Then I recognize them.
Blade’s deep voice.
Bri’s laugh.
Switch saying something I can’t quite make out.
Yeah. My family’s here.
Which means I can’t hide under the covers forever, no matter how tempting that is.
I drag myself out of bed and head for the bathroom, splash water on my face, brush my teeth, and try to make myself look at least a little human. I pull on leggings and one of my softer sweaters, then shove my hair into a messy bun and slide my glasses on.
Am I my usual put-together, boss-lady self? Absolutely not.
But that’s okay.
These people have seen me in pajamas, in tears, in stress spirals, in full goblin mode after a long workday. If there’s anywhere I don’t have to pretend, it’s here. With them.
I take a breath, then open my bedroom door and step into the hallway.
The smell of food hits me first.
Like… a lot of food.
When I reach the kitchen, Blade and Bri are standing by the counter, talking quietly. There are bags everywhere. Bakery boxes. Grocery bags. Tupperware. It looks like a small catering situation exploded on my countertops.
In the living room, Bella is sitting on the floor with Jax, helping him stack colorful plastic blocks while he squeals like it’s the best day of his tiny life.
Switch and Rev are standing near the doorway, talking in low voices.
And then I notice it.
Rev is fully dressed. Jeans, boots, shirt, cut back into that familiar shape of him I’m used to seeing. No messy hair. No soft, half-asleep edges.
Just… Rev.
The man who protects, who jokes, who stands guard.
Not the one who held me while I cried in the middle of the night.
And just like that, the little bubble I woke up in pops.
Reality slides back into place.
Before I can overthink it, Bri spots me.
“Brooke.”
And then I’m being swarmed.
Bella is on her feet in a second, Jax forgotten as he happily crawls toward one of his blocks. Bri’s already crossing the room, and suddenly I’m in the middle of a full-on sister sandwich, arms around me, faces pressed into my shoulders.
“Oh my God, we were trying not to wake you,” Bella says, hugging me tight. “But also we were totally about to come check if you were still breathing.”
Bri squeezes me like she’s afraid I might disappear. “Don’t ever scare us like that again. Ever.”
My throat tightens, and I laugh a little because crying first thing in the morning feels like a lot. “Good morning to you too.”
