MasukPAIGEThe grocery store is crowded.Saturday morning. Families. Couples. People living normal lives.Marcus pushes the cart. Haruto reads labels. Julian stands by the produce, watching."You're staring," I say to Julian."I'm watching.""Same thing.""Different intention."I laugh. Pick up an avocado. Squeeze it."Is this ripe?""I don't know.""You don't know?""I don't cook.""Then why are you here?"He looks at me. "To be with you."I set the avocado down. Kiss his cheek."Good answer."---MARCUSWe buy too much food.Pasta. Sauce. Vegetables. Things I can't name."Marcus." Paige looks at the cart. "This is enough for a week.""We have a lot of people.""We have four people.""We eat a lot."She laughs. Puts back the third bag of coffee."Haruto will kill you.""Haruto loves coffee.""Haruto loves sleep more."I put the coffee back."Fine."She kisses my cheek."Good boy.""I'm not a boy.""You're my boy."I pull her close. "Say that again."She grins. "You're my boy.""Again.""Y
PAIGEThe week after the trial is strange.Quiet in a way we're not used to. No lawyers. No court dates. No Eleanor.Marcus sleeps late. Haruto cooks breakfast. Julian waters the plant."Paige." Marcus's voice. Soft."Yeah.""What do we do now?""Now we live.""Just live?""Just live."He pulls me close. "I don't know how.""Then learn."He looks at me. Those blue eyes. Tired but hopeful."Teach me."I kiss him."Okay."---MARCUSWe go to Mrs. Chen's.The coffee shop is warm. The old man is in his corner. The young couple shares a pastry.Mrs. Chen looks up from behind the counter. Her eyes find us. Find all of us."Ah." She nods. "You came.""You said to visit when it was over.""It's over?""Mostly."She walks around the counter. Pats my cheek."Good. Sit. I'll bring tea."We sit at the back table. The one by the window. The one where this all started.Mrs. Chen brings tea. Five cups. She sits with us."You look different," she says to me."Different how?""Lighter. The angry is go
PAIGEThe court date comes fast.Two weeks after the deposition. Marcus barely sleeps. Haruto makes coffee at 3 AM. Julian watches the window."Marcus." I sit beside him on the couch. "You need to rest.""I can't.""You need to try."He looks at me. Dark circles under his eyes. "What if we lose?""Then we lose. And we figure it out.""That's not comforting.""It's honest."He pulls me into a hug."I love you.""I love you too."Haruto appears with coffee. Julian with a suit."Today," Haruto says, "we fight.""Today," Julian says, "we win."Marcus stands."Let's go."---MARCUSThe courtroom is cold.Wood benches. High ceilings. A judge in black robes.My mother sits across the aisle. Her lawyers beside her. Her face is pale."Mr. Whitmore." The judge's voice is tired. "Are you ready to proceed?""Yes, Your Honor.""Then let's begin."---PAIGEWe sit in the front row.Marcus at the table. Helen beside him.Haruto on my left. Julian on my right."Paige." Julian's voice is low. "Your ha
PAIGEHelen calls at 8 AM."Mrs. Whitmore has agreed to a deposition. Thursday. 10 AM. My office."Marcus puts the phone on speaker. "She agreed?""Her lawyers advised her to cooperate.""That's not like her.""No," Helen says. "It's not. Which means she's planning something."The room goes quiet."Do you want us there?" Julian asks."I want Marcus there. The rest of you can wait outside."Paige nods. "We'll be there."---MARCUSThursday comes too fast.I wear a suit. Paige wears black. Haruto and Julian wear gray."Ready?" Paige asks."No.""Good. That means you're paying attention."She kisses my cheek.We walk out together.---Helen's office is cold.White walls. Glass table. Chairs that cost more than my first car.My mother is already there. Two lawyers beside her. Her smile is plastic. Her eyes are ice."Marcus." She doesn't stand. "So glad you could make it.""I said I would.""And you brought your... friends.""My partners."She looks at Paige. At Haruto. At Julian."Still h
PAIGEWe drive back to the city on Sunday.The trees blur past. The sky is gray. Haruto's hand is on my thigh."You're quiet," he says."I'm thinking.""About what?""About the cabin. About us. About what happens now.""What happens now is we go home. We see Marcus and Julian. We tell them we're okay.""And then?"He glances at me. "And then we fight. Together."I take his hand. Squeeze."Together."---MARCUSThey walk in at 4 PM.Paige first. Haruto behind her. Both of them lighter than when they left."Hey," Paige says."Hey yourself."Julian appears in the doorway. "How was it?""Good," Haruto says. "Needed."Marcus walks to Paige. Pulls her into a hug."You look better.""I feel better."He looks at Haruto. "You too."Haruto nods. "I processed some things.""Good things?""Necessary things."Julian pours coffee. Hands out cups."Sit," he says. "Tell us everything."---PAIGEWe sit on the couch.The plant is by the window. The curtains are open. The city is loud."We talked," I s
PAIGEHis lips don't leave mine.Firelight dances across his face. His hands are in my hair, then on my back, then pulling me closer like he's afraid I'll disappear."Haruto.""Don't talk.""But—""Don't talk." His voice is rough. "Just feel."He lays me down on the blanket. The fire crackles beside us. The cabin is dark except for the glow.His hand traces my face. My jaw. My neck."You're shaking.""I know.""Good or bad?""Good." I pull him down to me. "Very good."---HARUTOShe's warm beneath me.Her dark hair spreads across the blanket. Her eyes are half-closed. Her lips are parted."Beautiful," I whisper."You've said that before.""I'll say it again." I kiss her neck. Her collarbone. Her shoulder. "Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful."Her hands find the hem of my shirt. Push it up. I sit back, pull it off. Her hands touch my chest. My stomach. My hips."You're staring," I say."I'm allowed.""You're making me nervous.""Good."I laugh. Low.Then I kiss her again.---PAIGEHis ha
PAIGEThe drive back to the city feels different.Lighter. Like something heavy has been lifted from Haruto's shoulders. He's quiet, but not the painful kind of quiet. The peaceful kind.His hand rests on my thigh as I drive. His thumb traces small circles on my jeans."You're staring," I say."I'm
HARUTOThe drive to Connecticut takes three hours.Paige sits beside me. Her hand is in mine. She doesn't talk. Doesn't ask questions. Just holds on.I don't know what I'd do without her."Haruto." Her voice is soft. "We're almost there."I look up. The GPS says ten minutes. Ten minutes until I see
The Morning AfterPAIGEI wake up slowly.Sunlight cuts through the curtains. Warm. Golden. Too bright.I blink. Stretch. Feel arms around me. Three pairs of arms.Haruto is on my left. His hand is on my stomach. His breathing is deep. Peaceful.Marcus is on my right. His face is buried in my hair
ThreePAIGE"She loves us. All of us. I believe her now."I read Julian's message for the fifth time. Then a sixth. Then a seventh.He sent it to Marcus and Haruto. But Marcus forwarded it to me. Said I should know. Said Julian doesn't say things like that often.I stare at the words. My chest feel







