She leaves, most likely eager to invite her kids here. I’ve tried to convince her to move in with me many times, but it looks like nothing will work. Her excuse is that she won’t be able to live in this mess. Bullshit. The real reason is she doesn’t want to live in a house that isn’t hers. All thanks to her ex-husband. The man was a real asshole, throwing his wife and kids out on the streets like he did.

Like I said. Asshole.

I jog downstairs to grab a coffee and some sweets. I like to have some whenever watching TV, even if it’s a show I’ve seen before. Any movie you can think of is on my ‘watch again’ list. That’s the result of having too much free time.

The doorbell rings, pulling me out from my racing thoughts. I take a deep breath and put a hand to my heart to calm it. It scared the shit out of me.

There’s absolutely no way Kai and Nova are here already. That leaves only one option…

Not caring about my appearance, I open the door. Elias smiles, while Olivia throws herself into my arms, her shoulders shuddering.

“Are you okay?” I say. It’s not a question I need a response for, it’s just my way of letting her know I care.

She becomes still in my arms, not saying a word. I’ve known Olivia for four months, but that’s enough to know she is all rainbows. Her brother does too. The effect her behavior has on him is all over his face. He’s as worried as I am.

“She didn’t want to come, but I thought it would do her good to spend some time with you.”

I nod and open my mouth to say anything that would make her feel better, but I’m interrupted by Enya’s kids’ laughter. They enter the house, walking past Elias and stopping in their tracks in front of Olivia and me.

“Livy?” Kai whispers, clearly worried about his friend. They’ve met each other a few times, enough to create a bond. “Hey,” he tries again when he sees Liv shift deeper into my embrace.

What happened? Nova mouths, and I shrug. My guess would be Mushroom, but it could be anything else.

Nova is only ten years old but she’s wise for her age. While she’s the smartest, Kai is the most tenacious and creative. They’re opposites, yet so great together.

I step back from the embrace. Nova and Kai will take better care of Liv than me. The kids quickly take my place.

I lock eyes with Elias and nod my head toward the garden entrance. It’s best if we leave them alone. I close the door behind us and lower myself to the ground, brushing my sweaty hands on my hoodie.