Just Like That (The Kings)

The soft creak of the bus’s wooden floors beneath my feet was the only sound as I paced back and forth, running my fingers through my hair, tangled from another restless night.

I caught my reflection in the little mirror by the kitchen sink—my eyes were hollowed, staring back at me. Usually they were wide and bright, filled with hope and curiosity.

Now they looked haunted and lost.

The interior of the skoolie was dimly lit by the string lights hung along the ceiling, casting soft shadows. It was intended to be cozy, like a cocoon, but tonight it felt too small, too tight. I could feel the walls closing in on me, wrapping around my chest like a vine threatening to choke me.

Teddy was asleep in the big bed, his gentle breaths steady and innocent, completely unaware of the chaos in my heart. In such a short time, that quirky little guy had become my world—my reason for being.

And now, because of one twist of fate and my sister’s unfathomable choices, I might lose him.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold it together.

How had everything unraveled so quickly?

JP wasn’t Teddy’s father. Russell was.

Russell King.

The thought of him sent a shiver down my spine. I could still see the coldness in JP’s eyes whenever the topic of his dad came up. The way his name filled every room, demanding attention, control. He was a man who always got what he wanted. And now he knew about Teddy.

How long before he showed up, lawyers in tow, ready to rip my world apart?

I dropped down into the worn leather seat by the window, pulling my knees up to my chest.

It was all my fault.

I never planned for this, for any of it. I never planned, period. I lived in the moment, let my emotions steer the ship. I was impulsive, untethered. I had read Olive’s letter, and though I was doing exactly what she wanted for her son, I just jumped in without thinking it through.

And now there I was. Alone. Scared.

I looked out the window toward his bedroom. It was dark inside, but I flicked the lamp beside me on, then off.

I waited and waited, but his room was still dark.

I let out a shaky breath at the thought of the man I had fallen in love with. He made me feel safe, grounded, like all my wild ideas and messy emotions weren’t something to run from, but to embrace.

With him, I wasn’t just a free spirit floating through the universe—I had an anchor.

But how could I keep holding on to him, knowing that Teddy wasn’t really his? Knowing that, in the end, I might lose everything?

My heart ached at the thought of pulling away from him, but what choice did I have? JP didn’t deserve to get caught up in this mess, and I didn’t know if I could take him down with me. Maybe it was better to let him go now, before things got even more complicated.

A small noise broke through the fog of my thoughts, and I turned to see Teddy standing there, rubbing his eyes. His dark, messy hair stuck up in every direction, and he looked at me with that sleepy, innocent gaze that made my heart both swell and break at the same time.

“Hazel?” His voice was soft, still thick with sleep. “Why are we not in the house?”

“You fell asleep. It’s okay.”

He frowned at me and my heart rolled. “Why are you sad?”

I tried to muster a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m not sad, buddy. Just . . . thinking.”

He padded over to me, his bare feet making little thumps on the floor, and climbed up onto the seat beside me. He wrapped his small arms around my waist, leaning his head on my shoulder.

“You don’t have to think so much, you know,” he said, his voice wise beyond his years. “The universe already knows what’s supposed to happen.”

I blinked back tears, the lump in my throat growing tighter.

Of course he would say that. Of course.

“I don’t know if it’s that simple, Teddy,” I whispered, brushing a hand through his hair. “Sometimes it feels like everything’s too messy for the universe to figure out.”

He looked up at me, his blue-green eyes serious. “But the universe is really big. You said it can fix anything.”

God, he was too pure for this world. Too good for the mess I’d brought him into.

I kissed the top of his head, holding him close. “You’re right, buddy. The universe is big.”

But no matter how big the universe was, I wasn’t sure if it could fix this. I wasn’t sure if anything could stop Russell from sweeping in and claiming Teddy as his own. And I wasn’t sure if I could survive losing the only family I had.

Teddy shifted beside me, pulling back just enough to look at me, his face full of childlike sincerity. “You’re happy when you’re with Dad, right?”

I froze, not expecting the question. Teddy was staring up at me, waiting for an answer.

Slowly, I nodded. “Yeah. JP makes me happy.”

“Do you love him?” His big blue eyes stared at me.

I swallowed hard. “I do.”

He grinned. “Me too, and that’s all that matters.” He shrugged like it was the simplest thing in the world. “If Dad makes you happy, and I make you happy, then everything will be okay.”

I swallowed hard again, tears pricking the back of my eyes. “You really think so?”

Teddy nodded, his sleepy smile returning. “Yup. The universe will figure out the rest.”

I watched him curl up against me, his breathing slowing as he drifted back to sleep.

How was it that this seven-year-old could see things so clearly when I couldn’t?

He was right, in a way. I was overcomplicating everything, letting fear take over. JP made me happy. Teddy made me happy. The love we shared wasn’t meaningless, no matter how much the world tried to tell me otherwise.

Maybe it wasn’t about planning or having everything figured out. Maybe it was about trusting—trusting the universe, trusting myself, and trusting that somehow, some way, we’d find a way through this.

Together.

I looked out the window, the stars twinkling in the vast night sky over Lake Michigan, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let out a deep breath.

I squeezed my eyes shut and sent up a prayer to my sister and anyone else who would listen.

Please let Teddy be right.