"If Keaton ever hurts you, I'll bury him. You know that, right?"
I smiled. It was exactly what I needed to hear.
"I know."
She smiled back, and for a second, everything felt okay. I didn't see the truth then. Honestly? I didn't want to see it.
It's funny how the brain protects you from things that are standing right in front of your face.
The night everything changed started at 2:07 a.m. I know the exact time because the red numbers on the alarm clock seemed to burn into my eyes when I woke up.
I didn't see the truth then.
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I reached across the bed, expecting to feel the warmth of Keaton's back.
Empty.
I frowned and pushed myself upright. My heart started to thud. I sat there in the dark, listening. That's when I heard a soft sound coming from downstairs.
Whispering.
Then, a woman laughed. It was quiet, warm, and familiar.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
I heard a soft sound coming from downstairs.
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The house was pitch black except for a soft, flickering glow coming from the living room downstairs.
Please be the TV, I thought. Please just be a podcast he's listening to because he can't sleep.
I rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs and stopped dead.
Keaton and Briar were sitting on the couch.
There was barely enough space between them to fit a playing card. His arm was stretched along the back of the couch, and his fingers were casually brushing her shoulder.
Keaton and Briar were sitting on the couch.
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He was leaning toward her, speaking in a low, intimate tone. It was the exact voice he used to use with me back when we were first dating.
Briar laughed again and shook her head.
"You can't keep doing this forever, Keaton."
Keaton sighed. "I know. I just... she's pregnant. It's complicated."
Briar squeezed his arm, her expression softening. "She deserves the truth. She's been my best friend for years…"
I felt something go very still inside me.
"You can't keep doing this forever, Keaton."
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It wasn't anger yet. It was a cold, hard clarity.
They didn't see me there, and I didn't announce myself. I didn't cry, and I certainly didn't scream.
I just stood there, invisible, memorizing how they looked together, watching the way his thumb traced the fabric of her sleeve.
Then, I turned around and went back upstairs.
I didn't sleep. I sat in the dark and planned.
I just stood there, invisible, memorizing how they looked together.
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For two weeks, I planned, made phone calls, and planned some more.
It took some juggling, but everything was ready just in time for our gender reveal party.
On the day of the party, Keaton was incredible.
He played the "Father of the Year" role to perfection. He helped my mom with the chairs. He grilled burgers. He kept checking on me, asking if I needed water or a seat.
It was nauseating.
He played the "Father of the Year" role to perfection.
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