“Good.” Skylar smiles faintly. “Lead with boundaries, not defensiveness.”
Linus clears his throat. “My bigger concern is band logistics. If things go sideways, like if someone uses our relationship to question Avonna’s role in Fireball, or my role managin’ them, I need protections in place.”
“We’ve included conflict-of-interest language, non-retaliation clauses, and a contingency if Fireball ever wants to restructure leadership.” Marcella is already ahead of him. “You’re covered.”
Liam’s jaw sets. “Not gonna happen.”
“I know,” Linus says quietly. “If it does, we’ll be ready.”
Marcella folds her hands. “There’s one last item to confirm.”
I look up.
“Parenting,” she says. “If anything happens to Avonna. Or to either of you.”
I exhale. “We already decided. They’reourdaughters. Both of them.In every way.”
“The paperwork reflects your wishes.” Skylar nods. “Contractual paternity for both fathers. Cross-adoption finalized before their second birthday. No ambiguity.”
Liam looks at me. Then at Linus. “They deserve to grow up never questionin’ how loved they are.”
“They will.” Linus slides his hand across the table to take Liam’s hands.
Skylar closes the folder. “Well, we’re finished. The rest is signatures and notaries.”
“Congratulations.” Marcella looks at each of us in turn. “You’ve finished the tricky part. You’ve chosen each other. The rest is structure.”
We convene in her office with our signed documents, a parenting plan, and a trust protecting everything we’ve built.
Sloane crawls toward Linus and lifts her arms for him with a quiet chirp. He picks her up, kisses her forehead, and she melts against his shoulder. Quinn tries to scale Liam’s leg with wild determination before he scoops her up, laughing softly as she claws at his shirt.
Marcella watches all of us with a steady gaze. “You three have already built the love part. I envy you, Avonna.”
I look at my daughters. One serene. One fierce.
One from each man I love.
Nature wrote our story before we even knew there would be a chapter like this.
fifty-four
Linus
One Year Later
Therealtoriswaitingat the gate when we pull up.
Avonna clocks it first, narrowing her eyes at me from the passenger seat.
“This was supposed to be a drive.” She places her hand on my thigh. “Ascenicdrive.”
Liam snorts from the backseat. “He’s way too quiet for it to be a scenic anythin’.”
I say nothing and turn off the ignition.
Quinn kicks her heels against the car seat, humming tunelessly. Sloane’s head lolls as she nibbles on string cheese, crumbs from the oat bar I gave her scatteredin her lap.
“I mean,” Avonna stares at the sleek black gate, “there’s literally a woman in a blazer waving us in.”
