Just Like Home Novels & Stories

He always tries to sneak in cookie dough into his mouth whenever he thinks she's not looking. But the few smiles and short worded replies he always produced were enough for Charlie, for now. Charlie's household is like a little family. Tristan, being the go-out-and-work probable husband. Blurin, the quite always-in-room brother of the family and Charlie? The work-from-home probable wife and housekeeper. Blurin didn't come down for breakfast. Tristan didn't go to work today seeing as it's his day off. Charlie has successfully upped her game. Miguel's advice keeps ringing at the back of her head.

Not like a cage. Like a battlefield.

Just present. Just endless.

The next day, Gabe updated his Instagram with a new photo. A blanket covered his lower abdomen. One hand held up the camera, deliberately revealing his chest and the ambiguous marks along his neck. On the other pillow, a woman's profile could be seen—eyes still closed. Caption: [So what? She's still mine.] The post was made visible only to me. No—also to Carrie. Because she had liked it. I glanced at it casually, then tapped "like" myself before going to sleep.

Just like her mother. Just like me.

It just… fit. Like some promise that didn’t need saying.

She was home. Finally, completely, joyfully home. --- **THE END**

the faintest smile breaking through the exhaustion. Together. The word had never sounded more like home.

“I know. But I’d want someone to show up for me if it happened.” Zane stood. “We’ll leave if you want.” Maya looked at them—two people who barely knew her, offering her the one thing she hadn’t had in months: a place to belong. Her voice was smaller than she meant it to be. “Stay.” They did. They talked for hours, about nothing and everything. Maya laughed—genuinely—when Kennedy mimicked their English teacher’s dramatic recitation of Shakespeare. Zane shared stories of past pranks gone wrong. At one point, Maya caught herself watching him, wondering how someone so guarded could feel so… familiar.

We’re home. ******** THE END.