“Yeah. All thanks to you three and your training,” I say.
Zane shakes his head. “That’s not it. They get their strength from you, Mia.”
Something warm settles in my chest, and I finally let myself take them all in.
Damon, still speaking with the officer, his presence solid and unshakable. The protector who would tear the world apart for us.
Zane, arms crossed, standing just to my side, his eyes scanning everything and everyone. The man who would see the threat before it even reached us.
Asher puts an arm over my shoulder and gives a slight squeeze, and I instinctively lean into his touch. That’s Asher—ready to pull me close or give me space, whichever I need.
Different strengths. Different kinds of care.
I’ve been trying so hard to figure this out, to make sense of what we were. But sitting here, looking at them, the answer is obvious.
They aren’t just my protectors. They’re my family.
The cold air drafting down the station vents fades away, and a warm feeling takes over my belly.
The officer closes his notepad and gives me a small nod. “That should be all for now, Ms. Henson. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else.”
I nod, grateful to be done. To be free of rehashing the nightmare of the last few days. I push up from my chair, stretching my stiff muscles as I glance toward the adjoining room where the girls are still curled up under their blankets.
A large, warm hand presses against the small of my back. I turn to find Zane watching me, his expression softer than usual. “Let’s get you home,” he says.
Home.The word hits deep, an anchor I hadn’t realized I needed.
Damon speaks briefly with the officers before joining us
Asher leans in the doorway, arms crossed, but his eyes crinkle with exhaustion when he looks at me. “Ready?”
I exhale. “More than ready.”
The ride back is quiet. The girls sleep in the backseat, safe and sound, while I sit between Asher and Zane. Damon drives, his grip firm on the wheel. The roads are familiar, the winding path leading us back to where this all began.
When we pull up to the house, Emma stirs first, rubbing her eyes before they widen. “We’re home?”
“Yep, baby,” I whisper, brushing her hair back.
Ella stretches beside her, then gasps. “Mommy! Our house!”
The twins tumble out of the car before I can even open the door fully, giggling as they race to the front steps. They’re safe. They’re happy. And even as exhaustion clings to me, I feel the same.
Zane carries in our bags while Damon checks the locks. Asher drops onto the couch, letting the girls pile onto his lap, babbling about their favorite stuffed animals and how they missed their real beds.
Later, after the twins are tucked into those very beds, I find the three of them in the kitchen. They lean against the counters, exhaustion making their edges rougher, but there’s an ease between them now that wasn’t there before.
I step forward, resting my hands against the table. “So,” I say, the weight of everything unspoken pressing down. “About that unconventional arrangement...”
Zane exhales, running a hand through his hair. “It’s crazy.”
“Completely impossible,” Asher adds, shaking his head.
Damon’s lips curl into a rare smirk. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
I let the tension ease from my shoulders and extend my hands, palm up, to all three of them.
“Then,” I say, my voice steady, “let’s give it a try. All four of us.”
