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“Dear, I feel like you’re making light of this—”
“Zy’s a mother. I’m a secondary mother through marriage. Somehow, I was the one who almost died in childbirth. It’s all very normal-sounding to me. Quit giving the kid trauma by making it a bigger deal than it has to be. You could have told us ages ago. Is this stupid group ever going to outgrow keeping their insecurities secret? Does anyone ever outgrow trying to hide their insecurities? Full transparency is feeling very much like a lost cause…”
Alana snorts and moves to pet Willow’s hair while murmuring, “There, their, they are.”
“Ah, grammatical comfort. My single solace.”
Whatever the, um, situation is, I have a strong feeling Willow is making infamously light of it, but I have absolutely zero idea how to comment on that.
Pollux peers up at Zylus and mutters, “What are your thoughts about this?”
“She’s cuter than expected and got the color of one of my eyes.” Zylus’s part-blue gaze lifts as he offers the last bowl of popcorn to Pollux. “Just because we don’t favor one another so much doesn’t mean I dislike or don’t respect you, Pollux. I trust Cael’s trust in you.”
A fragile inhale fills Pollux’s lungs while I look on, baffled, lost, concerned…warm.
Inexplicably warm.
It’s so gentle here.
Even amid so much tension.
Pollux clenches his fist against his thigh. “It was an act of desperation, and it could have gone remarkably poorly. I toyed in things I should not have.”
“And if you had made a mistake, you would have fixed it,” Cael offers. “We all know that.”
Alana laughs. “What’s that thing you sometimes tell me during our sessions? Sometimes our fears are heavier if you hold them all by yourself? That goes for worries, too. Guilt doesn’t suit you, sensei.”
“So quit normalizing it in front of the young one. Take the popcorn bowl. And calm down.” Willow throws a hand in the air. “Meda picks the movie tonight!”
Andromeda gasps, turning her big eyes toward Willow. “Really?”
“No,” Zylus states as he relinquishes the popcorn bowl into Pollux’s hands. “Absolutely not.”
“What?” Andromeda’s little lip juts. “Why not?”
Snickering, Ollie nudges Zylus in the side. “Yeah, why not, Zy?”
He points at Andromeda. “Tiny dream eater.” He points at the TV. “Device with access to horror movies.”
“Horror movies?” Andromeda’s eyes sparkle while I’m trying to remember if…I’ve heard the term dream eater in real life before. I have to have, right? I can’t place it beyond the dream I had.
Wait just one second.
Horror movies?
She’s seven.
“Whoa,” I cut in. And all eyes turn toward me, reminding me a bit violently that I am definitely not a part of whatever is happening. I tense and swallow. “Could we keep things age appropriate, please?”
“Gore only. No nudity.” Andromeda nods, affirmatively, and unravels herself from around Pollux. “How do I control the device?”
Willow offers her a remote.
Zylus swipes in and takes it, holding it out of reach. “I said no.”
“Mom, whyyy?”
“Meda,” Pollux chides. “Don’t you dare.”
