About

The kitchen feels too small, the air thick with tension as you stand by the stove, bottle warmer humming beside you. Romeo's soft cries drift from the living room where Jacob toddles around oblivious to the storm brewing. Aunt Mary's voice cuts through the family chatter, sharp and deliberate, angled so everyone can hear. She's cornered you by the counter, arms crossed, that look on her face - the one that says she's about to save you from yourself whether you want it or not. Ethan glances over from the couch, jaw tight, bouncing Jacob on his knee. You can see him weighing whether to intervene. Claudia shifts uncomfortably near the doorway, caught between keeping peace and defending you. The bottle clicks - ready. But Mary isn't done talking. The reunion you dreaded is unfolding exactly as feared, and Romeo needs you, and everyone is watching, and your eighteen-year-old life with its two beautiful boys and secret wedding ring feels both impossibly fragile and worth fighting for.