue eyes drifted down the muscled body of her male companion down to his crotch. “Though he is looking top today, I must say.” She popped up to her feet and offered him a smile. “I just set up my cousin with a guy, maybe it’s time I do the same for you so I can keep mama Vez all to myself.” She teased King as always before spreading her arms wide. “Time to play Carry the Addie. Who's taking me over the threshold?”

Emerald had brushed herself free of the remnants of Adelaide’s affectionate attack after King helped her stand up. While she appreciated the help, much like many of her teammates offered her once she was fouled by an opposing defender instead of this instance of her own defender, she was more thankful to Vez starting to move things inside, especially if the nosy neighbor she spotted earlier was set to come back at some point. The mother of the group truly knows what the others need to hear.

As she looked around for the moment, Emmy realized this was the first time she was in the presence of all five of the other members of her collective in a long time. She didn’t join the holiday dinners, with Costigan and Moore family offerings taking precedent. She didn’t travel into town with Addie very often because of her misgivings about being seen and starting up the whisper mill. It was unfair, given she was willingly seen with Ely in town often enough, and Vez got the cover of being with King, but while Emmy and Devi didn’t do much together, Addie got all the attention in Boston where Emerald felt freer to embrace this new life. Maybe it was time she started embracing the family.

“You burn yourself out with that entrance?” Emerald finally quipped as Addie knelt waiting for someone to carry her. “All right, fine, but you gotta get up here if you want the ride. I’ll tell you when I want you on your knees.”

“Ooooh mama, make it inappropriate.” Addie teasingly fanned herself with her hand at Emerald’s words. It made her sad, heartbroken even, when she saw the look in Emmy’s eyes. The fear and the loneliness when she scanned the area for prying eyes. Adelaide couldn’t help but wonder and feel at fault. She was a lot, she knew that. She knew that her energy and her bedlam would be too much for any one person to bear. Emmy probably got more of her than any of the others, even Ely. At Boston, she, Emerald and Devika were tucked away in their own little world, away from lurking stares and Emmy was happier there and in the grand scheme of things, all Addie wanted was for those she loved to be happy. She had to ask herself the question whether or not she was the one that brought happiness into all their lives or if she was the one stealing it away?

Masking her sadness with a cute smile as she always did, Adelaide jumped up to her feet before leaping into Emerald's strong arms. She wrapped herself around the premier athlete like a spider monkey, her arms and legs gripping tightly. “To the dining room! And make sure you slam me into a few walls on the way!” Emerald obeyed as she moved to get the bundle of energy inside the castle walls.

Quiet but observant, Ely watched her friends interact, her apathetic, green gaze falling on the manic pixie dream girl that everyone couldn’t help but love. Rarely did Addie have to say anything for Ely to undress her emotionally and read her like an open book. While pushing her lollipop to the side of her inner cheek, the platinum blonde released Devi from her tender yet possessive grasp and started casually following Vez’s gentle command. Verity might’ve posed them going inside as a suggestion but everyone in the area knew better. A suggestion from Verity Roy-Wilson was a command. She simply softened her words to mask her bossy tendencies. It was all with good intention, seeing how the tiny redhead was constantly looking out for them, protectively, devotedly and firmly. Just like a mother would. One day, Vez would make a great mother.

With her intro being short, chaos always appearing when Addie was around, Ely started doing her rounds, prioritizing the two girls entangled with one another. Taking her lollipop out of her mouth, Ely brushed Emmy’s hair to the side with her free hand before giving her a greeting kiss, right on the neck. That same hand found its way to Addie’s ass, as Ely squeezed it and gave the cute but sad girl a wink. It was her way of saying, get out of your head, without saying it outloud. If there was one love language that outweighed the others for Adelaide, it was physical touch. She proceeded to walk forward, past the two athletic queens, putting her lollipop back in her mouth. She threw her arm around King and grabbed his book, observing the back with a picture of their next door neighbor on it. She smirked, “Got his autograph yet?” Her question was followed by a quick call out “And oy! Vez, I hope you made enough sandwiches. I’m fucking starved.”

King’s answering smile and eye roll told her all she needed to know, but he easily replied anyway. “I’m not going to harass my neighbor for autographs, I’ve got more control than that. Man is here for rest and inspiration and I’m letting him have it,” he adjusted the lounder under her arm so it didn’t bump any of their group as they crossed the threshold. “‘Sides, I’d never sell my books so no need to up the market value,” with the arm he’d thrown around her, he pulled her in lightly to knock their heads together affectionately before asking, “How was the studio by the way?”

“The studio was absolutely stunning, although it reaaaally needs a cleansing ritual,” The energy that passed over Devika as she stepped into the studio that morning was certainly not a positive one, and Devika wouldn’t even call herself adept at reading energies, despite her spiritual inclination. Even Vez and King’s little haunted nook felt only slightly bearable after Devi performed her energy cleansing ritual as a housewarming gift. That was before she and Addie then christened the living room with Vez in an entirely unspiritual way.

Now, Devi stood happily amongst her lovers with Ely’s camera. She was no professional like Ely when it came to photography, but her subjects compensated for her amateur skills with their breathtaking beauty. She felt a wave of joy wash over her as she fervently captured the affectionate moments between her partners. Each of these relationships had a special corner reserved in her heart, and she found herself reminiscing while snapping photos.

Her connection with King had blossomed from working alongside his sister at the vet clinic. She admired his warm and caring nature, always willing to lend a helping hand. Devi loved the way he could make her laugh with his witty remarks and playful banter. King's presence brought a sense of comfort and stability to their polyamorous family, and she cherished their deep bond.

Vez, her classmate from school alongside Addie, had transformed into something more than just a friend over time. Vez's fervent approach to life, full of love and vigor, deeply moved Devi. She respected Vez's nurturing personality, always caring for others, and finding happiness in the most trivial moments. With Vez by her side, Devi felt protected and cherished, unable to visualize her life without the redhead woman. King and Vez both claimed the role of the parental figure, with their endless comfort and wisdom (despite Vez being younger than Devi), as well as beautiful lovers Devi cherished.

Emerald was a special addition to their polyamorous dynamic, brought into Devi's life through Addie. They shared a unique understanding of the challenges of hiding their true selves from their families. Emerald's presence brought a sense of understanding and empathy, and Devi found solace in their shared experiences. She cherished the moments they spent together, knowing that they could be completely themselves without fear of judgment. Thus it saddened Devi that she could only witness the real Emmy, the radiant gem of their group, shine within the secure confines of Boston University.

Putting Ely’s camera away, so she could indulge in the moment of the entire poly being together in the same space, Devi began to speak. “Soooo I was thinking, how about we do a group photoshoot in Ely's new studio? We could celebrate Ely’s new space AND all get to hang out, so like a double bonus. What do you guys think?” She beamed eagerly at the suggestion, already envisioning the laughter and silliness that would ensue.

“I mean if that’s not an invitation for an orgy, then I don’t know what is.” Addie giggled as she hung off of Emerald like a koala latched onto the tree it called home. “I’m fucking in.” Her smile had recovered after Ely had grabbed her behind. She always knew just how to make the tiny botanist happy, “Though I say, we definitely need some practice before we go all Zoolander. So let’s all go inside, take our clothes off, stare at each other and then eat whatever amazing meal Mama Vez cooks off of each other's butts and boobs.” Adelaide was never one to wait for an invitation as she knew the world was meaningless unless she had her family with her. “Ooh and after that, Addie needs to tell you about this guy that has been checking King out at the art studio. I seen it with my own big blue eyes. He’s cute. King could get himself some dick. But first, we must eat.”

Theirs was not one would call a conventional family yet it was the best that any one of them could have ever asked for. Each member of their little unit has a distinct and completely different relation to another, some romantic, some platonic, some familial but all meant something, all of them were special. Yet it was always changing, always shifting. They had said from the start that they were open to more people entering their lives and becoming part of their bonded lives. That was the beauty in it. Despite what was going on in their own personal situations, the good, the bad and the ugly, they would always have each other, they would always have that support. It was love, just pure unselfish love.

The pixie raised one arm triumphant in the air before dropping it down to point towards their Castle. Her wild blonde bangs hung over her expressive eyes and her painted lips were pursed, ready to take on the small army that she had amassed in her cult of Adelaide, “Let’s go fucking eat. ADDIE HAS SPOKEN.”

Owen Quinn stared at his own reflection deep in the mirror, his ocean vast blue eyes examining every flaw in his face with a fogged precision. He was doing what he could to shake off the cobwebs and fight the heaviness of his eyelids whilst the concussion blanketed his brain. There were always moments like this, moments where he had to push through the pain and crippling burden of a mind out of sync. It was hard to keep a train of thought when your brain was trying to repair itself after a beating.

Looking at his wounds of war, Owen raised his hand to his face, his fingertips touching the scarring gash beneath his left eye. It was bumpy and a little crispy as the scar tissue had begun to slowly form over the cut. Unfortunately the drive to the Edge and a sharp gust of wind had opened up the lacerations a touch, hence his trip to the bathroom to clean it up. In his last fight, Owen had won by a knockout in the fifth round but for his troubles he had obtained a broken nose and a bruised jaw, along with a handful of cuts and the concussion. He had suffered through worse but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurting like hell. Lucky for Owen, he had the best nurse on the planet, his princess, his wife, Indira.

The way he had longed for Indie since childhood was like something out of one of the Bollywood movies she loved so much. Yet Owen had always struggled to find his confidence when it came to her. Despite the likes of Maxine and Elysia pushing him and trying to build him up, it almost seemed like it was just never going to happen. It was a friendship with the golden child of Edenridge, Allison Davies that changed everything. Ally just had this energy about her, just something in her veins that allowed her to make anyone feel like they could literally do anything and after months of trying, she finally convinced Owen to take the plunge and ask Indie out. When he did and to his surprise she said yes, the Quinn boy didn’t really know what to think, say or do. He was completely ripped from normality and entered a fantasy world where a princess was going to run off with the lowly stable boy. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Fast forward to the present day and Owen and Indie were married, living a good life together with their friends; a vision in gold. After finally dreading his breathing and starving off the arthritic shakes, he left the bathroom and made his way to a small table in the near empty bar, where his wife and Ely were sitting. Owen rested one of his bruised hands on the side of Indie’s neck whilst the other drew circles on her back. He leaned and kissed the top of her head before looking towards the office door. “Are they still going? We have too much to do today.”

As Indie felt the gentle touch on her neck, a warmth spread through her. It was familiar, comforting and despite Owen's bruised hand, full of love. She tilted her head up to catch his gaze. His ocean-blue eyes, a little glassy but fierce nonetheless, met her own and a small smile danced on her lips. Owen's strength and resilience always amazed her. In her heart, she knew there was no one quite like him.

His kiss sent a tingling sensation down her spine, heat erupting from her caramel skin from his touch. Her eyes, reflecting her Indian heritage, took in Owen's battered face, the recent fight having left him with more than a few souvenirs. She reached out, her fingers brushing gently against the bruised skin beneath his eye, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she inspected the healing laceration. It was a familiar sight, his battle wounds, but it never got any easier. Each time Owen came back from a fight, her heart would clench, worry knotting in her stomach. She wished she could take his pain away. But for now, she would do what she did best: provide him with unwavering love and support.

Owen’s inquiry about Maxine and R2 snapped Indie back to the present. She glanced towards the office door before her lips, that were pulled into a frown, morphed into an unrepressed grin. “Yep,” She said, popping the p loudly as though the sound would carry into the office. “I swear, they're worse than rabbits.”

The bubble of laughter that escaped her lips was rich and honey-sweet, offering Owen a moment's respite from the pain he was working so hard to hide. She reached up, her fingers lightly brushing against his rough stubble, a reassurance as much as a silent request for him to sit, to rest.

“Hey,” she said, her voice soft, tender as she looked into Owen's oceanic gaze, “You should be resting. Do you need a massage? I can try to keep it PG for Ely, but no promises.” Her light-hearted jest was meant to offer him some comfort, to draw him out of his cloud of pain and back into the world where he was not just a boxer nursing his wounds, but a part of a lively, loving circle of friends. And Indie, his rock, his cheerleader, would stand by him through it all.

“We both know Ely likes to watch.” Owen joked as he accepted his wife’s invitation and took a seat next to her. It was a slow seating process. He took a handful of shots to the kidney which had really caused his back some issues but he knew they would heal over time. He had no planned fights for a little while as he planned on whisking his beloved away on a sun drenched holiday to the wilderness of Canada. Owen loved hiking and Indira, God bless her, had agreed to humour him on his endeavour. After all, their last few vacations had all been sun drenched bikini weekends where Indie could post hot content for her followers. Of course the boxer didn’t mind seeing his stunning wife with next to no clothes on but he had always been a quiet soul and constantly being surrounded by gawking onlookers wasn’t his idea of a great time.

He turned his back slightly and immediately felt the warm fingers of his soulmate begin to dance across his shoulders in a loving massage. “Just a small one though, I don’t want to get too comfy, we’ve got too much Beau prep…” Owen’s whole body began to vibrate when Indie found her way to a specifically painful area. “…to do.” He groaned a little as his hand gripped her knee behind him with a tremble. “Someone remind me again what’s first on the agenda?”

This was her life.

Surrounded by lovers but not one to be in love.

Elysia watched the cheese pull from her loaded nacho cheese as she listened to her two friends openly flirt with one another and tease her: the single one. She didn’t respond to them immediately. Instead she shovelled the chip in her mouth with one hand and went through pictures on her camera with her other hand. She should be on her laptop finalising her slideshow of Beau throughout the years, with all the people he impacted, having collected pictures for the past month, from parents to the students, from cops to serpents, but rather than do that, she was distracted. While she was doing a bridal photoshoot on the Milligan bridge, she caught sight of someone so… ethereal, she forgot she was on a job.

This girl had platinum blonde hair, wore a bomber jacket and carried herself with so much energy, so much hunger and so much curiosity. She looked like a girl full of experiences waiting to happen. A fantastical adventure that she pursues with eyes wide open. Whimsical and almost surreal. A breathtaking masterpiece. This girl, a stranger. A beautiful stranger. They met each other’s gaze briefly as she ran across the bridge to who knows where and Ely saw in that moment her muse. She only saw her for a second, maybe a minute, but she knew that sparkle in the stranger’s eyes and her light and feathery laughter would be what made her come undone. She needed to know who this girl was and she needed to ask her out. Come rain or shine, come hell or high water, Ely needed to speak to her.

“What?” Ely asked, not processing what Owen had said and bringing the conversation back to Max. “Oh yeah, R2 is totally railing Cherry on his desk.” Cherry Bomb was Ely’s nickname for Max, since her friend was a total firecracker of a person, with explosive power. And let's be real, the moment R2 popped Max’s cherry, she blossomed rather rapidly into confidence, into ambition and into total badassery. “They fuck like rabbits. Nothing new. And I’m sure you two get it. You’d fuck right now if it weren’t for all the people.”

“Well.” Owen felt the flush of heat and embarrassment in his skin. Ely wasn’t lying but that didn’t mean that he didn’t need to hear it said out loud. Beneath the scars and bruises, the young Quinn was still a quiet and unmoving soul. Maybe that was why he always surrounded himself with wilder personalities like Elysia or his wife, Indie, to compensate for the silence of his own self. “Anyway.” Owen looked at his friend and could see her mind was completely elsewhere. Usually the blonde was like this when she had seen some sort of amazing vision that she needed to capture in her lenses. Yet he couldn’t see anything in the Edge that it could possibly be which meant that the photographer had possibly had an encounter somewhere else which was still playing in her mind. “I mean should we just go? I don’t really want to sit here for much longer…”

As three members of Edenridge’s Fantastic Four waited, the Queensnake was lost in passion, a constant, feverish dream in the back of Sin. Fantastic Four was a nickname bestowed on the friend group by local comic artist, Nolan MacCullum, Max’s childhood crush, rumoured to be the next Spike Langley, after a much needed heart to heart at Allison’s big party in 2016. When the party didn’t go as Max planned, she almost left defeated, believing her worth would never be good enough for another man. Her standards at the time were not high since she didn’t even know where to begin in the realm of romance. Her mother never treated either of her fathers well so what made her think she would be capable of not becoming exactly like the woman she despised only pushing those she loved away. Her mother liked to use the excuse she was fixing them when really, she was the one that needed fixing. Max hated her mother.

Thankfully, instead of shattering her heart, saying spiteful things just to get her to hate him, Nolan gained the courage to stop her from leaving the party and told her why she deserved better and that dating him would only bring her down when she was meant for so much more. He didn’t want her to fix him; no man should expect that of her. More importantly, what she had achieved at such a young age, wasn’t something to take for granted. She was beyond gifted and he knew that if she dated him, she would never become the queen she was always meant to be. She needed someone that matched her energy, perfectly, and Nolan wasn’t the one. And it was at that moment Max realised how admired she was and how much power her words had over those in Edenridge because she cared so deeply for everyone, no matter what side of the tracks they were raised on. The rose coloured glasses were off and as much as the truth shocked her to hear, Nolan was right. She was out of his league. It wasn’t meant to be egotistical either but she realised her crush on him was more out of feeling needed rather than her being physically attracted to him. It wasn’t until the Boy auction, during Valentine’s week, where she and Indie hosted the Carnival of Love and Mayor Story continued the tradition of the annual Endless Love Charity Gala, that she truly understood what love felt like.

Cliché as ever to be something she discovered during the month where love was advertised to be in the air and on top of that, her birthday was just around the corner. It was the perfect birthday present to spontaneously bid money on her friend’s brother. Not her money. Honestly, she wasn’t the one who bid. Indie made the bid for her. But that’s beside the point. That night was… surreal… and she got to see a side of ReyRey Gonzalez that she hadn’t before, seeing how she spent more time with his sister, Ley, than him. They had an age gap so neither really looked at each other until that night. To her surprise, the man that was becoming more and more part of her daily routine, and who found a home in her heart and dreams, was willing to wait for her. There was a spark between them and as much as the temptation to give in was strong, he waited and she kept her ground. Unwavering and firm with how she wanted to be treated yet gentle and kind when it came to affairs of his heart. Max didn’t want to be like all of ReyRey’s other lovers and so to be certain he was serious about her, she teased and flirted, she encouraged and consoled, but she was never intimate. She withheld her own craving until without a shadow of doubt he was her’s and he was going to commit to her, with all his heart. Max wouldn’t settle for less.

Presently, they were married and things were fiery, heated and extremely passionate. Everyday was like the first time they gave into their desires. They couldn’t get enough of each other, being absolutely addicted and madly, deeply in love. Turns out, Maxine is a sexual deviant who doesn’t mind exploring a vast amount of kinks, so long as those experiences are shared with her husband. Sex aside, they also complimented each other in brilliance, in interest and in anger. ReyRey and Maxine cared deeply about Edenridge, especially their snakes. Beside every successful man, stands a woman, with him, and for the Kingsnake, that was Maxine, holding his hand as she guides him toward greatness while they build upon his father’s empire and continue to grow the SSS legacy.

This was their happily ever after.

With her forehead pressed against her husband’s, Maxine held onto him for stability as she sat on his desk. After a few breathy kisses, her deep, sea green eyes staring deeply into his soft, earthy brown gaze, the two lovers released one another. As ReyRey backed away to adjust his pants, Maxine stood up, leaving his desk and straightening her white dress. Her lips went into a playful smirk as she walked to his closet where there was a mirror, brought into this room for this purpose and this purpose only. On a nearby side table, she grabbed her lipstick and reapplied, grabbing a wipe to clean the smudges that were made from their needed make out session. As she fixed herself up, which included her unruly hair, she chuckled, “My friends are going to kill me one day. I’m always making them wait.”

ReyRey gazed upon his wife silently for a moment as he blindly tightened the leather belt of his jet black jeans. She really had come out of nowhere. He had always known Max as a friend of Aleyda’s, nothing more, nothing less. Sure, he could see that she was pretty but as bad as the Kingsnake was, the vibe wasn’t there. At least not until the Boytoy auction, which he had never even planned on being in but his father insisted that Rey being part of a charitable function could only do wonders for the Serpents reputation. Earning goodwill with the residents of Edenridge would soon become a preferred tactic of the snakes once Maxine got her feet under the table. That first night with the daughter of the legendary Serpent Rocky James opened R2’s eyes to a world he never thought existed for a man like him, a world of happiness.

It took a while but Maxine was worth the wait. Once she had graduated high school, Reynaldo immediately confessed to her his true feelings and their love affair began. Their elopement in Paris was very much a spur of the moment decision but it was also the best choice he had ever made. Some would argue that his marriage to Max softened him. The Kingsnake would counter that it made him stronger, smarter. She saw things in ways he could not even fathom. Her presence as a regal entity all dressed in white added an aura of uncertainty as on any given day, the serpents didn’t know who they would be dealing with that day, the King or the Queen, which made it even more difficult for their enemies to prepare as well.

Maxine James was the best thing to ever happen to him.

“Well they don’t always have to wait do they? That’s their choice, Mami.” Rey couldn’t deny that there was an excitement to sending Max off to be with her friends after they had made love. It catered to his desire of possession, she was elsewhere but she would always have it in the back of her mind that she was his. “Besides.” R2 walked up behind Max as she applied her make up and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other cupped her throat. “You know you love it. The power it gives you over them. You’re a bad girl.” He kissed the base of her neck and met her gaze in the mirror. “What time am I meeting you tonight?”

As he caressed her, naturally she yearned for him and could feel the heat rebuilding inside her. There was something about him that sent wild tremors along her nerves, constantly. From his earthy aroma to the burning inferno in his inviting brown eyes, Maxine James was addicted. Rarely were there times her mind withdrew to far away places, seeing how all she could think about was him and their future together. He made sure she would never forget he loved her, that she was his, and she didn’t want him to. For a good portion of her childhood, she lacked a sense of belonging. The father that raised her was a serpent legend, but he was still a cop. The father that was her blood she didn’t discover until a little after she graduated, when her aunt was back in the picture. Together they unravelled Victoria Mooney’s crimes, like the murder of Melody Robinson, Theodore Grimm’s highschool sweetheart and mother to all the Grimm children. She thought it made sense to assimilate and blend with the northside because that was what was expected of a southie with potential. She was meant to get out. She searched for this feeling until she realised, why change who she was to fit this image that society painted as success? Why leave her environment when she could improve it, make it better? Without Reynaldo Jr, she wouldn’t have been able to hear that voice inside of her. That night that changed everything, he saw her and she saw him and she just knew she would marry him one day. That this man was her future.

“I can’t possibly go to Beau’s party alone, Mi corazón,” Max playfully pouted, pressing her backside against him. “What am I without my Rey?” She puckered her lips and made a little kiss noise as she checked to make sure her lips were perfect. The silence lingered between the two sensual lovers before she decided to answer his question. “Pick me up at our place a quarter to six. Unless…” her mellow toned voice trailed off. “…you want to take a nice, long bath with me.” Closing her lipstick case, her hypnotising, green eyes deeply stared at her husband through the mirror, into the depths of his hungry eyes. “Then I’d suggest earlier.”

“Four thirty it is..” Maxine brought out a hunger and a desire in Reynaldo like nothing else possibly could. He knew now with her in his life and in his arms, what the dope fiends that he kept under the thrall of drugs felt when they got that high, what they got when they differed through the pain and anguish before finally catching the dragon they had been chasing. Rey was an addict for Maxine James and he hoped to die of an overdose.

As she pressed herself against him, his large hands drifted down her toned body to the hem of the dress that she had only recently straightened. He growled into her shoulder as he fought back the yearning to take her as his once again. As his fingers began to slide under his wife’s white skirt, the phone in his jeans pocket began to vibrate loudly. Saved or damned by the bell, he wasn’t really sure. ReyRey took a step back, finally allowing Maxine some freedom from his grasp as he pulled out his cell to check the caller ID. “No rest for the wicked. I have to take this, I’ll see you tonight?”

“Of course, and if you don’t, I might be dead,” Max said rather bluntly, humouring herself but also knowing her lover hated when she said shit like that. She only teased. No one would dare and for whoever that would, well, they’d be making an enemy out of this whole town. Max knew with ReyRey, she was safe. “I’m kidding,” she corrected herself, putting her lipstick back on the table. Even with her backtracking, R2 knew better. She was in a playful mood. Turning to face her man, she pressed her lips against his amorously. Jokingly, the Queensnake giggled, “If I die, it’s because you take my breath away.” She squeezed his butt before releasing him from her embrace, sauntering off to the door. “I’ll see you later, baby.”

As Indira's nimble fingers danced over Owen's sore muscles, kneading away the knots of tension, her thoughts meandered through the labyrinth of her relationships. Each connection with her loved ones was like a vibrant thread in the tapestry of her life. With Owen, it was a love as deep and vast as the ocean, cradling their shared past, present, and the dreams of their future. She could lose herself in those cerulean eyes of his, their depths mirroring his resolve, his strength, and above all, his quiet love for her.

Her thoughts then swirled to Maxine, her best friend and confidant. Their bond was akin to the rush of a rapid river, forceful and unstoppable, with undercurrents of secrets shared, challenges faced, and victories celebrated. The beautiful James was the lightning storm to Indie's thunder, each complementing the other's energy. Now, as Max disappeared into her husband's office, the sounds of R2's furniture echoing through the Edge, Indie couldn't help the amused smile that played on her lips. Her sister had found her match.

And then there was Ely, the contemplative artist of their group. Their friendship was like a placid lake, a mirror reflecting back their deepest thoughts and desires. She was the reality check in Indie’s whirl of chaos, her sounding board when things got too loud. Indie admired Ely for her ability to find beauty in the mundane, her artistic vision transforming the ordinary into extraordinary. Indie followed Ely's distant gaze, her own eyes lighting up with amusement when she noticed the camera in her friend's hands.

"Uh-huh," she drawled out playfully, her arms curled around her husband's broad shoulders and pushing her chest against his back in a tender moment contradicting Indira's playful teasing. "Someone looks distracted," she teased, a glint of mischief dancing in her eyes. She took a casual sip of her drink, the rim of the glass concealing her knowing smile. "Found a new muse, Ely?" Indie let her words hang in the air, the teasing challenge evident in her gaze as she studied her friend. She knew how Ely could lose herself in her photography, utterly consumed by a captivating subject. And the way her friend was lost in her thoughts right now... Indie would bet her next selfie that Ely had found a new inspiration.

As the office door finally creaked open, Indie’s smile broadened, a mischievous glint sparkling in her eyes. There, slightly dishevelled and flushed was Maxine, radiating an aura of satiation. "Finally had your fill of your hunny?" Indie asked, her voice rich with playful amusement. "Join us in teasing our dreamy-eyed Ely here." She gestured towards Elysia, her grin widening in anticipation of the inevitable banter and laughter. This was their dance, their rhythm, the symphony of friendship that held them together, and Indie wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Never enough, girl. You know me,” Max grinned as she sauntered to her group, her sharp gaze immediately catching sight of the subject on her friend’s camera. “I was wondering when you’d finally meet Adelaide. She’s definitely your type.”

“Adelaide?” The once distracted Elysia shot her head up to look at Max, the woman who knew more than anyone their age probably should. “And you weren’t going to say something until now?”

Rolling her eyes, Maxine crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. “What fun would that be?” She asked, not expecting an answer in return. The question was rhetorical after all. “She prefers Addie, by the way, and Ely. I know you and you like to find your own muses. Now you have a name and a face. I think it’s time for you to go find her.”

“Right now?” The blonde woman looked around at their friend group, as if this was a trick question. Was Max freeing her of her duties or was there a catch? Maxine was always in a good mood after getting railed by ReyRey. He really did know how to make his woman happy but still, Ely could’ve sworn they had a shit ton to do or did Max already delegate everything to make their lives easier?

“As long as you have Beau’s montage done by tonight, that’s all I need from you. So yes, right now. I’m sure I made you wait long enough.” Maxine smiled, her demeanour was cool and collected. She was relaxed. Watching Ely swiftly gather her things, she gently commanded, “Before you go…” she stopped her friend in her tracks, as she took a cigarette out of her bralette and placed it in between her luscious, red-painted lips.

There was no need for Max to say more. Ely understood many cues without most people talking, when she wasn’t distracted by a manic pixie dream girl. This was an obvious one. Taking out her lighter, Ely lit the smoke before dipping, giving a peace sign as she dashed away from the table. Now the Queensnake was with her best friend and best friend’s husband. She inhaled the smoke into her lungs, taking a deep breath, before blowing it out to her side, away from the lovers. She surveyed the Edge of Sin, basking in the calm and peace of her home. Then and only then she was ready to talk.

“I promised my dad, Craig, I’d grab a bite with him. So I won’t take anymore of your time.” She took another drag, relaxing her shoulders, her mind thinking of many things at once, and nothing at all. A gift she had. Times like these, she appeared calm but the reality was her mind was going a million miles per hour. She couldn’t stop thinking, which is part of why she leaned into her addiction with her husband. He was good at keeping her restless thoughts at bay, her focus on him and only him. He was good at making her want him. Even now, after she already got plenty of time with him moments ago. She still wanted him and she would never stop wanting him. This was how their love story was written and she was happy to call it her own.

Their time was over and she had to get back to work. Her thoughts came rushing in and she was met with her to-do list, schedule and appointments. What she needed to do, what she wanted to do and what she could push onto the back burner, for her to address on a later date. Today’s priority was Beau’s retirement party and it was her job to make sure it goes perfectly. Without a hitch. “Aside from checking up on all those we hired, making sure they get their part done, I’ll need you two to head to Blue Heaven early. Make it look nice. Classy but fun. Beau it up. Pres has staff there and they’re already expecting you. The place is charming as is, it just needs a little pizzazz. Can you both handle it or do I need to recruit more hands?”

“Nah we got this, right babe?” Owen looked up to the blessed woman he called his bride and met her chocolate eyes with a smile. She was perfect from any angle and no matter what she posted on her busy social feed, he knew that her subscribers and fans would always be jealous of the silent boxer taking the photographs. Indie looked back at him with acknowledgment and love which only added to the warmth that already filled the quiet man’s heart, He raised his bruised hands to lace his fingers with his lovers where he kissed her wedding band. “Is there any….”

Before Owen could finish his thought, the door of the office from which Maxine had just left, reopened and out stepped the Kingsnake himself. Max’s love had done wonders for Reynaldo’s personal habits and outlook on life but he still carried the aura of malice and fear that someone in his position needed to have. The few underling Serpents that were in the tool either froze up or hurryingly pretended to work at their respective stations to prepare the Edge to open its doors.

“Seriously?!” ReyRey looked towards his wife’s inner circle of freaks and geeks. He didn’t really have much of an opinion on Maxine’s crew of weirdos beyond the pleasantries. One of the many lessons that Rey had learned from his father was damage control and protecting those you cared about in their chosen profession. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have things to do?” R2 was unable to prevent Maxine from entering his business but he sure as shit would do his utmost to prevent the people she loved, like her little sister and those friends of hers from getting hurt and getting sucked into the hellmouth that was this town. “Get the fuck out!” Reynaldo would do anything for Max. He shot a look towards his wife and called out just before slamming the door behind him when he re-entered the office. “Love you mami!”

In the control room of Absolute Sounds music studio, Jericho Phillips watched the promising band, Phantom Menace, do a warm up song. A cover of Awake and Alive by Skillet. He was incredibly engrossed in the music as he made sure the signals of each channel were sound and good for recording, adjusting as needed. In the room over, a small kitchenette, Preston Jenning was bobbing his head to the music as he fixed the herd of people sandwiches, while waiting for the milk to steam for JP’s espresso shot.

He had already given Gavriel, who was standing beside JP, his caramel mocha, with almond milk and six shots of espresso. He also prepared and gave a dirty chai latte to his lover, Ramón Herrera. Well, all three of these boys were his lovers, which was weird to process at times because he did worry that he and Rye would clash. They didn’t, thankfully and actually could relate on a variety of things like anxiety and fear of missing out.

Ramón was pouting on the sofa, like he does, having offered to help Pres make food for their little family and the band, but Pres being Pres, a.k.a. stubborn as fuck, told him no. Their job was to make sure music and entertainment went without a hitch or the Queensnake would come for them. So, Pres tasked Ramón with reaching out to other local talents, compiling a list of those who would perform at his jazz club, Blue Heaven, for Beau’s retirement party. He also tasked his lovers with getting in contact with Beau’s children, especially the broadway star and the singer-songwriter, to see if they’d be willing to do a surprise performance for their father at the end, singing his favorite song. There was no doubt in Preston’s mind that Genevieve and Evangeline had the range for it and could make their father cry tears of joy.

After preparing JP’s drink, Preston came out of the kitchen and offered it to Rye to hold, seeing how breaking JP out of this zone was more work than not. JP watched carefully as Conan Dawson and Lorelei Mercer did a duet together, moving around each other as if this was what they were born to do. As if they were angels of music personified, in transcendental harmony and melody. Conan, the lead guitar, Lala the keyboardist. Around them? Hennessy James, on her white violin, gifted to her by her cousin, Maxine. On the right side of her was Asher Mitchell, best friend to Mirabella Belmonte, playing his carbon fiber black cello. He obviously had the dual purpose of being the bassist, but this song sounded better with the cello. Behind them all, on drums, was Carter Jenkins, a mutual friend of Mira and Ash, channeling energy into power.

This group of young, starving and hungry musicians, almost famous, held the ambition of immortality just like their predecessor band, The Gallows. A group of likeminded people who use their music as a weapon, in a war against unhappiness. They are spirits, admitting themselves in other’s souls, where they can never die. Rather than explain how they felt, they showed it and got lost in the music. The only medicine they knew to heal the heart and soul was music. Preston smiled at JP before giving Rye a quick kiss on the cheek. When he saw Ramón staring at him like a hawk, he sighed, “Fine, come help me,” before disappearing into the other room once more.

Ramón finally smiled and got up to prance after Pres, bopping Rye playfully on the nose and getting a tongue stuck out at him in return as he passed, his phone with the very list he’d been tasked to compile held tightly in his hand. Ramón had always done better when he was multitasking, and helping Pres play host was the perfect little bit of stimulation on the side to keep him focused on the task of rounding up the Beauregards and the rest of the willing Edenridge talent. Plus he always found it to be a little personal victory when Preston gave in on being stubborn for no reason, there weren’t many people that could glare him into submission and Ramón was of the proud few. Now in the kitchenette, he sidled up to Preston’s back and wrapped his arms around him, kissing between his lover’s shoulder blades before asking, “What can I help with?”

He was happy to help in any way. It was a little too late for any sewing aside from last minute fixes, and the party didn’t exactly have a costume theme for him to work his magic with, so he was picking up any little last minute thing that had been missed or forgotten until now, hoping to disperse some of the stress from his lovers’ shoulders. The last thing he wanted to do was end up getting in the way of Pres, and even when Ramón was being demanding or being a bit clingy, he knew when to step back and just follow suit so things went as smoothly as possible.

He was more than in the way. He was a distraction. Detaching from being the parent of their quartet, Pres unlatched Ramón’s hold on him and gently switched positions where his lover was against the counter and his tall form was pressed against him. Taking all distance away, he firmly grabbed his boyfriend’s chin and whispered, “Mm… I think I need something relaxing.” Drawing Ramón in with his heated gaze, he inclined his face towards his and let their lips join. He was tender and loving, even if there was so much passion being restrained so he didn’t misbehave. Pulling away, he leaned his forehead against his soulmate and softly asked, “What do you have in mind?”

Ramón’s sharp grin was answer enough.

“That was great,” JP’s voice resounded in the sound room from the booth when the song came to a close before suggesting their next song to play, “Okay, let’s do another warm up for Lala’s voice. Wasted On You, by Evanescence.”

The band listened to JP’s commanding presence, seeing how he was their direction and the one that knew how to push them in ways that none of them understood. They were all gifted in their own way but he knew where all of them needed to improve. Conan had more talent than he realized and he had the drive, he had the whole package, but he still was fighting a beast that JP didn’t know how to save him from. A southie syndrome where you didn’t think you deserved any good that happens to you.

Lorelei was so incredibly gifted, her voice could be the next Evanescence if she saw beyond this little town they called home. Unfortunately, the ghosts of her parents lurked over her and she was still struggling with following her voice. She was good at listening to her brother and her best friends, but never herself. Henny struggled with confidence and preferred to fade in the background. Asher wasn’t as committed to the band because he was raised in a northie household where music was damned as a successful career. Carter had a vibe but it seemed he was just here for the moment and not thinking about the long term. He would make it to practice but if they got a record label, JP was unsure he’d follow the band into the future.

The one who dreamed though? The one who wanted them to be more than just a small town band. Conan. That boy lived and breathed music and if JP had anything to say about this, he would make sure he could help make that boy’s dreams come true. He just had to help him believe that he deserved all the good coming to him. That it wasn’t just Chase meant to escape their unfortunate circumstance. No. Conan. You will live and you will live well.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Jericho broke the silence of the sound booth, turning from the band to look at his best friend, and lover, Rye. “What this town can do to people, especially to Southies, it’s such a hard thing to break. I am fortunate my mom carried all that pain and protected me from it, but seeing people like them,” he gestured to Phantom Menace who started singing a song from The Bitter Truth album and leaned back in his seat, nursing his espresso shot in his hand. “I just…” he paused and took a moment to down his shot, going from one train of thought to the next.

“You know to this day, all I can really do is talk music with the Boaz boys. There’s a fine line of how much I really can understand. Yeah, my dad was a dick. I got abused, but I still don’t think I have the right to connect with such… dynamic people. My mom shut that down a long time ago and you helped me get over that trauma. He gave up on my family but that just made me want to be better than the man he could ever be. Even with that being said, that’s nothing in comparison to what this town has done to some of these kids. Like Lala’s rapist step dad? Conan’s serial killer parents? Even right now, I look at them and just see the colors surrounding them, their potential. Their future. I can’t see their past and I can’t connect with it, even if I wanted to. I try, lord knows I do, but you Rye. You’ve always been so good at empathizing. Sure, at the detriment of your own health, but you get what I mean.”

“Jericho…” Rye started softly, his brown eyes locking onto JP’s own, his hands wrapped tightly around the warmth of his own mug as he untucked his feet from beneath himself and planted them on the floor as if to ground himself. His lover’s words struck a chord with him that he hadn’t been expecting, making him look out at the others as if he could see the colors that JP always described to him, before looking back to the talented man and seeing what Rye always saw; the duality in his eyes of Hurt and Healer. Hurt is everywhere, it didn’t hide behind property or poverty lines, it just shifted and morphed until it fit the mold that hid the best within whatever statistic it found. Healer’s eyes were far rarer, which is unfortunate given that those with them are drawn to help those who’ve been harmed. Unfortunate that there are never enough. Even more unfortunate is when they’re a swirling mix like JP’s, when they show that whatever pain they experienced before, that’s what turned them into healers. JP is drawn to people, but connecting outside of the music is different.

Sometimes, in times like these really, it makes Rye wonder if the trade off for being able to see the light people give off, their potential and future- or seeing their souls as Rye would put it- is that he’s blinded to anything else that may be there in the here and now. He loved Jericho, of course he did, and he knew that this disconnect bothered the other man. They talk about it every now and then, usually in the dark just before bed where they whisper all their worries, but Rye was hoping that that cloud wouldn’t roll across JP’s sky on this particular day. With this whole day focusing on the connections of the town to Beau, however, he could understand what got his boyfriend’s gears going.

“I grew up with them,” Rye finally admitted once he realized JP was patiently waiting for him to say more while he was zoned out, and he pointedly ignored the ending comment he’d made about Rye’s own issue of ignoring his health in favor of helping others. He was an EMT, it was practically part of the job description. He shook his head with a tight smile. “Not here, and not actually them, obviously, but when I lived in Cleveland it wasn’t much different. I was upper middle-class but my best friend Tayvon Marcus was a lot like Decky, to the point where I visited his grave to tell him about Decky and Danny’s life once we graduated, so he could know that some people do get out where he couldn’t. My buddy Tre was all bristle-y like Mika when I first met him, so I knew with him I’d either get my ass beat before getting a new friend or I’d get a surprising level of ‘let’s see how this shit goes’ before getting a new friend. The gang activity was less organized and there were a lot of kids claiming to be in gangs when they weren’t, and we didn’t have the rich kids and poor kids all tied up in the same schools, but it was like a dry run for what my life here would be, really,” He set down his coffee and tilted his head.

“You know I don’t…connect with people quite as well as you think I do, right? Unless I’m a better actor than I thought, because I was pretty sure that I was tolerable at best to a lot of people,” He laughed, realizing it sounded dumb as he said it. The amount of people he’d surrounded himself with since coming to Edenridge was vast, and he knew most of them didn’t have the disposition where they would just put up with him if they didn’t want him around. “Honestly JP I just insert myself against what my anxiety tells me. I literally faked it ‘til I made it. If this is really bothering you, come to more hang outs with me and the Southies, and when you’re listening to their stories, close your eyes and just listen. Don’t try and boost them to their potential, don’t look at them like they could be your next project. Step out of Healer mode and acknowledge that you know hurt, and that you can sympathize even where you can’t empathize. No one out there wants pity, and they don’t want people worrying about what to say around them. They want to talk about how shit things in their lives are and they want you to pat them on the back, tell them ‘that’s rough buddy’, and then roast them over something completely non related. You may not have a full conversation on your hands, but you’re still learning about them, still connecting, even if it doesn’t really feel like it. I don’t feel like I’m on the same wavelength as most people, I always feel like I missed conditioning for a sports season and everyone on the team already knows each other and the hand signs while I’m just rolling up before the first game,” He shrugged, rolling his mug between his hands and giving JP a crooked grin. “So I really don’t know if doing things the way I did will help, but there’s always trying.”

Preston had Ramón pushed up against the wall by the open archway, hearing the other two talk. Into his lover’s lips, he gave an exasperated sigh, no longer prioritizing their lunches and his current snack, a sexy, smol latino. Releasing the other boy, who groaned in frustration, he led the way back outside and crossed his arms, looking at the back of Rye and JP’s heads. “You both need to shut the fuck up.” At this point, Jericho had taken a moment to drink his espresso shot only for him to choke on it, cough and turn his attention to where Pres was standing tall. “Doesn’t matter how old we get, you two got more chaos in your minds than Charlie Decker sometimes that you can’t see the obvious. Come here. The both of you. Now. And yes, JP, just let the musicians be.”

Rye, after almost dropping his half full mug from surprise and somehow managing to save it, set the drink on the table and followed after his boyfriends, catching up with JP and wrapping his arms around the other man’s bicep nervously. Ramón rolled his eyes at the curly haired man, who once again stuck his tongue out at the sassy man only to recoil when the latino snapped his hand out and caught Rye’s tongue between his fingers. The indecipherable look in the similarly petite man’s eyes conflicted with the cocky smirk, and Rye was once again struck with the familiar feeling of being studied on the spot before Ramón dropped his hand, trailing it across JP’s shoulders before he returned to Pres’ side.

“Um, what’s up Pres?” Rye asked when they reached their destination, licking his lips anxiously.

“First off!” Preston tenderly grabbed both of their heads and pressed them against one another. “Fake it till you make it? You only talk about music?” Exasperated, he glared at both of them, letting his questions sink in, so that they could replay it in their minds and hear how dumb they sounded. “I’m the one with a psychologist for a mom that psychoanalyzes me everyday and talks about my most embarrassing shit on the web for EVERYONE to hear and here I am, listening to this, and suddenly you two got a degree in psych. Going down the rabbit hole like it’s nobody’s business. Doesn’t matter how old we are, you two do the same shit. Over and over again.”

Crossing his arms once more, like the parental figure of the group (which was an odd role for him seeing how both his parents were selfish pricks), Preston caught JP’s soft and deep gaze, those eyes full of depth that could draw any person in, enthralling them by the imagination that waits on the other side, “Jericho, your love language is music. What you can’t say in words, you express it with song, whether it’s giving someone a record that they can resonate with or playing a song that makes them cry and realize something they’ve buried deep inside. You ever thought that maybe, just maybe that’s enough for people like Decky and Danny? I doubt they want people to constantly undress them emotionally, they got lovers and best friends for that. Pops can call Decky out so quick and suddenly he got puppy dog eyes and he’s thinking of ways to make things right. Sonny and Maya? Don’t even get me started with them and what they do to him, and no I don’t mean sexually. We find people and they all do different things for us, that’s why we got this whole poly thing going on. You do more than enough and I’m pretty sure they appreciate you or they wouldn’t keep coming back and wanting to listen to whatever shit you got going on in your head. It doesn’t have to be deep, but believe it or not, JP, you don’t have to say shit for something to feel profound. You carry this spirit that just attracts people and makes them want to be near you. Where you think you lack, we, the ones that love you, can pick up. I know for a fact I can’t just pick the right song for someone, but I sure as hell can see patterns and find the root cause of your trauma, given time. You understand?”

JP kept quiet and nodded as Pres went full mama lecture mode on their asses. He knew he over-thought, just as much as Rye did, but it was nice to have someone like Preston and Ramón to bring them back, in their own ways. Speaking of Ramón, the latino boy found himself naturally near Pres, behind him, tracing his hands on his back and massaging his shoulders, seeing how Pres was more often than not extremely tensed. Even when near those he considered family, Pres carried plenty of tension and Ramón took it upon himself to be the one who relieves it, whenever he can. Silent but helpful, thinking he was in the way when he did more than enough by being there and doing plenty of small things that are never left unnoticed. At least not by his lovers.

“Now Gavriel,” Preston reached out and grabbed Rye’s hand, rubbing it with his thumb affectionately. He didn’t say anything until Rye looked him in the eyes. Only then he began to speak. “Since when did caring become an act to you? You might not understand the how or why you do the things you do, but does that matter when you worry and love deeply? You call it anxiety, I call it kindness and a pure heart. Understanding a person doesn’t need a logical explanation. And this is for you both,” Pres glanced back at JP, sighing once more. He returned his hazel eyes to Rye and interlocked his fingers with the other boy’s. “Empathy comes naturally to you. I know for a fact neither of you have walked the same paths most of these southies have. You, Rye, befriended them, but you do not know what it means to live in their shoes. That doesn’t mean you don’t know how to provide a safe place, which is something you effortlessly do, and that’s what Jericho sees. He sees you effortlessly go beyond the shallow understanding and put in the time, effort and hard work to understand. That means the world to people. When you don’t judge them and you try, and try, and try your damndest to get past the barriers, it does a number to you, where I’ve told you you need to learn this thing called boundaries, but it’s also just who you are and I’ve come to accept that. That doesn’t mean I won’t help you maneuver around those flooding emotions, to the best of my capabilities. That I won’t do my part to keep you together.”

With ease, Pres tugged Ramón to come beside him and brought his boyfriends in a giant hug, “But that’s beside the point. If there’s one thing you have in common, it’s the fact you don’t walk away from someone when you feel lost for words. You’re there for them, even in the silence. And that speaks volumes to someone like Decky. Who cares that you both go about the same thing differently? It’s not about who’s more right, who’s more wrong, or having all the answers. Pay attention and look outside yourselves for a moment, see what you actually do for people because you’re both so authentically yourselves. Stop explaining the why and the how, no one asked. You do enough. I’ll repeat myself: You. Do. Enough. And the Boaz boys, the Dawson boys, Ramón and myself, we all love you just the way you are. You are great where you are, and that should be enough.”

He understood the constant need to improve oneself and strive to be better, but it was also absolutely necessary to see your journey thus far and love the person you are today. Find comfort with yourself and the now. Something he learned a long time ago with Rye and JP was they both were restless, thinking about everything and nothing at all, focused on everyone else but in a rather self centered way. They were both healers, yes, but when they thought about the good they did, it was focused on their own metric system of self worth, rather than the difference they made in that other person’s life.

“Why can’t that be enough?”

Rye took the group hug as an excuse to keep his head tucked down between JP and Pres, Ramón meeting his forehead with his own from the other side of the two taller boys. The men all stayed like that in silence for a moment, breathing in sync as Rye and JP gathered their thoughts. Before either could say anything, however, Ramón’s shoulders began shaking as a few giggles escaped his lips. Rye looked up at him questioningly, and Ramón shook his head with a smile.

“Sorry,” He said shakily, like he was holding in more laughs. “But like, ’I always feel like I missed conditioning for a sports season,’-” He lost the battle and laughed again. “Sorry it was just so quiet and I started thinking of it and it’s just that…Gavriel you’ve never played a sport in your life. It was so weird to hear that and not say something right then and there, but we had to let you guys use your words first.”

“‘Món!” Rye squeaked out indignantly before clearing his throat as their circle broke. “Don’t dissect my rambles, they never make sense!” That just made Ramón laugh harder, the slight man falling against Pres for balance as he tried to breathe.

“You’re eighty percent rambles,” He shot back teasingly. He knew exactly how to press any of his boyfriends’ buttons just enough for it to stay lighthearted while also succeeding in pulling them the rest of the way out of their own heads. Or pulling their heads out of their asses, depending on the situation. “Are you saying you want me to ignore you eighty percent of the time? Did you switch up your kinks on us, cariño?”

“What, no!” Rye turned desperate puppy dog eyes towards JP. “JP I’m getting bullied,” the curly haired man whined, pointing childishly at Ramón. “This is unacceptable.”

JP didn’t respond with words. Not immediately. Rather he kissed Rye’s lips insistently and repeatedly, to take the breath right out of him. A passionate motion laced with adoration and worship. Freeing his lover, he gestured for the other two to do the same. To kiss him. With Preston, their shared souls intertwined sensually, while with Ramón, there was a feathery lightness to their loving embrace, extremely playful and spirited. While JP didn’t know how to respond to the conversation, he was still very much present and thankful for their company. He chose to show that with his honest smile and soulful lips.

The four lovers in their own world were pulled out from their seclusion when a familiar voice laughed out loud and humored, “Man! Someone tell Danny to give me some of this love. My boy is oblivious as fuck.”

“Conan,” Lorelei elbowed her friend in the stomach as two members of the band made their presence known. “Sorry for interrupting. Eh-hem, we were getting a little hungry…”

“Yeah, are those sandwiches ready?”

“Don’t be rude,” Lala snapped, only being rewarded by an eye roll from the Dawson boy.

“Oh most wondrous gay gods, can I has't the sandwiches thee did promise?”

“Shit,” Pres mumbled under his breath, having gotten distracted and forgetting the main task at hand. None of these kids ate before coming here due to how last minute practice was fit in. Everyone got stupid busy this past week and there was no way JP would’ve been okay with having the band perform tonight without having one more practice. Ramón sent JP a look that said ’Distract’.

“One more song, then yes. You blow my mind and I’ll see if you deserve some delicious sandwiches from the PresMón cafe,” Jericho slipped out of all his lovers’ grasps, back in business mode. “To add extra incentive, Rye was able to get some beignets from Beau earlier today. I know how much you love Beau’s beignets, Conan. Oh and just for you Lala, strawberry shortcake.”

“Really?” Lala looked at Rye for confirmation, as if she couldn’t believe someone would go out of their way for her.

“Oh yeah,” Rye said with a blush, having completely forgotten the treats he’d gathered when he got off shift that morning and had a text from Ramón letting him know about the impromptu session. By now he knows the favorite treat for pretty much everyone in the room, and it just seemed like a nice thing to do in his tired brain. His heart, as it always does, ached when Lala’s disbelieving eyes fell on him, but he simply grinned at her and headed to the couch to grab the bag of treats he’d left to the side of it. He waved the bag back and forth enticingly, though not strong enough to disturb the pastries within. “One rockin’ recording for a rather scrumptious dessert for breakfast. Sounds like a good deal to me!”

“And don’t think we didn’t hear that little comment, Conan Dawson,” Ramón cut in before the group could return to the booth, smirking with his hands on his hip.

“Oh yeah,” Rye said for a second time, a devious smile overtaking his face and attention turning to the younger man. “You know you’ll have to tell him directly to his face how you feel or what you want, right? Oblivious as fuck is practically generous, that kid’s intelligence is geared almost entirely towards logic and numbers.”

“You’re going to have to be honest with your emotions!” Ramón gushed, squishing himself up against Rye and holding his hand to his forehead as if he were swooning, making his curly haired lover laugh. “Something the Boaz and Dawson brothers are so well known for doing, right?”

“Listen, I've been watching this develop and then stagnate for years,” Rye added in agreement. He shrugged carelessly, Ramón’s head bobbing with the motion, and threw his arms over the latino’s shoulders to draw him in closer. Ramón smirked devilishly when Rye faux-whispered to him, “Some of us have bets going.”

“Oh, I need in on that.”

“Fuck off!” Conan cursed out loud and disappeared into the music room, along with Lala who had a wide smile on her face from the sight of cake.

Practice would resume and hopefully Mr. Beau would love their music just as much as he loved telling his students stories.

One could hope.

The house was relatively cheery looking from the outside, a bit surprising given its position on the Edenridge landscape. With the imposing Aviles mansion just down the road, the relatively modest split-level with the white siding and the red door looked more like it belonged in Hawkins, Indiana, than the Upside Down that the manor inhabited. However, the nefarious deeds that were done in that seemingly innocent house were on par with those in the more notorious place down the way.

One such spell was being concocted this very morning, a witch at work with deft hands easily manipulating the various ingredients necessary to make this particular effort a success. The molten sludge in the cauldron served as a welcoming base for the various powders that were being thrown into the mix, dissolving within the deep, dark muck. The levels had to be just right in order for it to work. Next, an offering of an unborn animal, binding the powders to the sludge, giving the spell cohesion. Sustenance for the child that would never be, curdled far beyond its time, the age giving it power. Then a black liquid, still piping hot, poured into the cauldron, melting the sludge, allowing it to accept the potion within the rest of the concoction.

“Soon…” the young witch gloated. “Soon, I will summon the demise of those who oppose me. Soon, they will know that they have been vanquished. Soon, they will taste death!” Evil laughter rang out in the witch’s domain, knowing that everything was coming according to plan. The kiln was ready, locking in the forbidden secrets that would bring everyone around her to their knees. The cauldron was emptied, the mold prepared, everything would be locked in place. There was nothing that could stop the witch…

“Mommmmmma!”

The witch turned, startled by the noise behind her.

“Mommma, is it time to go?”

The witch smiled. “Soon, Lilith. Soon. It’s only 9:30 after all.” With that, Sabrina Aviles slid the cake pan into the waiting oven, the batter now complete and set to bake for an hour.

It was strange at times, this feeling of contentment that washed over Sabrina with even the simplest tasks completed. In high school, she would have loathed this version of herself that stood in the kitchen, a white cotton t-shirt and a pair of black shorts completely given in to the domestic lifestyle. Sure she still had a job, but it was secondary to her tasks around the house, in the community, and most importantly, to the four-year-old that was standing in the kitchen, ready for another session of daycare.

Lily seemed to get the best of both her parents. She had her father’s looks, down to the immaculate Aviles jet-black hair that feathered as it went down from her head. She had her mother’s brains though, and everyone agreed that was probably for the good of the child. She was already reading above her daycare classmates, able to hold distinct conversations while showing off the latest drawings, she was going to be able to do whatever she wanted in the world and take it by storm. She had the power. It was willed to her. Every thunderstorm that rolled into Edenridge, Sabrina would take her husband to the designated room and do her best to make sure that everything was aligned. If she was going to have a child after all, it was going to have to be in line with the beliefs she never fully shook from high school. Hard as her husband tried, Sabrina still was an Aviles, and she still embraced the dark side. And he was usually willing to go along with things. It’s part of what made him fall in love with her after all. That and a late night car ride in senior year that seemed to confirm that maybe there was more than just an odd-pairing friendship there.

Sure, Sabrina got a lot of stick from her younger siblings. Samara never let her hear the end of how she got Stepfordized, the second Aviles after her aunt Marina to embrace the normie culture and move into the town, even if it wasn’t that far away. Lucien usually tried to say something, but was met with a punch or a threatened drowning. Her mother was very pleased though. She doted after young Lilith the way it would be expected for a grandmother to look after her first grandchild. The gifts weren’t the same, but the emotions held true. Plus, Sabrina had to admit, it was going to take someone of immense talents, a steel will and an ability to find light in the pitch black to get her to come willingly into motherhood.

If only he could get his ass ready to go on time.

“Clay?!?” she shouted down the hall, hoping that her husband would hear her. “You said you’d take Lilith to daycare today, right? I still have this cake in the oven, and if you want this chocolate to be deadly, I need to make sure it’s glazed at the right time!”

Yawning and stretching his arms out widely, Clay Costigan shuffled down the hall of his home towards the kitchen which smelled suspiciously and decadently of baked goods. “I got her, babe, I got her. Don’t you…” His words were interrupted by another yawn as he entered the kitchen. “Worry.” He said as his agape mouth finally began to close. “There’s my girl.” It took less than a second for Lilith to sprint across the kitchen and into her father’s arms. He picked her up and smiled as he booped her little nose.

Clay had never seen himself fully as a father type. He had always wanted kids but as his high school years wore on, he began to wonder if he was even built for it. He had searched for love in too many places and he had seen first hand that the world around him did not encourage people like him to become fathers. All he ever wanted was to find someone that he could share his soul with and start a future with. Very few people ever truly realized just how lonely Clay Costigan was. Even with his Elite and Foundling status, even with a bevy of beauties at his beck and call; the boy was scratching and clawing for something more. He was desperately searching for someone to fill a void, a hole in his life that he just couldn’t quite figure out.

Then he got a phone call.

It was supposed to be a great night. The Celtics had just won their state championships and Clay had a date with a hot-as-all-hell Pinehurst girl. Basically everyone was at a party on the Southside when Beau broke it up and helped prevent Allison from od’ing on some bad coke. Clay himself was elsewhere when he got a call to help out someone he knew only as a friend, Sabrina. He didn’t know what it was about that particular night but there was something in her usually monotonous if not disdain filled voice that was telling him that she needed him. Clay dropped his date and went to pick up Sabrina straight away. He didn’t take her home immediately, she said she didn’t want that. Instead, they just drove around town all night, talking. It was just little things at first but then it got deep and by the rise of the sun they found themselves sharing a kiss so electric that it likely would’ve raised Frankenstein's monster from its slumber…or knowing Sabrina, her grandfather Julio.

They had been together from then on, and despite the looks and the glares and the world around them’s misgivings, they found happiness in one another. They shared vows and eventually welcomed their daughter into their lives. Clay had finally found what he had been searching his whole life for and he’d be damned if he let it go. “It’s not a problem. I’ll drop her off on my way to do…whatever jobs I’m given. I don’t really know what I’m doing but it’s fine! It’s all gravy.”

Sabrina smiled as she heard Clay confirmed yet again that he was going to be up to the task. “I know it’ll be gravy. It’ll be freakin’ dijon mustard.” She walks over from the oven to where her immediate family stood. “But if you want gravy on this cake, you say the word, babe.” She kissed Clay quickly but sweetly on the lips.

It was a pale imitation of that first kiss in Clay’s car during that December night, but trying to recreate that moment would be like trying to repaint the Mona Lisa. Even Sabrina herself didn’t really know how to bring the separate facets together that led to that fateful liplock. Learning what had nearly happened to Allison, how she nearly met her end at that party on Carlisle, it affected her more than she actually cared to admit. Like it or not, Allison was the one who brought her onto the cheerleading squad in the first place and took her out of what she realized soon into the beginnings of her relationship with Clay was a rather unhealthy obsession with the despair and dark tendrils of the town that settled in after the death of her older sister Bianca. The head Clover saw something in the raven-haired girl that Sabrina herself couldn’t see through the haze and smoke. By the time that party rolled around, the macabre Aviles princess was a model member, taking Mei Ramsey under her raven wing and actually contributing to the senior squad.

In her own dark way, of course. She was still an Aviles after all.

But Sabrina couldn’t fathom what would have happened to her if Allison had actually died that fateful night. The emotions were overwhelming, forcing her to confront the buried trauma that she thought rested with her sister underneath that tiny tombstone in the backyard. It almost consumed her… until she reached out with her phone. With the rest of the squad at the party still reeling from Beau’s actions, there was one noticeable absence that she hoped would have been rectified. And it was. Clay was a doofus, but he was reliable. To this day, he was just that, but on Dec. 4, he was above and beyond. He was the pair of wings she needed.

She doesn’t fully remember the conversation in Clay’s car, but it was more emotional than she had been in years. No one in her family had been able to pull the thorns out of her soul like the Costigan boy with a cocksure glance and a friendly ear. Clay had been one of the athletes she had gotten along with, him not judging Sabrina for her stylistic choices, or Allison for having an “emo girl” on the sidelines. He just… was good. A beacon of light to counteract the darkness she used to put into the community. It made for an odd yin-yang friendship… that moved into a yin-yang relationship… and now a yin-yang family. With Lilith, who was only called that by her mother’s side of the family as her father and everyone else usually went with her nickname Lily, the perfect combination of both. Sabrina also moved to give her daughter a loving peck on the cheek.

“I just wanted to make sure you remembered,” Sabrina finally told Clay. “She doesn’t have to be there for another 45 minutes, but she can go whenever you’re ready.” She booped Lilith’s nose. “And don’t worry. If Daddy wants gravy on his slice of cake, he can have it, but I’ll make sure you have the full amount of chocolate required for death to take hold, my sweet.” Lily giggled at the consecutive boops.

As Clay gazed upon his wife and child, a feeling of love washed over him, a feeling of thankfulness. He had long and always considered himself a lucky man. It was never lost on him just how better he had it growing up in Edenridge, Massachusetts as a Foundling in comparison to many of his compatriots from elsewhere in the town. He was white, rich and athletic, a WASP dream child. There was an underlying guilt that he often could not shake, that he had no right to the troubles that weighed heavily on his heart because there were so many more people who had it far worse than he could even possibly imagine.

Sabrina was one of those people from the upside down of Clay’s white picket world. Laughed at, mocked, drowning in heartache from what he would come to learn was her older sister's passing. The Aviles family held strange beliefs and basically worshiped within their own private religion, facts which people would use to torture Sab. Still, for as long as he could remember, all Clay ever saw was the cute dark haired girl at the back of the class who just seemed sad and lonely so he would start every morning by offering her a smile. It took a while but eventually she would smile back and that smile of hers would change his life forever. Sabrina became yet another part of his being which he could thank his blessed stars for.

“You are as literal as a hammer sometimes, babe.” No luck but what we make. It was a common theme for a Celtic but Clay didn’t subscribe to that theory like the O’Hara clan did. Someone up there, or maybe down below considering who the woman that gave his life meaning was, was looking out for the idiot and had gifted him a raven-haired lady of the wood and a mischievous little sprite to be the family that he had sought for so long. “I love you.” Clay couldn’t help but lean and kiss his wife again, blessed or cursed he be.

With Lily still in his arms, he made his way over to the fridge to grab his daughter a juice box. “I just had a quick call with Laura, she said she and Prim are happy to take Lilith for the night whilst we’re at Beau’s thing. She’s got Jasmine too, so Lily will get to play with her. Would you like that baby?” As Clay handed his daughter her juice, he immediately saw the darks of the eyes light up just like her mothers often did when she perfected a spell or decided to torture her brother Lucien. Lily loved spending time with her aunt Lamb but she also loved causing mischief with Clay’s cousin JJ’s daughter Jasmine. He worried for the future of Edenridge when those two grew up, especially considering who Jaz’s father was. “Maybe do her a protection charm just in case.”

"To be fair, my white magic isn't nearly as good as my dark magic, so it's just as likely I protect Lilith from good things instead of what you want her protected from. But I trust Lamb can definitely make up the difference, especially if she has Prim as backup. And Lilith’s little coven with Jasmine will surely yield great results when they enter school. The jungle gym will be theirs!”

Sabrina smiles and laughs, punctuated with a happy sigh, so different from the huffed expressions of annoyance she was known for in the early part of her Clovers career. She swore she could already see shades of her older sister in what would have been Bianca’s first niece. The sparkle in her eyes, the curiosity in her surroundings, the penchant for sweets. A lot of things that she thought were lost given herself and her younger twin siblings. However, more and more of those things were starting to surface in her lately. It was… weird.

“I love you too, doofus. I’ll talk to Allison and see what she’s thinking. We can do a little coordinating. I’ll cut the cake up and have that ready to go whenever we head over.”

“There’s gonna be so much cake.” Clay proclaimed as he dusted a small bit of food from Lily’s charcoal hair. “I know David said CeCe was doing the majority of the main baking but you already know you and I aren’t the only ones bringing extra food to this thing.” His dark eyes glanced down at his daughter as he placed her on the floor to play with some of the million and one toys she had scattered around their suburban gothic homestead. “We’re gonna go from the most haunted town in America to the fattest town in America in the span of forty eight hours.”

Just as Clayton had finished speaking, the kitchen radio which had been playing adverts during the husband and wife’s conversation burst into life with the familiar sounds of Mei Ramsey, DJing on her morning show, the Dawn Patrol with Jade Taylor. Mei and Sabrina had a history which was even to this day steeped in mist for Clay. He knew that his wife and the radio host were very close, to the point where Sabby had insisted on making Mei Lilith’s Godmother but there was still much about their relationship he was not aware of and probably didn’t need to be aware of.

Like his fathers band, Gallows, used to say, that’s Witch Shit.

“I’ll give your girl her due babe.” Clayton made his way over to his wife as music began to pour out of the VAL speakers of their home stereo. “She’s got amazing taste in music.” He wrapped his arms around Sabrina and offered those big, expressive and mesmerizing eyes a stupid Clay-grin. “Even better taste in women.” He winked as he pressed his lips to Sabby’s. Blessed be he for another day in paradise with his girls. “Any other jobs before I head out with the demon spawn?”

“I’ll give you a better taste of a woman,” Sabrina whispered to her husband, making sure that her daughter was out of earshot for that one. Clay had mentioned Mei, and hearing Miss Midnight’s voice on the morning radio was certainly strange, but she had to admit that her and Jade had a lot of chemistry together. Maybe not as much as she did. A part of her thinks that maybe she could take a more public role in the community now that she was somewhat out of the shadows. At least she was offering to do things again. Childbirth had taken a lot of energy out of her, but it was worth it every time Lilith looked up with that devil-may-fear grin of hers. “And there won’t be that much cake. I told CeCe I would take some of the baking off her plate so she wasn’t being completely overloaded with cooking for the whole town. But, a few slices will be Aviles and Costigan property only, so don’t worry. At least one of those pounds gained will be solely yours.”

Talking about weight and caring about damaging children’s brains with sexy talk were just the latest signs that while the outward veneer of Sabrina Aviles remained somewhat dedicated to the images of high school, she just didn’t feel it fully in her soul anymore. It wasn’t black anymore, it was… almost an Oreo by this point. She remembered how much losing her sister hurt, how all she wanted was to contract the demons to bring her back, but as she enveloped herself more in the Clovers and in her relationship with Clay, it felt almost like Bianca’s spirit was soothed seeing her siblings in better places. Sure, she was probably the most well-adjusted of the three direct descendants, with Samara still committed to her dark witch act (although Amy Robinson had asked for help finding the right city to get Taylor Swift tickets in, and that girl didn’t have a boyfriend as far as Sabrina knew, so confirming that she had that ammo against her sister was a nice surprise), and Lucien was… still Lucien, but she felt so much more at peace with her position in Edenridge, and in life. Maybe it was time to crack the dark cookie a little more.

“I don’t think we need anything else for the party. I believe there are a couple bottles of wine in the fridge still, although we could probably use one more in case if you want to grab one…” Sabrina trailed off a little bit. The tiny thought in her head wanted out. “Clay… how do you think I would look as a blonde? I just… I thought I might try it. Sam has those silver streaks in her hair, but I can’t do that. But the blonde… I don’t know. It’s stupid. Never mind.”

“Oh shit.” Clay was somewhat taken aback by his lover's words. Sabrina going blonde, now there was a thought. “Lilith, daddy owes for the swear jar. Go get a dollar from my wallet.” The youngling didn’t have to be asked twice as she sprinted to the other side of the kitchen and began to rummage through the pockets of her fathers brown leather jacket that was hanging on the back of the door.

Sab had always had the strikingly dark obsidian mane for as long as he had known her (which was from diapers at their current point), which perfectly matched the tar pits of her eyes where he often found himself trapped, sinking and loving it. As Sab had suggested, only her younger sister Samara had ever ventured beyond the dark to add some color to their infamous locks. Sab, Sam and Luci all were pitch black, their still hot as hell mother Drusilla still had a full head of raven hair, their father Dorian was a silver fox but which had grown out from his jet black roots. Hell, even their stupid sexy uncle Felix possessed a mane that was as black as the ace in a deck of cards.

Blonde would be a change.

“Babe if it’s something you want to try, you know I’ll always support you.” Clay made sure that his grip around her waist was comforting and not too tight. “Personally, you know whether you have these lovely locks..” He pushed a strand of the topic of conversation behind her ear. “Or if you’re blonde, ginger, green, red, blue, candy floss or whatever the shit…” the sailor cupped his wife’s face in his hand and looked deep into her eyes. “That I will find you the most beautiful woman on the planet. Sexy as all fuck and I will love you anyway, eyeballs to entrails my sweet.”

It was a silly thought. Blonde was the color of light, of summer, of bleach that wasn’t being drank. It was seemingly everything Sabrina wasn’t for so many years. Would she actually go through with such a thing? Maybe. But not today. Not as much as one of the Lucastas would probably love seeing an Aviles turned towards the bright side. She wouldn’t go that far. Samara and Marina had the right idea, with the streaks in their hair proving as a nice contrast to the jet black they boasted. A colorful flash in the night.

But as Lilith dropped the dollar bill in the jar on the counter that was to be used for the child’s entertainment, Sabrina let that silly thought go. Why did she need to change so drastically if she didn’t want to? Clay loved her. LOVED. She’d never forget the day she heard that from him. Family love is one thing. Aviles stuck together, no matter if they had the name or not as her cousin Karina taught her. Not only was Clay stricken with her entirety, it was clear that he was already absorbed into the culture her clan fostered. She was certain that Clay Costigan, one of the princes of Edenridge High, would never have tried that line on anyone but her. Would never have dreamed uttering it. But it made her love him even more

She darted her head forward and pecked sweetly at her husband. “Mmmmm, maybe I just wanted to hear you say such perfectly suited words to me.” She smirks. “Or maybe I just wanted clearance in case I have to try and make a bet with Samara to get her to babysit one of these nights. I don’t think I can be ginger, CeCe would not stand for it. Or Jill if she ever came back. Hope that girl doesn’t get turned the wrong kind of evil at Harvard.” She shakes her head. “I mean, my evil is fine, but that?” She laughs. “Satan damn it, Clay, you got me giggling again.”

“It’s what I do, Sabby.” Clay savored the brief moment his wife’s lips were pressed to his. He also understood her trepidation of the young Jill and her potential evil. In a town such as Edenridge, to be branded a Foundling comes with the unbearable weight of expectation. This was a weight Clayton and his sister knew all too well. Going to an Ivy League school or making something of yourself in an accepted and respectable way was the norm for people like them. Failure to do so was almost unheard of but it had happened. Nepotism was alive and well in Massachusetts and it was eating away at the souls of the youth.

Clay leaned down and picked up his daughter, flinging her over his shoulder much to Lilith’s delight based on her fluffy giggles. “Alright Gremlin, we gotta get outta here so Mom can mix her potions and bake her cakes without either of our sticky fingers stealing the Butterscotch.” He glanced down at the watch that Sabrina had gotten him for their last anniversary, it was a beautiful chronograph style piece, probably an Uncle Randy special. Watching the hands move and feeling the weight of his child on his shoulder, Clay said a silent prayer to himself. He wished that Lilith wouldn’t grow up too fast. For all their jokes and for the deep beliefs of Sab and her family, there was always darkness in this town, a different kind of darkness that crept along its borders at night, waiting for open doors to invite itself into unsuspecting lives. He prayed that Lilith would keep her door closed.

With his free hand, Clay caressed his wife’s face before reaching behind her to pick up a soccer ball that was on the side. “Can’t forget this!” The ball itself was a gift from Clay’s cousin Emerald and Lily worshiped it. “Stay in touch today? Let me know if you need a hand with anything or if you just wanna take our clothes off and stare at each other. Maybe touch butts?”

Another giggle. Happy Sabrina was clearly in charge today. It was very easy to give in when Clay was continuing to be as goofy as he was. A source of infinite jest in the dead seriousness of this town. "Oh, I think we can potentially touch a few things. I shall be summoning you when I have everything in place for tonight." She booped her daughter on the nose. "Now you be good at daycare, young witch! No hexing the boys or anything, OK?"

Lilith matched her mother's giggle and nodded. "No heck-sing."

"Good girl." Sabrina smiles again. "See you later, doofus."

“-I mean, I like learning and even I don’t think all those classes were necessary,” Danny’s long rant wound down as he dangled by his arms from a tree branch, having given up on any more chin ups two minutes in. He blew his dark blonde curls out of his face, only to roll his eyes as they sprung up just to fall right back where they’d been at the start. Between skipping a year in highschool and all his accelerated classes, the almost-twenty one year old was already a college graduate with Bachelors in both Finance and Social Work, having graduated alongside Maya who got her own Bachelor in Finance and was currently waiting to hear back if she’d received a position as a Loan Officer at Edenridge National Bank, where she is currently a teller.

Decky, who’d been lying on his back on the bench closest to his brother’s climbing tree while they waited for two of the three Dawson brothers to arrive, tilted his head back in his hands and looked up at Danny, squinting as his form was silhouetted by the midday sun. His baby brother had grown so much over the years, but Decky was happy to announce that he was still an inch taller than Danny and when the kid got smart he could still win their brotherly wrestling matches. With him and Maya returning home from Boston U for good, their house on the Southside would finally be full, full-time. While they had completely renovated it when they got it, including breaking down walls and building others, the foundation was still that of the Boaz brothers’ childhood home, sitting right next to the Cernis’ on Cherry Street. When Decky and Danny found out that Beni had OD’d and left no will while Alana survived but was no longer able to care for herself, their first thought was ‘why are we being contacted?’ while the second was ‘No fucking way,’ when it was revealed that Alana had a living will.

She had left everything to them. The house, what little remained of Beni’s inheritance, and a packet of information on Beni’s brother, and her own three brothers, uncles that the boys never knew they had. Decky had been a month away from eighteen at the time and still living in the Serpent Dorms at the Edge with Danny- and Sunshine when the ornery boy got in a fight with Lacey, which was often- and he’d immediately turned to the people in his life that he knew could guide him. Beau, Phil, and Demo had all helped him immensely, both emotionally and educationally, and by the time he turned eighteen he was ready to accept the keys to his childhood home, secure in the knowledge that he had people to go to when he needed help. When Decky and Danny talked about renovating it, Danny was the one that brought up the savings Decky had started as a college fund for his little brother, and when the older tried to argue he was firmly reminded that Danny was already on a fast track to scholarships with several grants he was looking into.

He’d all but pushed for the money to be used in this way, and he’d spent almost a full hour laying out an incredibly detailed argument that could ultimately be boiled down to his closing statement of, “This is a fresh start through the reclamation of what was always meant ta be a safe and secure place for us, our childhood home. Let’s raze it ta the fuckin’ ground and then build a real home on the foundation of what should have already been that!” And really. How could he argue with that? How could he argue with Danny at all about how he wanted to use the money that Decky had set aside for him? It had been when they were designing the new floor plan that they brought up the idea of both Sonny and Maya moving in as well, and that the master bedroom would probably take up at least a third of the top floor to compensate for three residents. Everyone had moved in as soon as things were finished and they’d been there since.

And now Maya and Danny were back home for good and fully unpacked just in time for the day of Beau’s party, meaning Decky was taking Danny to the park so they could get in some bonding time while waiting for Chase and Conan, but also because Danny obviously needed to get excess energy out and Decky never stopped acting like his parent so a trip to the parked seemed aces. Sometimes the younger man’s energy levels would just skyrocket and on days like those, Decky had to make sure Danny and Rye didn’t get together too long because it was like trying to keep up with two hyperactive speedsters with four brains between the two.

“So,” Decky finally answered as Danny lifted himself further in the tree and almost kicked Decky in the face when he was swinging his leg up onto the branch. “You’re sayin’ college was a waste and ya decided ta just come work for me and Phil instead?” Danny rolled his eyes down at his older brother from where he was now crouched in the lowest branch of the trees, shaking his head. “What? That’s not what that hour long rant about the oversaturation of non related requirements for specialized fields was about?”

“Sorry Decky, but I didn’t spend five years doing a horrifyingly non-linear amalgamation of high school and college classes to still just be a mechanic, no offense-”

“Ah, ooh, the pain, like gettin’ stabbed all over agai-”

“Shut up ya drama queen,” Another eyeroll was sent his way from his baby brother, the younger man showing no remorse for his words after the older’s theatrics. “If I wanna be a damn good Financial Analyst and Advisor, especially if I wanna work for myself, I’ve at least gotta go into the field I studied my ass off for. Can ya imagine what Beau would say if I walked up ta him tonight and went, ‘Hey! Thanks for the encouragement all these years, but I decided ta dial it back-”

“Slum it with the mechanics, not even engineers-”

“Slum it with the mechanics,” Danny echoed his brother while shaking his head, derisive tone and all, before he burst out laughing, causing all the leaves to shake on the branch that was supporting him. Decky laughed back and closed his eyes again once he saw his brother was stable, imagining Beau’s reaction. That would not go over even as a joke without a meaningful speech from the warm man.

“Ok fine, go get a big boy job in the white collar sector or some shit, come back and see me when your car needs work,” Decky sighed dramatically, not even opening his eyes when he heard footsteps crunching in their direction. He raised his voice so the joining brothers could hear. “Y’all hear that? Danny’s too good ta hang around Phil’s now that he’s got a fancy degree.”

“That is not what I said,” Danny countered, fond exasperation in his tone. He grinned down at Chase and Conan from his spot in the tree, unwilling to touch the ground again at the moment. Conan could climb up after him if he wanted a hug hello. “Hey guys! And sorry I missed watching you practice Co, we didn’t unpack the last box until an hour ago. How was it? Y’all crush it?”

“He’s hyper today,” Decky stated needlessly, grinning as he finally sat up from the bench.

“I can tell,” Conan slid his headphones off his head, resting it behind his neck and on his shoulders. “You want to talk about fancy shit?” The brown-eyed boy’s gaze went from Mordechai to his best friend before gesturing to his brother. TNT had claimed the rest of the picnic table Decky was at, and started setting a surprise afternoon meal. “Look at this guy, in his chef uni, looking hella’ clean, hella’ fly and hella’ expensive. Cee!” Conan called out, looking over his shoulder as he did so, “You working at the Ivy today or Faith’s Fishhouse, or a bit of both? I never know with you.”

This guy, like Danny, was on the fast track of being the best at his chosen career. No one expected Chase to grab onto cooking like his life depended on it but then he found a bodacious blonde who loved pink and who loved to eat. Cooking for her led to him learning how to cook first at the pizza joint, then at the diner, then with the locals, like Big Mama Nesta and Beau, which led to Jade setting up a gathering and asking Chase to ‘cook something nice’. Well, it turns out Jade invited Bluejay and her family, which included a culinary Hotshot, especially for Edenridge’s standards. Blue’s dad. The big chef guy who somehow got away with having two families at one time, but who was he to judge? Still a better parent than his birth parents would ever be. One thing led to another and before Chase realized it, he had already graduated culinary school, thanks to the Irvine Food Dreams program and his promising, raw talent, gained an apprenticeship under the dad rock old man, Lance Irvine, which includes a stable, constant flow of income, and got MARRIED. What a fucking time! Neither of them expected that. Hell, Conan didn’t even expect to live past eighteen and be the founder of Phantom Menace, the Gallows legacy band, but the world works in mysterious ways. Thank the cosmos for that.

Playfully, Conan gave Danny a love tap where his boy crouched on the low branch. Danny in response laid across its length like a large cat and dangled his hand down towards his best friend. “Practice was chill. Lala’s vocals were sick. If you want me to be honest, real honest though, she shouldn’t be in this band. She’s better than all of us combined. Her voice gives me fucking chills. Yeah, I got the dream, continuing Gallow’s legacy, rest in peace Rusty, a FUCKING SERPENT LEGEND. But Lala? Fuck. She got a gift. She got the talent. I’m just tenacious and crazy. Let me be like Dimebag or Randyyyyy. I’ll die a legend but until then, I’m here waiting on a prayer to maybe make it somewhere. Or just chill here and be gold dust in the air.”

“That rhymed,” Chase looked up from setting up the table, some fish and chips for his family, mentally reminding himself to text Tov and Ransom that he had some food in his fridge for them too. “Hungry?” He asked the band of brothers.

“That did rhyme, that was good shit,” Danny agreed, grinning down at Conan excitedly and suggesting, “New song?”

“I’m hungry,” Decky answered Chase’s question with a sigh when Danny didn’t, grunting as he leveraged himself back up into a sitting position on the bench. He cracked his back and glared at Danny when the younger man laughed at another escaping groan. “Don’t.”

“I’m gonna.”

“Boychik I swear ta-”

“You’re old.”

Decky gave the boy a deadpan stare as he stood up, catching Conan’s eye as he advanced. He nodded at Danny and made sure that Conan was on the other side of the branch and prepared for what happened next.

“Ancient.”

“Danny-”

“Snap, crackle, pop! Your body- Ah!” Danny laughed as he was shoved backwards out of the tree, not even worrying about the landing.

One reason he didn’t have to worry was because someone was always watching out for him. If it wasn’t his brother, it was Sonny. If it wasn’t Sonny, it was Maya. If it wasn’t Maya, it was Lacey. If it wasn’t Lacey, it was Jokes or Creed. So on and forth. And yet, more often than not, the go to person that would take mere seconds to be at his side, always alert, was his best friend. Sure, Decky gave him a clear warning with his eyes but CT was already in a position to catch the falling boy. While he wasn’t necessarily bulk like the standard jock — Danny Belmonte for example — he was fit and slim underneath his hoodie. Demo would say all his energy would’ve made him a great athlete. Still, his father was not one to forcibly suggest a path on his children. He let them explore and figure it out. In time, they all did just that. They figured it out.

Instead of shooting hoops or running track, Conan chose to grow as a musician and occasionally jump fences and do dumb shit with his friends. His favorite hobby in the world though? Being there for Danny in whatever capacity he could. Conan couldn’t imagine a life without his friend. Not only did their lives have parallels but their minds moved in tandem, constantly on the same wavelength. There were some people that just got each other and Danny was that person for him. As morbid as this sounded, Conan had a feeling, even after all the success he and his brother have experienced thanks to Lady Luck, that his days were numbered. Whether it was his upbringing or the fact that no matter how much time passes, he believes that the picture he paints in his head is a requiem for a dream, Conan knew deep down he would die sooner rather than later.

Until then…

Thump! The two boys fell on the ground, Conan’s mind having drifted for a moment before the sudden force of his friend brought him back to reality.

“You’re so fucking graceful,” Conan groaned, letting the weight of his friend bury him.

To the side by the food, TNT sat there waiting for everyone to join him, not touching the food out of courtesy and respect for them (it's what he did; he chose to be the last one to take a bite because he enjoyed seeing others savor his food). He received a text from his wife of one year (crazy, right?). His shoulders relaxed and his mood brightened even more. He was already in a good mood but the thought of Tiffannie put him in an even better mood. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he zoned in on their conversation, the others fading in the background. He needed to remind her about Beau’s party tonight. He hated engaging at large parties and social gatherings. Doesn’t matter how functional he was as a growing chef, knowing how to network and charm people when he needed to. Chase Warren was still one hell of an introvert and he needed his wife.

“I never claimed grace,” Danny replied with a groan of his own, making no effort to adjust his dead weight across Conan, more than happy to be sprawled out across his best friend. “Pangerz manages grace, even Zion manages grace, you can’t expect it from all of us. That’s just unfair.”

“He really did inherit that grace from Auntie Dev, you know it’s not a Goldstein trait,” Decky gave his two cents as he reached down and grabbed his baby brother by the front of the shirt, lifting him up just enough to drag him off of his friend’s chest before he promptly released the fabric and allowed Danny to thump down to the ground beside Conan instead. “Let him breathe, Boychik, y’all are practically joined at the hip as is.”

Despite the pout he sent his older brother in response, Danny sat up soon after and dusted off his clothes before reaching out to his best friend in an offer to help him up. As much as Conan and Danny have caught each other as they fell, there were just as many times where they’ve had to help pick each other up when they were down. Danny couldn’t imagine life without his bestie blazing a trail by his side, didn’t even want to, he could barely stand staying in the dorms when he had to. There were quite a few late night phone calls from the fairer haired boy just needing to hear his friend’s voice, and several times where a few hours after he hung up he’d hear the roar of Decky’s motorcycle. He fling open his curtains in his little shoebox of a room, and Decky would be putting down his kickstand while Conan almost unbalanced them both with how fast he flew off the back seat. On bad occasions, Zion would be pulling up right beside them with Topanga as his backpack. Decky would send Topanga off to grab Maya from the girls dorm and they’d all sneak up into Danny’s room together. Without fail, the nights where they all slept in a pile on the floor were some of the best sleeps he’s ever had.

Two sets of brothers, both born into unfortunate circumstances, clawed their way out of their misfortunes with help from their found families. With similar traumas that were only really understood amongst them and the Cernis siblings, however, the relationships forged between the four men currently in the park was one that came from some of the harshest pressures and stresses. Out of all the pain and darkness of their childhoods, each boy managed to find a way to come out a diamond. They were still raw, roughened around the edges and with sharp lines you’d do well to watch out for, but they always seem to smoothen out and shine brightest when they were together, amplifying each other’s internal light.

“So…” Decky spoke up again with a little clap, eyebrow raised at his little brother and his best friend who, despite both standing and balanced, had forgotten the next step of letting go of each other’s hands. “Food?”

“About damn time,” TNT grunted back, texting a black heart emoji to his girl before facing his phone down. “Food’s probably cold by now,” he complained and grumbled, crossing his arms, pretending to be grumpy but really just fooling around. He was in good spirits, even if exhausted from the double shifts he’d been picking up lately. Five years ago he wouldn’t imagine where he was. Hell, even three years ago. Or two! So much has changed and all for the better. For once he could say he was happy. Not only because he was doing well for himself, with a cute and supportive woman at his side, and a doting father constantly rooting him on, but all those he loved were doing great, better than great, too. Especially his brother by blood and his brothers (and sisters) by bond. Conan, Tov, Jade, Ransom, Decky, Danny, Sunshine, Jokes, Creed, Charlie & Poppy. It was a surreal feeling to see their growth and the look on their faces as they saw into the future and dreamed.

To dream… it wasn’t something a southie usually did. How fortunate they all were to be able to dream and continue to dream. Their life was like a dream and none of them wanted to wake up from it.

Grabbing Danny’s hand, CT was pulled up with ease. They stared at each other for a longing moment. Their gaze said enough without any words leaving their lips. There was so much love between the boys. Romantic or not, that was up for interpretation but there was one thing that was undeniable about them. Their souls were woven together and together, they were whole. A true Southside story. Throwing his arm around his dearest friend, his better half, Conan chuckled as he locked eyes with his older brother, “It’s all good.” He began walking with his friend closer to the table. “You know we’ll eat it. We’re skinny fucks. Flesh and bone, man. I’ll eat just about anything.”

“I’ve been surviving off of vending machine snacks for the past few years, anything Chase cooks is gonna blow my mind regardless of temperature,” Danny agreed, a wild grin on his face as he and Conan sat on the bench in unison. He rolled his eyes fondly at the older men as each pushed a full plate in front of the younger two, well used to the parental habits.

As they all dug in, Decky took a moment to just watch the scene. It was such a nice day, everyone was smiling and looking forward to Beau’s party. He wondered what all the anxiety buzzing in his chest was about, because it couldn’t be caused by anything happening now. Things were as perfect as they could get for a group of Southies, it was almost unreal, so he must be getting anxious about talking at the party. Public speaking and personal speeches were different things, and Beau helped the boys through a lot, so it must just be his old worries about being vulnerable creeping up on him.

“Decky? You gonna eat?” Danny was staring at him intently, as if reading the thoughts off the surface of his mind, and it would have looked pretty serious if not for his cheeks bulging with food.

“‘Course I am, focus on your own damn plate,” Decky replied as he broke from his daze and focused back in on the table. He shoved a handful of food in his mouth as if to prove his point to his little brother, and after another moment of intense searching the blonde let his eyes fall back to his best friend beside him, nudging his arm just as Conan was about to put a piece of food in his mouth and making him smear it across his face.

The sound of playful whining and banter carried off on the breeze and through the small area of Lyon park, alerting those nearby that the Boaz and Dawson brothers had been reunited once more, returning balance back as it should be.