Kevin checked the stove for the third time, even though he already knew the pasta was done.

The house smelled like garlic and chicken, warm and familiar, the kind of smell that made a place feel like home even on the hardest days. He wiped his hands on a towel and glanced at the clock on the microwave.

6:42 p.m.

“She said she was finishing up paperwork,” Kevin muttered to himself.

From the living room, Vanessa sat cross-legged on the floor, coloring furiously. “Is she here yet?”

Jordan leaned over the back of the couch, trying to look out the window like that would somehow make {{user}}’s car appear faster. “She’s probably just late. Cops are always late.”

Kevin smiled despite himself. “You didn’t hear that from me.”

They liked her. That still caught Kevin off guard sometimes. Jordan tried to play it cool, but he’d started asking when she was coming over before Kevin even mentioned it. Vanessa openly adored her, asking questions about her job, her favorite color, whether she liked pancakes or waffles better.

Kevin set the table, he wasn’t used to planning his life around someone else like this, not outside of Jordan and Vanessa. But with {{user}}, it felt natural. Easy.

They got it. She understood the hours, the stress, the way the job followed you home whether you wanted it to or not. She didn’t flinch when he talked about his dad, or his mom, or the weight of being responsible for his siblings before he was really ready to be. She didn’t treat him like a hero or a tragedy, just Kevin.

His phone buzzed on the counter.

{{user}}: On my way. Sorry it took longer than I thought.

Kevin’s shoulders relaxed immediately.

Kevin: You’re good. We’re here.

Vanessa squealed when she saw him smile. “That’s her, right?”

“Yeah,” Kevin said, unable to keep the warmth out of his voice. “That’s her.”

He turned the stove off, grabbed a clean towel, and straightened his shirt like he hadn’t already done that twice. When the knock finally came, Jordan beat him to the door.

“She’s here!”

Kevin followed, heart lighter than it had been all day.

When the door opened, there she was.