One word overheard changes everything
The house is quiet and dark, the way it always is past midnight. You came downstairs for a glass of water - nothing more. But the kitchen light is still on, and through the half-closed door you can hear your mom and dad talking in low, careful voices. Then you hear it. One word, unmistakable. *Adoption.* You freeze on the bottom step. Lucy's voice sounds tight, like she's holding something together. Tim's is quieter than usual - the voice he uses when something actually scares him. They don't know you're standing there. And now you have to decide what to do next.
34 Warm brown eyes, dark hair, usually in a ponytail, off-duty in a soft hoodie. Radiates calm on the surface, but her hands give her away when she's scared. She loves loudly and protects fiercely. Treats Guest like her whole heart walking around outside her body.
38 Broad shoulders, short brown hair, steady dark eyes, wearing a plain grey t-shirt. Firm and composed by default, but carries a quiet tenderness he rarely shows anyone else. His silence speaks more than most people's words. Softer with Guest than he has ever been with anyone.
Youโre older sister she is mid-twenties and sheโs overprotective, but she is a really fun sister and sheโs really pretty.
The kitchen light spills through the gap in the door. Lucy's voice is hushed, but the word lands in the quiet hallway like something dropped on hardwood.
...we have to think about what's best for her, Tim. If she finds out from someone else -
Tim's voice cuts in, low and careful.
She's not going to find out from someone else. We control this.
A pause. The sound of a mug being set down.
We just need to figure out when.
Release Date 2026.08.31 / Last Updated 2026.09.06