The Italian countryside was bathed in gold, the setting sun stretching long shadows across the rolling hills. The air smelled of ripened vineyards, warm earth, and the distant scent of Nonna Francesca’s cooking drifting through the open windows of the vil.

  Ezra had been looking forward to this trip all year.

  Julie, Italy, time away from the ridiculousness of the White-Coats—just a moment to breathe, to be normal again.

  The moment he stepped through the vil’s creaky old door, Julie had unched herself at him, arms wrapped around his neck, lips crashing into his before he even had time to put his bags down.

  It didn’t take long before they were stumbling up the stairs, hands tangled in each other’s clothes, ughter breathless between kisses.

  They had a lot to catch up on.

  Their bedroom door had barely clicked shut before they were on each other again, Ezra pressing Julie against the door as she tugged his shirt over his head, her fingers tracing over the new definition in his muscles from the brutal training at the White-Coat university.

  Julie grinned against his lips, her voice breathless, teasing. "Damn, babe, they really put you through it, huh?"

  Ezra huffed a ugh, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to the bed. "You have no idea." The bed creaked under their combined weight, the old frame groaning as Ezra kissed his way down her neck, pressing into her, losing himself in her warmth, her ughter, her everything.

  God, he had missed her. Missed this.

  For months, he had been stuck in a world of lunacy, forced to memorize fabricated history and take an oath to a kingdom that didn’t exist. And yet, somehow, those White-Coat nutjobs held real power, and it drove him insane.

  Julie ran her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly, making him groan against her skin. "What's on your mind?" she murmured.

  Ezra ughed into her shoulder. "You were right. You were so right."

  Julie grinned. "About what?"

  Ezra pulled back slightly, catching her gaze. "The White-Coats. They're unbearable. I want nothing to do with them once I graduate. I swear to God, if I have to hear one more lecture about the Cosmic Burger King War of 2042, I’m gonna throw myself off a bridge."

  Julie burst out ughing, wrapping her legs tighter around him. "I told you!" she teased. "They’re cooks, Ezra. Absolute madmen! But you didn’t listen!"

  Ezra groaned, colpsing against her as she continued to ugh in his ear. "I had to see it for myself. And now? Now I have to suffer."

  Julie kissed him again, biting his lower lip just enough to make him groan, before flipping him over so she was straddling him, her hands pnted firmly on his chest. "Well," she murmured, rolling her hips, making him suck in a sharp breath, "if you need me to help you forget about all that White-Coat nonsense, I think I can arrange something."

  Ezra let out a low chuckle, hands gripping her hips. "You better."

  And then? Then there was no more talking.

  Only heat.

  Only ughter, gasps, tangled sheets, and the groan of a bed frame that had not been built for this kind of abuse.

  The sunlight filtering through the old wooden shutters was too damn bright. Ezra groaned, burying his face into Julie’s hair, hoping that if he just stayed here long enough, the world outside their door would cease to exist.

  Julie was still half-asleep, her body curled against his, the warmth of the bnkets a perfect cocoon. For a moment, everything was peaceful.

  Then, a knock at the door. Ezra tensed. Julie froze, then slowly turned her head toward the sound, half-lidded eyes meeting his in sleepy confusion. Another knock.

  Then—"Breakfast is ready! Also, congratutions on the passionate lovemaking, you two!"

  Ezra’s soul left his body. Julie went rigid, her face turning red so fast he thought she might combust. The voice outside the door?

  Nonna Francesca.

  Ezra stared at the ceiling, praying for death.

  Julie squeaked, burying her face into his chest as pure horror set in. "Ezra. Ezra. EZRA."

  He could only gasp for air. "She—she—"

  "SHE HEARD EVERYTHING!"

  The realization hit like a lightning bolt to the spine. But the humiliation didn’t stop there. Because as soon as they hesitantly descended the stairs, faces flushed, hands csped together in silent "we do not speak of what happened st night" agreement… The entire family was waiting for them.

  Seth sat at the dining table, arms crossed, smirking like a man who had been waiting for this moment all his life. Nonna Francesca was buttering toast, completely unbothered, sipping her espresso like a woman who had heard worse in her time.

  And then there was Ciarra.

  Smiling. Beaming.

  Like she was watching the most wholesome, adorable scene of young love unfold before her eyes.

  Julie groaned, covering her entire face with her hands. "This is the worst day of my life."

  Ciarra, delighted, held up a cup of coffee. "Good morning, lovebirds!"

  Ezra felt his soul ascend to another pne of existence.

  Bruiser, had he been here, would be losing his mind with ughter. Seth, taking a slow sip of his coffee, finally spoke. "Son," he said casually, "I think it’s time you invest in a sturdier bed frame."

  Ezra dropped into a chair and died on the spot.

  By the time the ughter settled, by the time Julie stopped threatening to flee the country and never return, it became clear—

  This was going to be one of those stories.

  One of the legendary family tales, the kind that would never die, the kind that would be brought up at every possible gathering until the end of time.

  And, somehow… That was okay.

  As much as he wanted to bury himself alive at the thought, these moments—the ridiculous ones, the embarrassing ones, the ones filled with love and teasing and warmth— These were the moments that made life worth remembering. And maybe, just maybe…

  Even with the chaos that awaited him back at the White-Coat University, Ezra had found something far more important here in Italy.

  A pce to always come back to. A pce that felt like home.

  The morning sun was soft and golden, streaming through the old vil’s windows, illuminating the dust motes that drifted zily through the air. The summer air smelled of fresh herbs drying in the kitchen, of warm bread baking in Nonna’s old oven, of vender carried on the breeze from the hills outside.

  Julie had taken to helping Nonna Francesca with house chores, keeping the older woman entertained with her endless historical debates as they sorted through vegetables and kneaded dough for lunch. Seth had gone to the market for some supplies, leaving the vil quiet and still.

  And, once again, it was just Ezra and Ciarra. Ezra sat at the dining table, nursing a cup of espresso, still recovering from the humiliation of st night. Ciarra, ever composed, sat across from him, watching him with far too much amusement. After a long sip of her tea, she sighed nostalgically.

  "Ah, young love," she mused. "The thrill of passion, the foolish belief that no one can hear you, only to find out the next day that you’ve been thoroughly exposed…"

  Ezra closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Please," he said, voice tight. "Not you too."

  Ciarra only smiled, stirring her tea in slow circles. "Oh, my dear Ezra, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you that you handled it well."

  Ezra groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "I’m never going to live this down."

  "Of course not," Ciarra said matter-of-factly. "That’s the fun of it."

  Ezra gred at her, but she only chuckled, setting her cup down and folding her hands over the table. "You know," she said, her voice turning thoughtful, "it reminds me of my own youth. Almost the exact same thing happened to me once."

  Ezra froze mid-sip. He lowered his cup slowly. "Ciarra—no."

  She tilted her head, clearly ignoring him. "It was at a barn," she continued, smiling wistfully. "There was a party outside, music so loud I thought it would cover everything up, but oh, was I wrong. Let me tell you, the moment I walked out, the entire town—"

  Ezra smmed his hand onto the table. "Ciarra!"

  She ughed, delighted. Ezra groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Why," he muttered, "why did Dad have to marry someone who enjoys torturing me?"

  Ciarra smirked. "Because he has impeccable taste."

  Ezra sighed deeply. The teasing died down, and they sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping their drinks. The occasional sounds of Julie and Nonna chatting from the kitchen drifted in from down the hall, making the vil feel warm and full of life. Eventually, the conversation turned naturally, flowing the way easy conversations do. And somehow, it drifted toward the topic of children…

  Ezra, still half-distracted by his coffee, absently asked, "Did you ever have kids?"

  The air shifted.

  Ciarra’s fingers stilled against the rim of her cup, her expression momentarily far away.

  Ezra immediately regretted asking. Her smile faded just a fraction, but she nodded. "I did," she said softly.

  Ezra sat up a little, watching her carefully.

  Ciarra sighed, leaning back in her chair. "It was… a different time. I didn’t have a hospital to go to, so I had to give birth in the same barn where we—"

  Ezra shot his hands up immediately.

  "Bah-bah-bah—no need for messy details!"

  Ciarra ughed, her warm voice filling the space between them.

  "Poor Ezra," she teased, shaking her head. "You’re good at handling construction equipment, but the mere thought of childbirth sends you into a panic."

  Ezra scowled. "There are some things a man doesn’t need to hear about."

  Ciarra’s eyes twinkled with mischief. "Oh, you have no idea." Ezra groaned again, but despite the teasing, he could see something behind her ughter—something deeper, something nostalgic. She took a slow breath, gaze softening. "When I had her," she continued, her voice quieter, "I found a four-leaf clover that very same day."

  Ezra frowned. "Really?"

  Ciarra nodded. "It was the first bit of good luck I had in years. So I named her Clover."

  Ezra’s heart twisted. Ciarra’s expression turned distant, wistful. "For so long, people called me unlucky. Cursed, even. But Clover was… she was different. She was my one stroke of good luck."

  She smiled, but there was something behind it, something raw and deeply personal. Ezra, despite himself, reached out and gently pced a hand over hers. "You weren’t bad luck," he said quietly. Ciarra blinked, looking up at him with genuine surprise. Ezra gave her a small, honest smile. "You deserved good things too."

  For a moment, she just stared at him. Then, unexpectedly, her eyes glistened. Ezra had never seen her get emotional before, had never seen her without her usual knowing smirk or teasing grin. And yet, here she was, brushing at her eyes with the back of her hand, shaking her head with a soft chuckle.

  "Look at you," she murmured, voice a little thick with emotion. "Wiser than you realize."

  Ezra chuckled. "Don’t tell anyone."

  Ciarra let out a soft ugh, then, without hesitation, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.

  Ezra froze for a second, caught off guard.

  Then, slowly, he hugged her back. It wasn’t awkward. It wasn’t forced.

  It was… right.

  A piece of something falling into pce.

  "Awwwwwwwww!"

  Ezra flinched so hard he nearly knocked over his coffee cup.

  Ciarra pulled back just in time to see Julie standing in the doorway, her hands csped together, her entire face beaming with delight. Ezra immediately groaned. "Oh my god."

  Julie leaned against the doorframe, grinning like she had just won the lottery. "This is adorable. You two are so cute."

  Ciarra, to Ezra’s horror, joined in on the fun, smirking as she pced a hand over her heart. "It was a moment," she said dramatically.

  Ezra gred at her. "You’re not helping."

  Julie stifled a ugh. "Ezra, babe. This is just like high school all over again. The stage? The confession? I heard everything."

  Ezra tilted his head back and sighed loudly. "I am going to throw myself into the ocean."

  Julie giggled and walked over, pcing a quick kiss on his cheek. "You love me too much to do that."

  Ezra just grumbled, crossing his arms as both women continued to ugh at his misery. But, despite the embarrassment, despite Julie’s relentless teasing, Ezra couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment, this summer, would be one he carried with him forever. And, maybe, just maybe…

  Ciarra really was meant to be part of their family after all.