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Izzy rolled her eyes. “Well, unfortunately, I panicked yesterday when she tried to talk about the future.”

“Yeesh.” Pete grimaced, which didn’t make Izzy feel better at all. “Why?”

Izzy rubbed at her temple. “I think I’m figuring out I don’t know how to be still in love. I only know how to reach for it."

“Well, here’s what I know. Danica and I got our second chance. We remembered just how much we liked each other. And then because we didn't actually communicate with each other about what was going on, we didn't talk for months. Months where we were miserable.”

“Oh, I remember.” Izzy grimaced.

“And you meddled, giving her my location in the airport, if I remember correctly,” Pete added. “And didn’t you fake sick, too?”

Izzy felt a grin tug at the corner of her mouth. “Which I have no regrets about. You two just needed to get out of your own way.”

Pete looked at her for a long moment, eyebrows raised. “And I would like to extend the courtesy back to you in this moment. If you’re scared of stillness, that’s only because you’ve never had someone fully reciprocate love back to you, and so you’re sabotaging it before it even gets to the good part. Pull your head out of your ass and go fix it. I will not tolerate months of wallowing when I know that a simple conversation can change this. You want to be with her. Don’t be such a baby.”

Izzy sat with the words. Pete was right. She’d messed up this morning by not letting Kiera be honest with her. Kiera hadn’t pushed her away. She hadn’t disappeared. Izzy had misread the pause, assumed silence meant retreat. But it didn’t. Not this time. If she wanted something to come of this —reallycome of it — she had to stop waiting and say what she felt.

Because this wasn’t just about hooking up. She liked being around Kiera. She liked the quiet steadiness of her. The way her presence made things feel less chaotic. And if there was a chance for more — for something steady, something that could actually last — Izzy didn’t want to waste it by letting Kiera move away without knowing exactly how she felt. And if Kiera needed to move, she was going to fucking figure that out, too, even if it meant spending much more time than she’d like in Nebraska, visiting her and the girls.

“That was like, somereallytough love,” Izzy said after a long while.

Pete smiled, giving her a gentle punch on the shoulder. “I’m just basking in the idea that it’s finally my turn to be the voice of reason.”

Heart poundingwith a powerful combination of hope and nerves, she drove to the townhouse. She rehearsed what she might say —Idowant this. I want you. The whole package.Let’s make it official.She took a deep breath before knocking, the memory of that epic night they’d spent together still fresh and tangled in her chest.

Kiera opened the door with a confused smile. “Hi,” she said.

“Hey.” Izzy took a deep breath. “I just needed to tell you—” She was interrupted as two little heads popped out from behind Kiera — Eliza and Quinn, both wearing oversized pajamas, grins wide and messy with paint, or perhaps frosting.

Eliza giggled, grabbing Izzy’s hand without hesitation. "Izzy! We’re playing princess-pirates! I can make you a crown."

Before Izzy could react, she was being tugged inside, watching Kiera shake her head with a bemused smile. Kiera walked back into the kitchen, looking absolutely stunning in a soft cream sweater and jeans. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun, and Izzy’s stomach fluttered at her casual beauty. Kiera's gaze met hers, shy yet welcoming.

Quinn interrupted before they could exchange a word, holding a crown made of construction paper and glitter. "You’re the pirate queen now!" Quinn declared, placing the crown precariously on Izzy’s head. "We’re about to go on a treasure hunt!"

Izzy couldn’t help but laugh. "Guess I better earn my title, huh?"

The next hour dissolved into delightful chaos. They crafted treasure maps, built pillow forts, and turned the living roominto an imaginary pirate ship. Kiera played along, her laughter infectious, and Izzy couldn’t take her eyes off her — especially when Kiera looked so at ease, so happy with her girls. Kiera even seemed at ease around her, like she was glad Izzy was here with her.

At one point, while Kiera and Eliza debated whether the couch cushions were a good hiding place for their treasure, Quinn crawled into Izzy’s lap with her favorite stuffed bunny. "Do you love my mommy?" Quinn asked in a whisper, looking at her with wide, curious eyes.

Izzy froze, the question landing like a small, sharp stone tossed into still water. Her eyes flicked toward Kiera — who was laughing as Eliza climbed over the arm of the couch, her cheeks pink from the effort — and something in Izzy’s chest shifted. She thought of the way Kiera always made space for other people, how her hands were always busy caring for someone else, but she still managed to look at Izzy like she mattered. How she was still figuring herself out but trying. Really trying.

“Yeah,” Izzy said quietly, her voice low and honest. “Yeah, I do.”

She didn’t notice Kiera looking over until it was too late — her head tilted, lips parted like she'd caught the tail end of something unexpected.

Izzy met her eyes, heart tripping in her chest. But Kiera didn’t say anything. Not yet.

"She’s really great, isn’t she?” Izzy whispered conspiratorially.

“She’s the best.” Izzy’s arms wrapped around Quinn without thinking, and the feeling that settled in her chest was sharp and bright, like being handed something fragile and precious.

Later, after Kiera took the girls upstairs for baths and pajamas and Izzy picked up toys and began to clean the kitchen, Kiera came down to join her.

Kiera wiped down the counter, her voice quiet. "They really like you."

Izzy placed a plate in the dishwasher, glancing up with a bashful smile. "Yeah? I like them, too. They’re… amazing."