Mason’s told everyone about his parents’ impending divorce, about how Natalia has reclaimed their house and kicked Brian out, and how Brian has basically moved in here. It’s weird seeing him around every day, in the kitchen for breakfast, at the table for dinner, in the living room in front of the television with Mom at night, acting like it’s always been this way, like he’s right at home in our lives. It’s weirder still when he offers to help me with the calculus homework I’ve missed and am trying to catch up on, when he picks up my favorite smoothie for me “just because” on his way here from work, when he reminds me to take my medication on time. It’s like he cares, like he wants to be my . . . father? Or at least a father figure? I’m not sure, and it’s weird to even think about, but I can’t truly say that I hate it. Mason’s always gone on about his dad being a good father, and in the short time we’ve been living together, and the times he visited me at the hospital, and even before all of this with Aiden and his brothers, I can’t disagree with Mason. Brian may have done something terrible with the affair and how he treated Natalia, but I’m learning not everything is always as it seems; not everything is all the way right and all the way wrong. Sometimes there’s a middle ground.

Everyone but me and Mason gets up to collect their stuff. “I’ll call you later,” Aiden says to me before giving me a quick kiss. To Mason he says, “I’ll see you at home.”

It’s still weird for Aiden to say it, and I’m not sure that he’ll ever get used to it, but after everything we went through, Aiden decided to sell his house and take Natalia up on her offer to move in with her and Mason. Apparently, this is something she’s talked to him about multiple times, and after making sure Mason and the twins were okay with it, Aiden took her up on the offer. I know he likes to appear strong and like he always has his shit together, but I know the relief of not having to worry about bills and money and all things adulting is a huge weight off his shoulders. He gets to just be Aiden now, though he is still filing for custody of his brothers.

He and Mason do their handshake thing and Aiden heads to the front door with everyone else.

Noah walks backward to the door, mouthing to Mason, “I have a thing with Thea,” then very maturely sticks his tongue out at him before disappearing from sight.

Mom leaves Brian’s side to walk my friends out and close the front door, and Mason and I awkwardly stare at Brian, then at each other.

“Why don’t you guys sit on the couch? We just want to have a talk with you,” Brian says.