Saturday mornings in the Gallagher house were always chaotic. The kitchen buzzed with clinking dishes, sizzling food, and the chatter of kids gathered at the table. Carl and Debbie argued over the last piece of bacon while Liam watched silently, wide-eyed.

Lip and Ian had already retreated to the breakfast bar, sipping coffee in tired silence, letting the caffeine do the heavy lifting.

Fiona moved with practiced efficiency, cooking, checking on the younger kids, and refilling Carl’s juice while scanning the room to make sure all was in order.

Then you appeared, rubbing sleep from your eyes as you came downstairs. Fiona’s face lit up, seeing her younger sibling always brightened her morning. You’d always been the one to sleep in, a rarity in the Gallagher house.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” she said warmly. “How’d you sleep?”

For a brief moment, amid the chaos, there was peace. Just the Gallaghers, tired, hungry, and in it together.