She pulled me in for one more hug before letting go. “You’re beautiful. Oh gosh. I’m an emotional wreck. Thank you for having us.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
The blonde, whom I assumed was Luna, Nova’s best friend, walked in and grabbed my shoulders. “Thank fuck the weird shit’s over with.”
“Luna.” Nova chastised her.
Luna shrugged, tossing her white coat onto the counter in the kitchen without a care.
Luna was so different from Nova and Ollie. While they carried an air of sleek sophistication, she was all sparkle and chaos, dressed in a bright white minidress covered in sequins. Her bleach-blonde hair was styled perfectly.
She held up a bottle of wine.
“Hart. Is this cool?”
I stared at Austin. In the time we’d known each other, no one had ever drunk around Austin. While we’d gone to restaurants where they served alcohol, I was about to say something when Austin nodded. “No problem. Just do me a favor if you don’t finish it, take it home with you.”
Luna nodded and turned to me. “Do you have an opener?”
“Yes,” I said softly and walked over, opening the drawer to grab the bottle opener.
“For real,” Luna said, taking the opener from my hand without hesitation. “All this one could talk about today was how nervous she was. She thought for sure you’d hate her or some shit.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Luna rolled her eyes dramatically, twisting the corkscrew into the bottle.
“Luna,” Nova said again, her tone softer this time, as she walked to my side. “Ignore her,” she added, giving me a small, reassuring smile.
Luna was already pouring herself a glass when she called out, “Also, Hart!”
Austin looked up from where he was helping Ollie and Scarlette with their coats, his brow lifting.
“I invited Dirks over,” Luna announced casually. “He said you’d be cool with it.”
Dirks? With . . . Luna? How . . .?
Nova must have caught my confused expression because she whispered, “It’s complicated.” Her amused tone told me it was quite a story. “A conversation best had over coffee... or wine.”
I laughed softly, caught a little off guard. Did Nova just invite me to coffee with her? This felt... easy. Dare I even say it? Comfortable? Like maybe we weren’t on opposite sides of some invisible line.
“Oh,” Nova said suddenly, grabbing my hand before I could react.
She guided me toward where Austin was showing Scarlette and Ollie the Christmas tree we had set up in the corner of the living room.
It was... strange, this casual ease she seemed to have around me, like we weren’t two women navigating the complexities of this blended situation.
Austin looked up as we approached, his smile softening. Scarlette’s attention was still on the tree, her small hand reaching out to touch one of the ornaments.
“I’m such a bad mom,” she said softly. “I never introduced you to Scarlette.” She turned to the little girl, her voice gentle. “Scar, this is Charlie?—”
“I know, Mum,” Scarlette interrupted. “Dad’s wife.”
Inside, I was freaking out.Dad?She was calling AustinDad? Had I missed that much in just a couple days? My eyes darted to Austin, who was absolutely beaming. Then, my gaze shifted to Ollie, who was looking down at Scarlette with a quiet softness, something tender that made my heart lurch for him.
I crouched down and gave Scarlette a warm hug, holding her tightly for a moment. “It’s so nice to officially meet you.”
When I stood, I turned to Ollie, extending my hand. “Hi, I’m Charlie,” I said warmly, wanting to make sure he felt welcomed too.
He took my hand with a small smile, his grip firm but kind. “Ollie,” he replied simply.
