“Thalia,” I say, the name leaving me in a rush of surprise and relief.
My sister.
She looks around, taking it in. Me behind the counter, visibly pregnant. Liam at my side. Maddox frozen halfway down the ladder. Knox with a protective hand on Clara’s shoulder. Her expression softens, tension easing just a fraction.
“I know I was supposed to come with mom for the baby shower,” she says, already apologetic. “But I had a few days open and thought… I wanted to see you. In person.”
The knot in my chest loosens.
We talk. We text. We FaceTime when work doesn’t swallow her whole. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s better than what we used to be.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I say, stepping around the counter.
Liam is already moving, grabbing a glass of water. Maren crosses the room with the same instinctive kindness she gives everyone, guiding Thalia toward the back booth.
I follow as fast as my body allows, which means waddling. Maddox slips his hand into mine without comment, steady and solid.
“You okay?” he asks quietly.
I nod. And I mean it. “Yeah. I am.”
Thalia watches us approach, her gaze flicking between my hand in Maddox’s, Liam hovering nearby, the life layered soopenly around me. When I slide into the booth across from her, she lets out a breath that sounds like she’s been holding it for years.
“You look… happy,” she says.
“I am,” I tell her.
Her eyes shine, and she reaches across the table, squeezing my fingers. “I know. I just wanted to see it with my own eyes.”
“Is everything okay?” I love that she’s here, but last time we talked, she seemed to be pretty stressed out about this huge case that she was handling.
She hadn’t mentioned anything about having days off, and now that she’s this close to me, I can swear she has faint tear tracks down her cheeks.
Something’s not right.
She nods. This time her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Okay.”
The baby shifts again, a gentle reminder of everything still to come. Liam is talking to Maddox about bolting something to the ceiling.
My family’s sounds fills the room.
My sister sits across from me, nervous, but here. Whatever is bothering her, she has me. She has all of us.
As long as we keep choosing each other, this holds.
And it will.
THE END.
