ALEX
That night, I had gone to bed thinking of Eleanor. I had been fighting an attraction to her, but after yesterday, I think I was prepared to stop fighting it.
I pulled out my phone and texted her to see if she was doing okay after yesterday.
I sent the text before I could overthink it.
Alex: Hey. Just checking in. How’s Ava doing this morning? And how are you?
I hovered for a moment, thumb tapping against my phone case. Then I pressed send.
As I crossed the lawn toward next door, the screen stayed stubbornly quiet. That wasn’t like her. Part of me hoped she was sleeping in. The other part worried she was too drained to answer.
Before I could spiral, the front door swung open.
“Daddy!” Leo barreled into me, rainbow pajamas flapping behind him like a cape.
I laughed and scooped him up. “Whoa, whoa! Good morning, rocket man!”
He grinned, cheeks sticky with what appeared to be syrup. “We made waffles! I put sprinkles on mine. And on Mama’s. And on Mel’s. And I tried to give some on Pickles, but Mama saidnobecause cats can’t have sprinkles.”
“Correct,” I said solemnly. “Cats cannot have sprinkles.”
Mel appeared behind him, holding a mug and already looking like she’d lived an entire day before 8 a.m. Pink pajama shorts, oversized T-shirt withROLLER DERBY IS MY LOVE LANGUAGEon it, hair puffed out gloriously.
“You here for breakfast?” she asked. “I made too much. As usual.”
“Youalwaysmake too much,” Becca called from the kitchen. “Because you forget you’re feeding three humans and not your entire derby roster.”
“And what a blessing that is,” Mel shot back, kissing her cheek as she passed.
I set Leo down as we all gathered at the table full of waffles, fruit, a questionable amount of whipped cream, and Mel’s chili reheated from last night because “breakfast chili is a thing, Alex, don’t argue.”
Leo dug in immediately, narrating every thought that entered his brain.
“And THEN,” he said around a mouthful, “Ava punched a kid!”
Becca choked on her coffee. “I’m sorry — what?”
I blinked. “Leo—did she tell you that?”
“Yeah! She said he was mean.” He scowled. “I hope she punched himgood.”
“Leo,” Becca said warningly. “No cheering violence.”
Mel shrugged in the background.
He crossed his arms. “But he said mean things. About me.”
My stomach dropped. “About you?”
Leo nodded, eyes going soft and hurt in a way I rarely saw. Which made my heart twist hard.
“He said I was weird,” he mumbled. “And that weird kids shouldn’t be in the same classes as normal kids.”
I exhaled slowly, anger simmering low and hot.
Mel slapped her hand on the table. “That kid is onmy list.Where is this list? I need a list.”
