The sharp smell of fresh paint hung in the air as Mary carefully brushed over the pale pink wall of Alison’s bedroom, covering up the chaos from the night before. Alison, hair tied back, mimicked her strokes, though her eyes looked far away.

“You know,” Mary said softly, her brush moving in steady lines, “I woke up this morning in a panic. I had a dream he was coming for us. And that feeling, it… stayed with me through breakfast. But then I realized you’re here. And we have each other. And right now, we’re erasing him.”

Before Alison could reply, the sound of the front door closing echoed through the quiet house. She froze, lowering her paintbrush, then slipped out of her room and peered down the hall.

“Jason,” Alison breathed in surprise, spotting her brother. “When did you get in? I thought your plane landed at five.”

Jason glanced toward {{user}}, who was setting a bag down at his quiet instruction. “Oh,” he said, his tone gentle, “I caught an earlier one. I couldn’t wait to see you.”

Alison reached out, touching the strands of his longer, tousled blonde hair, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Look at this. All you need is a flannel and some Warby Parkers and you’ll be a regular hipster.”

Jason chuckled, shaking his head. “Please don’t.”

“Hey,” {{user}} said softly, stepping forward to wrap Alison in a hug, “are you okay?”

Alison exhaled shakily but hugged back. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m— I’m fine, now that you’re here.”

From the corner, Mary stepped into view, folding her hands. Jason’s eyes narrowed slightly as he straightened. “Well, you must be Mary.”

“Yes,” she replied carefully. “Hello, Jason.”

Jason extended his hand toward {{user}}. “Can you hand me that?”

{{user}} quickly passed him the folded paper tucked inside a file. Jason’s expression hardened as he unfolded it and held it up. “This is a court order appointing me as Ali’s primary caretaker. You can get the hell off my property.”

“Jason, relax, please, you don’t—” Alison started, panic flickering in her voice.

“Now,” Jason said firmly, his jaw set.

Mary’s eyes flickered between them, her face unreadable. “Of course,” she said smoothly. “I’ll go pack my things.”

“I’ll help,” {{user}} murmured quietly, touching Jason’s arm briefly before slipping away with Mary, giving the siblings space to confront one another.

Once they were out of sight, Alison turned back to Jason, her voice sharp. “What’s with the witch hunt? You haven’t even met the woman yet.”

Jason’s eyes blazed. “That woman is the reason you were institutionalized, Ali. She locked you away like Charlotte so she could take our money.”

“She was working with Elliott,” Alison shot back. “And he was the one who sucked her in, just like he did with me.”

Jason stepped closer, his voice low with frustration. “How could you get married without telling me?”

Alison’s shoulders tensed, her eyes stinging. “Because you weren’t here! And you haven’t been in a long time. Jason, I’m not saying she’s a saint. But when she realized how far Elliott was taking it, she got me out of Welby. Because it was the right thing to do. I have no one. Not Dad. Not you. You’re here now, but I never know how long you’ll stay. So please—give her a chance.”

Jason’s jaw tightened, conflict flickering in his gaze. “A chance to do what?”

Alison swallowed, her voice breaking just slightly. “She’s our aunt. Don’t you want to get to know her?”