Page 73 of The Care and Feeding of Meddling Himbos

"Excuse me, but I'm feeling very neglected over here." Rhett executed a dramatic twirl to show off his underwear. "Don't you want to appreciate my outfit?"

Troy looked from my face to Rhett's display, his expression shifting from tenderness to amusement. "Are those the Valentine's Day good boy panties?"

"They are indeed." Rhett struck another pose. "Figured I'd greet you properly."

Troy laughed, keeping one arm around me while extending the other toward Rhett. "Come here, you attention whore."

Rhett crossed the room and joined our embrace, his long arms encircling both of us. For a moment, we stood there in our kitchen, a tangle of limbs and affection, the morning light streaming through the windows.

Troy's gaze moved from my face to the Pink Pony box on the counter, to the coffee, and back to Rhett's ridiculous underwear. "Pastries, coffee, and a half-naked firefighter?" He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then turned to kiss Rhett firmly on the mouth. "Coming home to you two is the best thing I can possibly imagine."

"Even after a twenty-four-hour shift?" Though I knew the answer.

"Especially after a twenty-four-hour shift. Though I could use a shower and about twelve hours of sleep, with both of you preferably naked beside me."

"That can be arranged." Rhett's voice dropped to that lower register that sent a shiver down my spine.

The three of us stood there, exchanging soft kisses and whispered "I love you"s that felt new and precious, even after months together. This—this moment of peace and connection—was what had made buying a house together feel like the most natural step in the world.

A soft meow interrupted our moment, followed by the sensation of fur against my ankles. Olive and Cheeto had emerged from whatever sunny spot they'd been napping in, weaving between our legs with their tails held high.

"The children are awake." Rhett laughed, bending down to scoop up Cheeto, who immediately began purring like a motor.

Olive, always more dignified, sat at my feet and gazed up with those luminous green eyes that seemed to hold ancient wisdom, despite her young age. I crouched to scratch behind her ears, and she leaned into my touch with regal grace.

Troy smiled down at us, his exhaustion forgotten. "Our little family." The simple truth of those words filled my chest with warmth.

From podcast host to one-third of a polyamorous relationship with two firefighters and two cats, my life had taken turns I couldn't have predicted. But as I looked around our sunlit kitchen, at the men I loved and the home we'd built together, I couldn't imagine wanting anything different.