Hugo came to his brother’s residence to drop off the baby and was met with a doting Hana, who had missed her son’s presence.

“He’s so cute!” said Hana, receiving Lucas from Hugo. She rubbed her cheeks with his and made him giggled. She saw that her son was in formal wear, so she questioned Hugo about it.

“I thought since it’s the new year, I should dress him up for the occasion. Are you guys going to do anything?”

Logan walked out from the kitchen with a bag of chips in his hands. He sat on the couch beside his friend and asked if his brother would like some.

Hugo shook his head.

“We’re gonna eat out with our friends,” answered Hana. “Would you like to join us?”

He shook his head. “Thanks, but my flight’s in four or five hours, and I still have some errands.”

Logan sighed. “It’s always ‘errands.’ What are you really doing?” He smirked. “You’re meeting up with a girl, aren’t you?”

Hugo laughed and stood up. “Happy New Year.” He walked out the door.

Logan stood up, gasping. “My brother has a girl!”

Hana looked up at him. “And what’s wrong with that?”

“It’s weird that he has a girl.”

She hit her friend for his comment.

“No, I mean that he’s not the type who’d be a magnet for girls.”

“Unfortunately, you are.”

“He’s bluffing! He wants to make it look like he has a girl, but he doesn’t.”

Hana rolled her eyes and got up with Lucas in her arms. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.”

“Why would I need to do that?”

“‘cause your brother has a girlfriend, and you don’t.”

Logan scoffed and put his hands at his hips. “I don’t need a girlfriend when I got a wife.”

The two friends paused. Hearing the ‘w’ word made them remember their strange and uncomfortable discussions about getting married. The only sounds in the room were Lucas’s mumbling and his sucking on his hand.

“He’s probably hungry,” said Logan, attempting to start another conversation as casual as it can be.

Hana nodded without looking at him. “Yeah. I’m gonna go feed him upstairs.” She left without Logan.

*

Hana woke up and looked around and saw that she was in her bedroom with Lucas snuggling beside her. She had taken a nap while feeding him. She carefully got up. Unfortunately, her movement wasn’t as subtle as she had thought, and it woke up Lucas. She changed his diaper, wrapped him with a blanket, and went downstairs with him.

“Took a nap?” asked Logan.

Hana nodded as she yawned.

Logan made way for his friend to sit beside him. “You woke up just in time. Thought I’d have to wake you up.”

“For what? Oh, for your new year dinner party?”

He nodded. “You have ‘bout an hour or so. Go get dressed.” He placed a hand at his stomach and pouted. “I’m hungry.”

She gave out a weak and tired laugh. “Okay. Don’t want you to starve and die now.” But she didn’t move.

“Go.” He nudged her.

“I just got down. I’ll go when it’s time, and our friends aren’t even here yet.”

“Oh, change of plans. We’re meeting elsewhere instead.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so, so go get changed.” He nudged her again.

She sighed. “Fine.” She and Lucas went back upstairs. She put Lucas on the bed, went to stand by the closet, picked out a sweater and jeans, changed into them, found some comfortable clothes for her son, dressed him into it, and walked back down with him. “Ready.”

He smiled. “Perfect.”

The friends stayed downstairs, idly at the couch until it was time to go.

Logan opened the door for them as Hana seated Lucas in a stroller. The Hart family stepped out with Logan locking the door behind them. To Hana’s surprise, Logan led them in a different direction.

To the neighborhood park.

“I told Hailey to pick us up here,” said Logan. “Let’s sit and wait.”

Hana obeyed. She sat on a bench with him.

Then Logan stood up. He slapped a palm on his forehead. “Damn, forgot something. Let me run back home. Stay here!” He ran before Hana had a chance to question him.

Hana waited. She looked down at her son with rosy pink cheeks and became worried about him. She made a mental promise to scold her friend for forgetting something and leaving their son out in the cold. Just as she was about to pick her son up, a familiar voice halted her.

“Hana?”

Hana looked away from her son to face the direction where she heard the familiar voice. She hoped it wasn’t who she thought it was, but she was wrong. She was afraid to say the name, afraid that it’d be true.

“It is you, Hana!” The figure ran straight to her and hugged her.

Hana almost fell back if it weren’t for her sitting down on the bench. She felt the cold cheeks of the figure and knew the person had been waiting. Waiting for her, perhaps.

They pulled away, and Hana looked at the person’s face. It had been a long while since she saw the person, and her heart squeezed with guilt.

“Is this the little boy?” asked the person, squatting down beside Lucas. “His name’s Lucas, huh? He’s so cute!”

Hana managed to stand up. Her legs had gotten weak due to the unexpected scene in front of her. Her paralyzed mouth uttered, “Laura.”

Laura looked up and smiled. “Yeah?” She stood up. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She looked behind her.

Hana did the same. She looked across the street and saw a van she had seen countless times before.

Standing as a clustered group by the van on the sidewalk were eight pairs looking back at her. They were Hana’s nieces and nephews. All the old and the young ones together.

Laura looked both ways of the street and then motioned for the group to run to them.

The group did as so, and everyone ran and crowded around Hana. The little ones immediately hugged Hana, but the older ones maintained their distance, shying away.

Hana returned everyone’s hug and then hugged the older ones. “Who took you here?”

“A friend of mine has her license, so I asked her for this favor,” answered Laura. “We really wanted to see you.”

“I miss you,” said one of the little ones, Joyce. She had been holding onto Hana. “Laura said you’re not coming back with us. Why do you stay at school? Why do you not come home?”

“She said you have a baby too,” cried another little one, Betty. “Is that him?”

Hana nodded. “He’s a cutie, isn’t he?”

Betty pouted. “But I thought we’re your only cute ones?”

Hana laughed and patted her on the head. “You guys are. And he too.”

“Then can you come back?” Betty interlaced her hands together. “Please? You can bring him too! I promise to take good care of him.”

“I know you will. I know all of you will. But I can’t leave him. I’m his mom now, and I…I have to be with him.”

“I said I wasn’t gonna do this,” said the tallest boy from the back. He was the oldest nephew, Maurice. He stepped forward. “But I can’t hold back anymore. Hana, where’s the jerk that knocked you up? I came here to give him a piece of my fist. He’s the reason you’re in this mess.”

“I’m not in a mess. I’m happy with everything.”

“You’re away from us, and you’re happy? I thought you wanted a good life, not-not this.”

Laura pulled her brother back. “Dude, chill. I told you that we’re here to see her, not to do something stupid like that.” She looked apologetically at her aunt. “Sorry, Hana. We’re not here to force you or anything. We—”

Maurice cut off her sister and spoke to Hana. “We heard about what happened between you and our parents, but that doesn’t matter. You play with us, you understand us, and you’re always there for us. So, come back home. We’ll help you. We’ll be there for you. This time, we’ll do anything for you. And that little guy.”

“I’m fine. Trust me,” said Hana, smiling. “I have Lucas and Logan.”

“Logan?” Maurice’s brow twitched.

Hana knew that wasn’t a good sign.

“He’s the bastard, isn’t he? He’s the dill-hole that you got like this, huh?” He looked around. “Where’s that punk? He set this up, but he won’t show his face? What a freakin’ coward.”

“He set this up?”

Laura stepped forward. “He and I have been texting each other, and I kinda made him do this.”

“How did you get his number?”

Laura shrugged. “I think he texted me first, but-but it’s not his fault. It’s mine. I asked for this meeting. I-I wanted to see you.”

Hana should have known something was up when her friend started taking charge of something. She took out her phone and texted in all caps, demanding for Logan’s appearance.

About five minutes later, Logan made his quiet and cautious entrance from behind Hana.

“Where have you been?” questioned Hana with a hand on her hip.

Logan smiled. “Waiting down the block.”

“So, you heard everything.”

Logan nodded.

Maurice walked passed Hana and set his eyes on the older boy. “This scrawny guy’s the jerk?” He slammed his fist into his palm multiple times, threatening Logan.

Hana held Maurice back. “Maurice, listen to me. Logan’s not involved. If anything, it’s like what I said. I’m family with him now.”

“He ain’t family! He’s a jerk! Lemme give him a piece to knock him out!”

Logan scurried to hide behind a bush.

Both Hana and Laura had to hold Maurice back.

The younger kids stood still, frightened and confused at the scene.

“STOP THIS!” shouted an overwhelmed Hana.

Maurice paused.

Hana took a deep breath. “I want you to understand that Logan’s my friend. He and I are in this together, and we’re gonna go through with it. No one—not even you—can make me change my mind.” She walked to her son in the stroller and strolled him to where Logan stood. “I’m with Logan and Lucas now. They’re my family. Even if it’s not today, there will be a day where I can’t stay with you forever.” She sent the group a smile. “I love you. I always will.”

*

Hana’s nieces and nephews had left, so it had been the virtual Hart family for a while now. Laura decided to end the meeting short because Maurice was getting worked up and wouldn’t listen to Hana. No one wanted to leave, but Laura forced them. Before they walked away, Laura had asked if it was okay for them to see each other more often, but Hana told them that it was best if they never crossed paths again. They left, and the kids who were old enough to understand what Hana had said turned away with tears.

The friends sat on the bench, and Lucas was playing with his pacifier.

Hailey, Seth, and Jake showed up.

Hailey hugged Hana. “Sorry. We just found out about everything.” She scowled at Logan. “How could you do this, Logan? Why did you let them see each other? Didn’t you know that doing that would hurt her?”

“It was for closure.”

Everyone looked at him. Even Hana. They sent him a confused look.

Logan continued. “Hana, I know what I did hurt you. But if anything, I don’t want you to avoid them for the sake of the brat. You got closure with your parents and your siblings but not with your brats, and I think they deserve it more than your parents or your siblings. You had been by their side, and you left without explaining anything.” He walked to Hana and held her hand. “I’m fine if they think bad of me, but I’m not fine with them never knowing the truth about you.”

Everyone was quiet.

Hana squeezed Logan’s hand, prompting Logan to perk with interest. She looked at Hailey. “Can you take Lucas for a moment? I want to speak with Logan alone.”

Hailey nodded. She strolled Lucas away and told Hana that they’d be at the place they were supposed to be half an hour ago for the dinner party. She glanced at Logan and sneered. “You’re in trouble now.”

Once the friends were gone, Hana looked back at Logan, who looked terrified of what was to come. She hugged him.

Logan was confused. “H-Hana?” He heard her sniffles and knew she was crying. He hugged her tight. “I’m sorry,” he quietly whispered.

She shook her head. “Thank you, Logan.”

The two friends stayed like that for a while until Hana was ready.

When she pulled away, her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was damp.

He teased her. “Eww, you’re already ugly. You can’t go back to the brat lookin’ like that. You’ll scare him.” He started to dry her face with his sleeves.

She made a face at him for making a joke out of her depressing state. “It’s your fault I’m like this.”

Once she looked better, he asked, “Ready to go?”

She nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

*

School was to resume tomorrow, and that meant exams were right around the corner. It also meant the friends would be seniors.

Logan had received a notice from his baseball coach last night for a quick team meeting at the school field today, so he rushed downstairs with a blanket as he wrestled to get his jacket on. He stopped when he saw a sleeping Hana with a tiny blanket over her while Lucas played in his nursery. He draped the blanket he had carried with him over Hana, and Hana rolled into a ball. He laughed.

He still had a few minutes to spare, so he crouched beside her and stared at his friend. He leaned close to her and whispered, “I’m going, Hana. I’ll come back before dinner, so wait—”

Hana felt something tickling her, so she batted her eyes and saw her friend up-close. She scowled. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t back away. “Looking at you.”

“Aww, I’m so pretty, you can’t resist?”

He backed away from her as he pulled the blanket over her face to keep her from noticing his embarrassment. He stood up but stepped on a part of the blanket and slipped backward.

Hana attempted to catch him but was pulled down by his weight, so she fell on top of him. Her hands were at his chest, and her right leg was in between his legs. She attempted to get off him, but her hand slipped, making her plant a hard kiss at his lips. Due to shock, she got up and slapped him away from her.

He backed away and touched his chest. “Ouch, what was that for?”

She grabbed the blanket on the couch and covered her upper body with it. “You know what that was for.” She saw him rubbed where she had hit him. “Sorry. It was a bit hard, huh?”

“It was more than a bit. You have hands of a man.”

She scoffed and then shoved him again. “Sorry. I have hands of a man.” She stood up and helped him up too. “Better get going, or you’re gonna be late.”

“I’m gonna tell Coach my ribs are broken ‘cause some dude broke them.” He stuck out his tongue at her as he walked out the door. He waved goodbye to her.

She waved back and waited until his silhouette disappeared before closing the door.