Anna+Lily 6

[incarnadine]

Chapter 10 is better with context from viewtopic.php?t=110902&sid=5d56afc1a751 ... b921eb496d

Let me know if you like!
_____________________________________________________________

Chapter 10: Worth Everything

Katelyn Elayne Murphy sat in near darkness at her kitchen table, contemplating life’s unexpected twists and turns and eating pie. The only illumination in the room came from the host of tiny, firefly-like lights that now seemed to be a standard feature of every appliance and electronic device. It was barely enough to see by, but dim enough to make it easier to fall asleep when she finally went to bed after this long, but heartwarming, day.

Anna’s news hadn’t been surprising—not really. The two girls had been peas in a pod since the day they met, only growing closer in high school and becoming known as the dynamic duo of the Cape Henlopen volleyball team—inseparable both on and off the court.

Anna had a talent for anticipation that bordered on psychic. As the team’s libero, she seemed to know where the ball was headed before it left the hitter’s hand. Dives, digs, perfectly placed passes—she kept rallies alive that should have been over. Balls destined for the floor somehow floated back up, controlled and clean.

And when it was Lily’s turn at the net, she didn’t waste the chance.

A powerful outside hitter, Lily had a swing that left opposing blockers ducking. Off Anna’s passes or a smart set from their teammates, she racked up kill after kill. Her spikes weren’t just strong—they were precise, brutal, surgical.

The crowd came for the team, but they stayed for the Anna-to-Lily magic. Timing, trust, instinct—they moved like they shared a brain.

Kate had been so happy when they’d gone off to college together. It was comforting to know Anna would have someone by her side in a new and exciting world. And now, several years later, to see their bond deepen into something more—it didn’t feel like something entirely new. It felt like another chapter in the story they had been writing all along.

She loved them both—Anna, of course, with a mother’s fierce and steady heart. But Lily too, in a quieter, no-less-devoted way. That girl had spent so many hours in this kitchen, laughing, venting, grabbing post-practice snacks with the kind of exhausted joy only teenagers could manage. Kate had watched her grow up right alongside her daughter.

She wanted nothing more than for their relationship to flourish. But love, she knew, didn’t always bend to want or will. Even with the best intentions, even with the deepest care, things could falter. People changed. Hearts broke.

The thought of that—of some future where they drifted apart or hurt each other—made her chest tighten. Not just for Anna, but for Lily too. The ache surprised her in its depth. It was the kind that comes only when you care enough to hope, and fear what hope might cost.

A soft sound broke the stillness—bare feet shuffling down the hall.

Lily ghosted around the corner into the kitchen, moving with a silence and grace that belied her six-one frame. She always looked like she should be making more noise—but she glided, barefoot, like a shadow. She opened a cabinet, took out a glass, and padded over to the refrigerator.

As Lily filled the glass with ice, Kate spoke gently from the table, a smile in her voice.

“Good evening, dear. Having trouble sleeping?”

Lily let out a startled squawk and spun around, nearly slinging the ice from her cup. She placed a hand over her chest, breathing hard.

“No, Mrs. Murphy,” she said. “Just wanted a glass of ice water.”

Kate nodded, still smiling.

“Well, I have to compliment you again on the dessert you brought. I decided I needed another slice before Colin really does eat it all.”

Lily laughed—a light, nervous trill that made Kate tilt her head slightly. There was something fluttering beneath it. Not quite anxiety, not quite surprise. Maybe both.

“I’m glad it was such a hit,” Lily said, shifting her glass from one hand to the other. “Honestly, I was terrified about today. Not just the announcement—though that too. I mean…” She trailed off, then met Kate’s eyes. “You guys are my second family. I was so scared of losing that.”

Kate stood, the hardwood chair giving a slight creak as she rose. She crossed the few feet between them and wrapped Lily in a gentle hug. The taller girl melted into it, her arms coming up slowly, like she was afraid of breaking something fragile.

“There, there,” Kate murmured, patting her back. “Careful, you’ll get the waterworks going again. I don’t think I’ve fully recovered from the ones at dinner.”

Lily laughed into the top of her head, and this time, it was less nervous. “No, really,” she said. “When me and my mom moved here after the divorce, I didn’t think I’d ever believe in love that lasted again. But then I met Anna. And your family. You showed me something different. I didn’t think it would ever be with her, but…” She shook her head slightly. “Somehow, it was.”

Kate leaned back just enough to look up into her eyes, her hands still resting lightly on Lily’s arms.

“Anna was always my serious, focused child,” she said, a fond smile tugging at her mouth. “Sharp as a tack. But there’s a certain level of romantic blindness that runs in the Murphy line.”

Lily looked at her curious.

“In twelfth grade, I baked a chocolate cake from scratch, dusted a heart in powdered sugar on top, and left it on Colin’s doorstep with a single flower in the box. He thought his sister had talked me into playing a prank on him.”

Lily snorted, trying and failing to stifle a laugh.

“He came over the next day to return the dish—clean as a whistle, mind you—and still didn’t ask me out. I had to fake a wardrobe emergency at the school dance just to get him to give me his jacket.”

Kate grinned.

“That finally flipped the switch. He asked me to a movie the next day. And he was convinced it was all his idea.”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “We’ve been married twenty-six years. He still thinks it was.”

The two women chuckled, the sound soft in the quiet kitchen. Outside, a late November breeze whispered against the windows.

“But truly,” Kate continued, her voice warming again, “we’re happy for you both. And we’re here—whatever you need.”

Lily swallowed, the lump in her throat returning. “Thank you. Really.”

Kate glanced at the crumbs on her plate and sighed with faux sadness. “Well, that was the last bite. Guess I’ll have to fight Colin for more tomorrow.”

She squeezed Lily’s shoulder gently. “Anyway. I should be getting to sleep.”

She turned toward the hallway, then looked back over her shoulder. “Is Anna still up?”

Lily blinked. “Um—she’s in bed already. Waiting for me, actually.”

Kate nodded, unbothered. “Tell her I said goodnight. And that I love her.”

Kate hesitated, just a moment. “And you too.”

Lily’s hand tightened slightly around the cup. Her voice came out just above a whisper. “Will do, Mrs. Murphy.”

Kate raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile.

“I think we’re well past the Mrs. Murphy thing, don’t you, dear? Call me Kate… until you’re comfortable calling me something else.”

A quiet beat passed.

The kitchen seemed to exhale.

“Yes, Kate,” Lily said, the words catching slightly in her throat.

They moved together toward the hallway, quiet footfalls softened by the plush runner rug. As they reached the part where it branched—one way to the master bedroom, the other toward Anna’s—Kate paused and glanced back.

“Oh!” she said, noticing the cup still in Lily’s hand. “You forgot your water.”

Lily glanced down, blinking as if just realizing the cup was still full of ice.

“Right!” she said quickly. “Let me go get that.”

Kate gave a small wave and padded down the hall, her robe whispering with each step. Behind her, she heard a soft giggle—quick, breathy, like a child caught in mischief.

It made her smile, glad that Lily finally felt at home.

She thought of all the versions of Lily she had known—late-night snack-thief, gangly teenager, volleyball powerhouse.

And now, this one.

The woman who loved her daughter.

She hoped this chapter would last.

Because a chance at a love like that, she thought, was worth everything.

 

Chapter 11: Teenage Dream

The door clicked shut behind Lily as she backed into the room, stifling a laugh. A glass clinked in her hand, little drops of condensation running down her fingers. She leaned back against the door, letting it catch her weight, still breathing fast from the close call.

On the bed, Anna lay spreadeagled, wrists and ankles bound to the frame, utterly and gloriously nude. Her raven-black hair spilled messily across the pillow. She’d been waiting nearly fifteen minutes, which was about ten more than she expected. The room was a little chilly, the cool of November seeping in through the drawn curtains. While she wasn’t exactly angry, her body had gone from flushed anticipation to a kind of vulnerable impatience. Her green eyes narrowed as she lifted her head and glared toward the door.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. "You’ve been gone forever!"

Lily grinned; her voice still bright with amusement. "Yeah, so… you’ll never guess who was having a late-night snack in the kitchen."

Anna’s eyes went wide. "What?!"

"Your mom," Lily said, laughing as she crossed to the bed. "She says to tell you good night—and that she loves you,” Her voice softened, the weight of the words catching her by surprise. “Loves us.”

Anna sputtered. "What did you tell her?"

“Just going for a glass of ice water,” Lily said casually, lifting the cup like it proved her innocence. “Sorry I took so long—I couldn’t exactly tell her why I was in a hurry.”

Anna groaned, letting her head fall back against the pillow. Her face turned downward in an exaggerated pout but her tone became playful and flirtatious.

"You should be ashamed of yourself," she said. "Leaving me here like this. Without even a blanket."

Lily’s grin turned slow and wicked.

"You don’t like the cold?" she said. "You could be in trouble then."

She crossed the room with measured, deliberate steps, eyes roaming over Anna’s body. Her skin was dotted with goosebumps, pale and tempting in the soft lamplight—already beginning to blush again beneath Lily’s gaze. The rise and fall of Anna’s chest quickened with each step Lily took.

She reached the bed and leaned down, letting her hair spill around their faces as she kissed Anna deeply. Anna leaned into the kiss, lips parting beneath hers, sighing with pleasure as Lily’s hand slid down her front, light as a breath over pebbled skin.

"I was half telling the truth," Lily murmured against her skin, "when I said ice water."

She reached into the glass and drew out a single cube, already melting slightly against her fingers. Pressing it to Anna’s side, she dragged it slowly upward, over the curve of her breast. Anna sucked in a breath as it drew an icy trail across her skin. She let out a gasping moan as Lily began circling the nipple in slow, teasing spirals. The pale pink bud stiffened instantly under the touch, arousal blooming hard and fast, cutting through the cold.

Before Anna could cry out, Lily covered her mouth with her own in a breathless kiss, swallowing the sound. She pulled away just enough to whisper, her voice low and breathless, "Remember, you have to be quiet. We don’t want to wake Sarah."

Lily straightened, a pleased smile clinging to her lips as she stepped back from the bed. She was still wearing her old University of Washington sweatshirt, oversized and soft, sleeves pushed to her elbows, and a pair of snug jeans. The sweatshirt hung off one shoulder, giving a teasing glimpse of skin beneath.

But only for a moment.

She pulled it over her head in one swift motion, then kicked off her jeans with an urgency that made Anna’s pulse leap. It wasn’t hurried so much as driven—like Lily couldn’t get her clothes off fast enough, like her skin needed to be touching Anna’s again right now.

Beneath, she wore a set of white lacey underwear—soft, delicate, and wholly at odds with the strength in her body. Against the fading warmth of her summer tan, the contrast was striking. And then those too slipped away, joining the growing pile of clothes on the floor beside the bed.

Even after four months, seeing her like this still took Anna’s breath away.

Lily’s figure was different from hers—smaller breasts, narrower hips, but every inch of her was supple strength and grace. She moved with a kind of fluid confidence, unselfconscious and lithe. It was like watching power wrapped in silk.

She climbed onto the bed again, straddling Anna with slow, predatory ease. The air between them buzzed with tension—warm, electric, and hungry.

Lily leaned in, the cool air of the room a stark contrast to the heat building between them. She touched the melting ice cube to Anna’s breast again, circling the stiffened peak with slow, teasing spirals before drawing a glistening trail across the center of her chest. Anna’s breath hitched, sharp and audible. By the time Lily reached the other nipple it was already tightening in anticipation, puckering in response to her touch.

Lily kissed her again—deep, claiming—her hand slipped down, trailing the ice cube in one path along Anna’s ribs while her fingernails dug into the ticklish spot on the opposite side.

Anna jerked against the bonds, letting out a muffled moan that was half arousal, half helpless laughter. Experience had taught Lily exactly where Anna was most vulnerable, and she never hesitated to take advantage. She writhed, gasping into Lily’s mouth, but Lily’s weight kept her down, held her in place with delicious pressure. Her sounds escaped anyway—stifled but not silenced.

Lily pulled back, her own breath coming faster now. Her skin glowed, flushed and damp with heat and focus.

Then her eyes flicked to the nightstand, and she smiled—slow and wicked.

Without a word, she got up and grabbed the small green stress ball that lived by Anna’s lamp. She pressed it into Anna’s hand.

“I have other things I want to do with my mouth,” Lily said, voice low, breath quick, “but we need to keep you quiet.”

Her eyes flicked up, serious now beneath the playfulness. “If things get too intense, and you want me to stop, just drop the ball. Okay?”

Anna nodded, breathless, her voice barely a whisper. “Yes.”

Lily kissed her forehead, just once, then slid back down. She reached for another piece of ice, slipped it into her own mouth, and felt the shock of it between her lips. Then, with one hand pressing tightly over Anna’s mouth, she bent low.

The first touch sent a jolt through Anna—electric, impossibly sharp.

Ice-cold trails ran across flushed, oversensitized skin. Lily’s mouth hot, her breath damp, the temperature whiplash making Anna dizzy. She dragged the cold across Anna’s ribs, her breasts, over the curve of her stomach, slow and deliberate and maddening. Her hand stayed firm over Anna’s mouth, muffling her desperate moans into little shivers of sound.

Anna twisted again, hips bucking helplessly—but the ropes held her, almost as firmly as Lily’s weight had before.

Her fingers clenched tight around the stress ball, nails digging into the soft rubber. She crushed it in her fist, not because she wanted to stop—but because she couldn’t risk letting go. Her mind was a blur of sensation: ice and heat, pressure and breath, the rhythm of Lily’s mouth and the burn building low in her belly. She could barely think now, everything distilled into raw, aching nerve endings.

And still, she held on. Because to let go would be to end it. And there was no way she was letting that happen.

Sensing Anna’s rising arousal matching her own, Lily slowly lifted her hand from Anna’s mouth. Her palm was damp with breath and tension. She leaned in and kissed her—deep, lingering—then drew back just far enough to whisper:

“Are you ready?”

Anna’s voice came out low and breathless. “Yes.”

With that, Lily shifted, climbing up and over her with deliberate slowness. She turned herself around and began to straddle Anna in reverse, trying to align their bodies in mirrored symmetry.

It was not graceful.

Lily was tall—taller than Anna by several inches—and the positioning took more maneuvering than either of them expected. There was some shuffling, a soft thump against the headboard, and a short burst of muffled giggles as Lily tried to find her balance.

“Sorry,” she murmured through a crooked smile. “Too many limbs.”

But eventually, she settled—knees bent at ninety degrees along the headboard, braced for control and reach, mouth to thigh, breath to skin. Anna lay stretched tight beneath her, arms and legs splayed wide, her body thrumming with anticipation and need.

She couldn’t move. Could barely shift. Every muscle pulled taut, her arms and legs spread wide, with Lily’s weight above her holding her completely still. The sensation wasn’t just restraint—it was something deeper. She felt completely claimed and held.

She was exactly where she wanted to be.

Lily lowered herself slowly, letting her breath fan over the sensitive skin of Anna’s inner thighs before pressing her mouth to her with aching patience. At the same time, Anna craned upward as much as the restraints permitted, guided more by instinct than technique. Her tongue found Lily, and she felt a shudder pass through her above. They slowly fell into rhythm—bodies adjusting, minds catching up to sensation—but the urgency built quickly, hunger growing.

Anna was drowning in it. The sounds Lily made, soft and breathless, the way her hips moved just slightly against Anna’s mouth—it was all too much and not enough. Every flick of Lily’s tongue, every press of her lips, lit her up from the inside. Anna’s moans vibrated against Lily, and Lily answered them with low, wordless encouragement, her grip tightening on Anna’s thighs. Their pleasure spiraled together, messy and gorgeous, tension coiling tighter with every heartbeat.

Release finally came, burning like fire through them both—shared and staggering. Anna’s body arched as far as bonds and Lily’s pressing weight would allow, desperately swallowing the cries that would have torn free had she not been biting them back with everything she had. Above her, Lily gasped and trembled, her legs clenching tight, her whole body shaking with the force of it. For one long moment, they held there—shaking, panting, mouths still teasing, both of them suspended in that bright, breathless place where nothing else mattered.

As the last waves of pleasure ebbed, Lily slumped forward with a soft groan, collapsing fully onto Anna’s body. Her weight was welcome—warm and real—pressed against Anna’s bare skin, chest still heaving as she caught her breath. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, just breathing, hearts slowly syncing again.

Eventually, Lily stirred, shifting with a sleepy sigh and twisting around to face Anna properly. She brushed a damp strand of hair from Anna’s cheek and let her fingers linger there, tracing the curve of her face with quiet reverence.

“Have I told you how wonderful you are…” she asked softly, a sated smile tugging at her lips, “…today?”

Anna let out a breathless laugh. “Yes,” she said, her voice warm, teasing. “But that doesn’t mean I get tired of hearing it.”

Lily grinned and kissed her—gentle this time, a soft press of lips full of affection rather than hunger. But when she pulled back, a mischievous glint sparked in her eyes. Without a word, she reached down and unfastened the ropes at Anna’s ankles.

Anna relaxed, expecting her wrists to be next.

But instead, Lily leaned down, opened the old safe still sitting beside the bed, and pulled out the cuffs and shackles Anna had shown her before. They clinked faintly as she lifted them out.

Anna raised an eyebrow, her voice curious. “What are you doing?”

Lily’s grin widened. “You’re mine,” she said simply, with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “And I think these are all you need to wear tonight. Besides…” She gave Anna a playful nudge. “After teasing me with that story about your college fantasy, it’s only fair.”

Anna smiled, eyes soft, voice lilting with amusement. “Well, if that’s all I’m wearing, someone’s going to have to keep me warm.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Lily replied, matter-of-fact, already clicking the shackles closed around Anna’s ankles and clicking the double locks into place.

She moved with care, but clear intention—untying one of Anna’s wrists just long enough to secure the first cuff. Then the other, drawing her arms together in front. She sat back on her heels, inspecting her work, then wrinkled her nose.

“We really need to buy a better set if we’re going to keep doing this,” she muttered, more to herself than to Anna, but still smiling.

Anna laughed softly. “I’ll put it on the shopping list.”

Lily leaned in and pressed a final kiss to her forehead, then rose and pulled back the covers. She flipped off the light switch. By the dim glow of the clock she helped Anna shift—gently now—onto her side, before sliding into bed behind her. The sheets were cool for a moment, but then Lily’s body curved in, soft and solid. Her breasts pressed warmly into Anna’s back, her arm wrapping snugly around her middle.

They lay in silence, the kind that felt full rather than empty.

After a while, Lily spoke, her voice low and almost shy. “It’s still kind of strange, you know? That this is real.” She hesitated. “All those nights we studied on this bed… I used to imagine something like this. Not the ropes and cuffs so much—well, maybe a little…” She laughed into Anna’s shoulder. “But mostly just... you. Us. Like this.”

Anna turned her head just enough to brush her lips against Lily’s shoulder. “You have me now,” she whispered. “That’s what matters.”

Lily’s arm tightened around her, rising, hand spreading to gently cup one breast—more for comfort than for desire. She pulled Anna closer, as if the distance between them—any at all—was too much.

“Yes, it is. Good night, love,” she murmured, voice already beginning to blur with drowsiness.

“Good night, love,” Anna echoed, her voice a warm hush in the dark.

And slowly, wrapped in each other, they drifted toward sleep.

 

Chapter 12: Nothing to See Here (Now go away!)

“Girls? It’s after nine,” Kate called from the hallway, her voice sing-song. “Time for breakfast.”

When no answer came, she glanced toward the coffee pot, then turned toward her youngest. “Sarah, would you go wake them up, please?”

“On it!” Sarah chirped, already halfway down the hall.

She didn’t knock. She never knocked.

Swinging the door wide with cheerful momentum she flipped on the light.

“Rise and sh—oh my God!”

Sarah froze in the doorway, her eyes going cartoon-wide. On the bed, Anna lay on her back, hair a tangled halo on the pillow, her arms stretched above her head—and unmistakably cuffed together. Beside her, Lily was sprawled on her stomach, one arm wrapped snugly around Anna’s waist. The covers had shifted during the night, now tangled at their hips, baring enough skin to make abundantly clear the fact that they were nude.

Anna stirred, groggy, squinting at the sudden brightness. “Mmm... wha—?”

Lily blinked awake next, peering toward the sound. “Is someone...?”

Sarah let out a second little yelp—half mortified, half delighted. “Are you guys naked? And Anna’s handcuffed?! Is that—oh my God, I knew it!”

“Sarah!” Anna’s voice shot up an octave as she instinctively tried to sit up—unbalanced because she couldn’t use her hands properly in the cuffs. She let out a groan of frustration. “Close the door!”

“Whatever you say!” Sarah replied—stepping fully into the room and pulling the door shut behind her with a click.

Anna stared at her in disbelief. “I meant with you on the other side of it!”

“I just—wow, okay, this is amazing. How long has this been going on? You didn’t tell me you were into—” She made an exaggerated little gesture toward the cuffs. “—whatever this is!”

Lily buried her face in Anna’s shoulder, letting out a muffled groan. “Tell me this is a nightmare. Please.”

Anna tugged uselessly at the cover, trying to pull it up from underneath them. “Sarah, for the love of God, turn around!”

“Oh, right—privacy, sorry!” Sarah spun dramatically on her heel to face the door, not even pretending not to peek. She made no move to leave. “Just saying, I’m super supportive. Not judging. Totally chill. This is just... wow. Handcuffs!”

Lily, laughing now despite herself, reached for the edge of the blanket and helped Anna shimmy it up enough to spare some dignity. “Sarah, did you need something, or were you just planning to torment us the entire morning?”

“Oh! Mom sent me to wake you. Breakfast is ready. Also, how long have you been doing this? Because I swear, if you were hooking up in college and didn’t tell me—”

“Sarah,” Anna said with weary emphasis, “leave.”

“Fine, fine!” Sarah moved toward the door, still peeking. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mom. Though this is definitely going in my maid of honor speech at the wedding,” she added, her voice syrupy sweet.

She paused mid-step, brow furrowing. “I do get to be the maid of honor, right? A maid of honor? How does that work with two brides?”

“Sarah!” Lily and Anna cried in unison.

Anna twisted to grab a pillow and hurl it at her sister—the motion caused the blanket to slip dangerously low, baring her completely from the waist up. Her hands shot instinctively to cover her breasts—though hampered by the cuffs, the gesture was mostly symbolic. Her face flushed crimson.

Sarah smirked as she opened the door. “Careful there, you’re losing your blanket,” she said in mock concern. “I’ll tell Mom you’re a little tied up but will be right down.”

Grinning unrepentantly, she pulled the door shut behind her—humming Here Comes the Bride as she went.

Inside the room, there was a long pause. Then Lily turned her head to look at Anna.

“Well,” she said wryly, “it might have been worse. That could have been your dad.”

Anna groaned and flopped back onto the pillow. “Do you think if I chew through my arm, I can escape before breakfast?”

Lily, laughing, reached for the keys. “Nope. You’re mine, remember? We’re in this together.”

[incarnadine]

Not sure where I'd go from here so may or may not be future updates. Here's bonus breakfast scene to close things out.

______________________________________
Chapter 12: Nothing to See Here (Now go away!) - Cont.

Kate glanced toward the hallway as the sound of Sarah’s humming drew closer — the wedding march, of all things.

“They coming?” she asked, sipping her coffee.

“Yup, I’m pretty sure” Sarah said with a snicker as she grabbed a strawberry with exaggerated nonchalance. “Just... you know. A little tied up. Taking their time.”

Kate gave her a slow, narrowing look. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Sarah said, sweet as pie. “They’ll be down in a minute.”

"Uh-huh," Kate said, eyeing her skeptically. “And that’s why you’re grinning like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar?”

“What? I’m not grinning,” Sarah said around her grin. “I’m just... happy for them.”

Kate opened her mouth, paused, then closed it again with a soft hmm.

“Well,” she said at last, voice light but eyes suspicious. “Hope they hurry. We’re on a schedule.”

By the time Anna and Lily finally arrived looking slightly flushed and disheveled, the kitchen was alive with buzzing energy.

The smell of fresh coffee and maple syrup hung in the air, and weak November sunlight filtered through the windows. Colin stood at the counter with the waffle iron, the third batch nearly done, while Kate and Sarah were already seated, halfway through breakfast.

“Morning, ladies,” Kate said, her tone mild, but her eyes twinkled over the rim of her mug. “Sleep well?”

Anna hesitated, then nodded. “Uh. Yeah. Fine.”

Lily echoed a mumbled, “Really well.”

“Must have,” Sarah added, with cheerful malice. “Didn’t hear a peep from your room. All night. And most of the morning.”

Anna sat down with the delicacy of someone avoiding a landmine. “Right. Long day yesterday.”

Sarah sipped her coffee with theatrical innocence. “Mmm. Must’ve been exhausting.”

Kate gave her a look over the top of her glasses but said nothing. Instead, she turned toward the girls, her voice perfectly casual. “Well, as long as you’re both... rested. Big shopping day ahead.”

Lily accepted the plate Colin passed to her and murmured, “Thanks” doing her best to stay invisible.

Colin gave them a warm smile. “Hope you girls weren’t too cold last night. Anna’s room can get drafty this time of year.”

Kate’s mouth twitched. “I’m sure they were warm enough.”

“Very warm,” Sarah muttered into her waffle.

Anna’s fork paused halfway to her mouth. She sent her sister a slow, withering glare.

Kate stirred her coffee gently. “Anyway, you’ll want layers today. It could get chilly if you’re underdressed.”

Lily made a choking sound. Anna bumped her leg under the table in warning.

Colin, oblivious and determined to remain so, nodded toward the fridge. “Orange juice is fresh if anyone wants more. I had to pick up a new kind yesterday—all they had was ‘extra pulp,’ but it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

Conversation, thankfully, shifted to shopping lists and store strategies. Sarah began outlining her route like a general preparing for war.

“We start at Target. Then hit Kohl’s. Then swing by the outlets for boots—Lily, you are going to help me pick a nice pair of leather boots, right?”

Her tone was innocent enough, but the way she stressed leather boots made Anna nearly spit out her juice.

Lily blinked. “Oh. Um… sure.” Anna shot Sarah a look that could’ve stripped paint.

Kate chimed in. “If we’re driving all the way to the outlet mall, we might as well stop at the bookshop. I want to see if the new Atwood’s out.”

“Fine,” Sarah said. “But we are not spending more than twenty minutes in the bookstore. I will drag you out.”

“You can try,” Kate replied, with an indulgent smile.

Eventually, the table cleared. Colin disappeared into the garage muttering about tangled lights, and Sarah sprinted to her room to change. Kate headed to the sink rinse off her plate. Lily leaned over to Anna and whispered, “That went... okay?”

Anna shook her head. “I don’t know what’s worse—my mom suspecting, or Sarah knowing everything.”

“Your mom definitely suspects.”

“Yeah, as long as Sarah doesn’t share details—”

“Shhh! Don’t borrow trouble,” Lily touched her finger to Anna’s lips, grinning despite herself. “Let’s survive the morning first.”

Kate turned off the water and walked back to the table. “We’re heading out in thirty, girls. Don’t dawdle.”

Anna and Lily made a hasty retreat down the hall.

As they disappeared, Kate looked toward the ceiling, shook her head fondly, and said softly to herself, “They really are adorable.” Then, with a little smile: “And clearly very... close.”