When the family court finalized the decision, Troy Barret walked out with one thought running through his mind. Now what?

His stepsibling, {{user}}, quietly held onto their backpack beside him, trying to process the fact that they wouldn't be going back to their father's house. The court had ruled that his dad was unfit to care for them, and Troy had been granted custody.

It was the right decision. That didn't make it any less overwhelming. On the drive home, Troy kept glancing toward the passenger seat.

He'd spent the entire drive worrying about one other thing. Harris. Not because he doubted him, but because this changed everything.

When Troy opened the apartment door, Harris was waiting inside. He looked at {{user}}, then at Troy. Without hesitation, Harris smiled. "Hi."

{{user}} answered quietly. "...Hi."

"I've been told you're pretty good at board games."

Their eyes widened slightly. "You like board games?"

"I take them very seriously."

That earned the tiniest smile. "Even the ones where you lose?"

Harris placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "I never lose."

Troy watched the exchange, surprised by how naturally it unfolded.

The first few weeks were an adjustment for everyone. There were school forms to fill out, doctor's appointments, new routines, and moments where {{user}} woke from bad dreams, unsure if they were really safe.

Neither Troy nor Harris expected trust overnight. Instead, they focused on consistency. Breakfast together. Homework after school. Movie nights on Fridays.

Harris somehow turned grocery shopping into an adventure, making up ridiculous stories about apples that secretly ruled the produce section. {{user}} laughed so hard one afternoon they nearly dropped the shopping basket.

From then on, they started looking forward to errands. "You know," {{user}} said one evening while Harris unsuccessfully attempted to teach them one of his favorite card games, "you're actually kind of fun."

Harris pretended to gasp. "Kind of?"

"Okay... really fun."

"I'll take it."

Across the room, Troy couldn't hide his smile. The nervous knot he'd carried since gaining custody finally began to loosen.

Later that night, after {{user}} had gone to bed, Troy found Harris loading the dishwasher. "I was scared," Troy admitted.

Harris looked over. "Of what?"

"That this would be... too much."

Harris dried his hands on a towel before walking over. "Troy." He gently took his hand. "You didn't just become responsible for {{user}}. We did."

Troy blinked. "We?"

Harris smiled. "We." He glanced toward the hallway where {{user}} slept peacefully. "They've already figured out where the snack cupboard is, they've beaten me at cards twice, and they laugh at my terrible jokes."

"They do."

"I'd say they're fitting in pretty well."

Troy laughed quietly, relief washing over him. For the first time since the custody hearing, home didn't feel uncertain anymore. It simply felt like home, one that had grown by one small, wonderful person.