Vanessa
When we arrive, it's Wenn who opens the door. We stand there for a few seconds, unsure of what to say, but just as I'm thinking I should be the one to introduce Mel to Wenn, she pulls her into a hug so tight I genuinely wonder if my friend is still breathing. And that's exactly why Wenn is like a sunflower—always accompanied by sunlight, always drawn to the warmest places, always the embodiment of an open heart and the certainty that light always returns. And in this moment, she's giving a little of that to Melissa, asking for nothing in return.
I stay quiet and slip past them, not wanting to break the spell, and I catch Shawn's gaze. He's leaning against the kitchen doorway, beer in hand, looking completely lost.
"The blonde girl?" he asks quietly, nodding toward Melissa.
"Melissa," I reply. "My best friend. She just got here… complicated stuff. She's going through something heavy."
I say it without sharing the full truth.
Shawn nods, as if that's enough not to ask more. But then he looks at me, curious.
"And the beach? Do you know what happened with Wenn? We were talking about the future, normal stuff, and suddenly she asked if I wanted kids. I said I wasn't sure, that I hadn't really thought about it… and she ran off. Literally. I didn't get it."
I pause for a second. And then I get it. Of course. Wenn ran because it wasn't a casual question. It was loaded—with history, with fear. And Shawn, without knowing, gave her the exact answer she couldn't handle in that moment.
"Hmm… I don't know," I say, pretending to be confused. "Maybe she felt overwhelmed. Sometimes girls hold things in and then explode without warning."
I really need to take acting lessons from Mel.
Shawn raises an eyebrow. He doesn't seem convinced, but he doesn't push.
"Well. I guess I'll find out. Or not."
Before I can say anything else, Konnor bursts into the room with his usual energy, followed by Maeson and Zane, who greet us with a quick nod. Wenn and Melissa are already inside, and Melissa introduces herself to Shawn, who shakes her hand with a kind smile, though he still looks a bit puzzled.
"Nice to meet you," says Shawn.
"Likewise," Melissa replies, with that calm elegance that defines her.
Wenn claps her hands gently to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, let's sit down. I made meatloaf with pumpkin mash and cucumber mint salad. Nothing fancy, but it's Australian and decent."
Everyone settles at the table—except Zane, who disappears without a word. I see him go upstairs and quietly close his bedroom door. No one says anything, but I catch Maeson's worried glance. We eat and get to know each other a little more.
Konnor serves himself a generous portion of meatloaf and looks at it like it's a culinary masterpiece.
"Wenn, this is amazing. Are you sure you don't have a secret cooking channel on YouTube?"
"No, but if you keep saying nice things, I might consider it," she replies, smiling as she serves more pumpkin mash. "Besides, with Shawn, it's important to know how to cook in bulk."
Shawn looks at her fondly, laughing at the inside joke. And I'm glad to see that whatever happened at the beach seems resolved—or at least, I hope so.
I glance at Konnor, who's mouthing words silently, but the message is clear—emotional telepathy. I laugh, remembering our car conversation.
Melissa takes a bite and nods enthusiastically.
"This tastes fantastic. I don't know how you did it, but you lifted my mood instantly. Thank you."
"That's what happens when you cook with music and zero expectations," says Wenn. "The trick is not trying to impress anyone."
"I cooked once with high expectations," Konnor jumps in. "Ended up with burnt rice, a smoke alarm, and a frozen pizza as Plan B."
"And was the pizza good?" Shawn asks seriously.
"Obviously. Pizza is always good. It's the emotional wildcard of cooking."
Melissa laughs, and I look at her, relieved. She's fitting in perfectly with the group. Maeson, sitting beside me, still looks a bit concerned. I lean toward him.
"Do you think Zane's okay?" I ask quietly.
"I don't know," he replies, also whispering. "But I'll go up in a bit. I don't want him to stay locked in all night."
I nod, and we return to the group conversation just as Shawn starts telling a story about how he mistook a meditation class for an acro-yoga session.
"Spoiler: I didn't reach enlightenment, but I did pull a muscle in my back," he says, and everyone bursts out laughing.
The table fills with laughter, half-empty plates, and overlapping conversations. Then we decide to move to the living room to hang out and watch a movie.
While the others settle in among scattered pillows and debates over what to watch, Maeson quietly gets up. He doesn't say anything, just gives me a quick glance, confirming it's time to do what he said.
He climbs the stairs slowly, avoiding the creaky spots. Zane's door is closed—not with the firmness that says "don't come in," but with the kind that suggests "I don't know if I want someone to try."
Maeson hesitates for a second, then knocks twice, softly.
Zane
Zane sits at the edge of his bed, the noise from the living room still filtering through the crack in the door. He closes his eyes for a moment and asks himself:
What's wrong with me today?
It's not just that Melissa showed up unexpectedly—it's her. Her easy laugh when Konnor told a joke, the way she rested calmly on Vanessa's shoulder. The image of her at the airport sticks in his mind: the Off-White coat, the intense gaze that didn't blink the first time they locked eyes.
Emma is in his thoughts. His girlfriend for the past year. He knows her voice in the dark, her morning quirks. Thinking about Melissa feels like a betrayal—the kind you don't plan. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, but he can't stop replaying the way Melissa looked at him this afternoon.
He runs a hand through his hair. "It's just attraction," he tells himself. "It doesn't have to mean anything." But every time he tries to focus on his phone—on a message from Emma asking if he's okay and if he's had dinner—Melissa's image pops up again. Turning to answer the guys, so natural, so real.
He takes a deep breath. And hears two soft knocks at the door. He knows it's Maeson. He's the only one who reads him like no one else can.