Page 47 of Twins for Three Bad Boys

Sometimes, in the quiet hours, I find myself wondering if I’d missed something crucial, given someone a reason to destroy me. Did I smile the wrong way at a parent? Was I too friendly to one of the dads?

I wonder why I just accepted it, why I didn’t fight back.

I’ve learned that’s the power of rumors, they make you interrogate yourself until you don’t trust your own mind, your own memory.

I shake off the dark thoughts, forcing myself back to the present.

I have a home, a job.

I have a schedule.

I have Evan, who’s humming happily to himself as he lines up his dinosaurs.

I’m safe.

I cling to that like it’s a life raft.

In the afternoon, we go for a walk.

Evan insists on wearing his little jacket with the dinosaur hood, even though it’s not that cold. He pulls it up so the spikes run down his back.

“I’m a stegosaurus,” he announces.

“You’re the fiercest stegosaurus I’ve ever seen,” I tell him.

He grins.

We head down Main Street, Evan’s small hand tucked into mine. The town feels different in daylight. Still quiet, still tucked into the trees, but more alive. People wave. Cars pass slowly. Someone calls out hello as if they already know me.

It’s… a lot, but not in a bad way. It’s being seen without being judged.

Evan points out everything, giving me a tour. “That’s the pizza place. That’s the old store. That’s where the parade goes.”

“Parade?” I ask.

Evan nods. “Yeah. With bikes.”

Of course.

We make our way toward the café, and as we get closer, I realize I’m excited.

Not just for coffee.

For Millie.

For the possibility of a friend.

The Redwood Run Café smells of warmth and sugar and espresso the moment we step inside. Lorna looks up from behind the counter and smiles.

“Well, look who’s back,” she says. “And you brought a tiny dinosaur.”

Evan pulls his hood spikes up proudly.

Ellie leans over the counter. “Hi, Evan!”

Evan beams. “Hi.”

Millie waves from a booth, tablet in hand. “June!”