The soft beep of the alarm went off at 6:00 AM sharp.
Naya opened her eyes before the second ring. She'd gotten used to early mornings now—at least the kind that started with purpose. She slipped out of bed quietly, letting Kian sleep a few extra minutes. He had stayed up late working on a proposal and deserved a little more rest.
Tami's door was already open.
The little girl sat at the edge of her bed, swinging her legs and clutching her bunny. Her backpack sat beside her, zipped up and ready. Her uniform was crisp, socks pulled up too high the way she liked them.
"Someone's ready to win the punctuality award," Naya teased, brushing a few strands of hair from Tami's face.
Tami grinned. "We have PE today. I wanna be early so I can be team captain."
Naya helped her tighten the straps on her bag and checked the lunchbox Kian had packed the night before—whole wheat sandwich, apple slices, and the tiny note he never forgot to write. This one said, "You are the sun, not just the light."
They dropped Kian's lunch on the counter with a kiss scribbled onto a sticky note, and Naya bundled Tami into the car.
The school run had become their little ritual.
"Can we play the happy song?" Tami asked as they drove down the hill.
"You mean Beyoncé's 'Break My Soul'?"
"YES."
Naya laughed, tapping the playlist. The music bounced through the speakers and Tami danced in her seat, carefree and full of energy. When they reached the school gate, Tami leaned over and kissed Naya's cheek.
"Thank you… for coming into our lives."
Naya's heart tugged, but she kept her smile steady. "Thank you for letting me."
---
Work was another rhythm now.
Naya had relaunched her media brand quietly, focusing on authenticity over aesthetics. Gone were the overfiltered posts and the shallow partnerships. She'd started sharing real moments—motherhood, redemption, the blurry lines of healing.
People responded.
Her following grew—not just in numbers, but in depth. Brands returned with better offers. Her agency respected her new direction. She worked mostly from her home office, occasionally taking meetings in town when Tami was at school and Kian could pick her up.
The balance wasn't perfect, but it was real. And every time she felt overwhelmed, she'd walk into Tami's room, watch her color the corners of her math book, and remember why she was trying so hard in the first place.
---
Fridays were for dates.
It had started one night when Kian showed up in the living room wearing a button-down and holding her favorite flowers. Tami had gone to bed early after an exhausting art competition, and Kian had lit candles and turned off the overhead lights.
"You ready for our official first date… without a courtroom in sight?"
Naya had laughed so hard she almost cried. That night, they'd danced in their living room, ordered in ramen, and talked until midnight.
Now, every Friday, they took turns planning something. Some weeks it was a rooftop dinner. Others, a drive to a late-night bookstore or a quiet walk near the pier.
They learned each other in the spaces between responsibility. Learned that Kian liked jazz more than R&B, that Naya couldn't eat anything with raisins, and that they both hated the smell of coconut lotion.
And slowly, love began to feel less like recovery and more like choice.
---
Weekends were for family.
On Saturdays, they did brunch at the farmer's market. Tami would run ahead, choosing the brightest fruits or making them try weird samples like turmeric jelly and seaweed cookies. Kian always said yes. Naya always made a face. Tami always laughed.
On Sundays, they made pancakes together—Naya cutting fruit, Kian manning the stove, Tami sneaking bites and adding "secret ingredients" like chocolate chips and marshmallows when Kian wasn't looking.
Then they'd sit on the balcony, sun spilling across their plates, and talk about everything and nothing. No headlines. No pressure. Just a new life unfolding in pieces that finally made sense.
---
One evening, after another pancake Sunday, Tami fell asleep on the couch between them.
Kian brushed a curl from her forehead. "She's happy."
"She's safe," Naya said softly.
They sat there in silence, watching their daughter breathe, feeling the weight of everything they'd built—not just in courtrooms or headlines—but in soft mornings, loud kitchens, and quiet forgiveness.
This was more than a second chance.
This was home.
Naya thought about that day, how she had made a reckless decision—she married a man she didn't even date, someone she doesn't love but has now become a huge part of her life.
She's grown fond of her family. She finds herself smiling at his pictures, waiting patiently for his text and calls.
Kain sometimes pick her up from work, occasionally he brings gift for her—those little and kind gestures makes her heart flutter. She had always being the bigger person doing the caring and checking up but with Kain she feels different—she feels loved and that's all that she needs at the moment
Kain never failed to show her love, he does the cooking himself and even employed maid to do the chores—She had requested to tend to Tami and even made it a duty to personally drop her off at school and put her to bed at night
Kain is no doubt a good father and lover while little Tami is a cheerful and smart kid. Her innocent blue eyes always shining like her father's.
"How could anyone lose such great people, what was Clarissa thinking" she thought while secretly thanking her for bringing two wonderful people into her life