Andrew woke up to the smell of pancakes and something sweet burning. He found Alice panicking in his kitchen, running from one side to the other. She was taking advantage of his kindness as expected, extending her stay for longer than the time agreed upon, but he didn't complain yet.

"What are you doing?" he said in a raspy voice, taking the frying pan from her hands and turning the stove off.

"I was trying to make breakfast, but I'm not very good at it." She blushed, stepping aside to let him clean her mess.

"Clearly," he mumbled, taking the job himself.

Alice sat by the table, bringing her knees up and hugging them. He looked very upset, but no matter how embarrassed she was, the smile she carried on her lips didn't want to leave. She'd woken up with a jolt of happiness coursing through her, and nothing would ruin her day, not even burning pancakes.

"Why would you even try cooking?" he kept complaining as he fried the dough she had made. "What are you so happy about?"

She hid her head between her arms, shaking her head. "It's nothing."

He looked at her with a frown. She looked almost cute sitting like that, curled into a ball in her woollen pyjama. She was blushing, but he thought she should be ashamed of herself. It was easy to guess why she was happy.

"I didn't know Gio was nothing."

Her head snapped up, staring at him in confusion. "What?"

"You must be thrilled that you have him all to yourself now that Rita has gone back home for Christmas," he noted. "He was spending a lot of time with her this past week."

She bit her cheek, looking at the ground. Rita had invited Giovanni to a thousand different things while she was staying. Alice couldn't keep up with her. Every time she called, he was already busy and even if they invited her; she didn't feel at ease with the blonde. But how could she? Rita was the memory that she had already lost Andrew to Nicole and now she was going to lose Giovanni, too. Looking at her was remembering all the reasons she came to feel threated by Nicole.

"That's because he is in love with Nicole," she said, hoping it would strike a nerve. "He doesn't say it, but it's obvious in the way he looks at her. If he can't have her, he would always try his luck with Rita."

"And now both girls are gone. Poor guy," he joked, as if it didn't affect him at all. And it didn't, but Alice wanted him to be mad too. If she couldn't be sure of Giovanni's feelings, she could only hope to influence Andrew's jealousy into keeping Nicole away from him.

After a moment of silence, he added in a more serious tone, "I hope she's okay. I'm not sure she's ready to see her father again."

At that moment, several cities away, the sisters walked out of a train, engulfed in the crowd. They escaped the chaos of the train station, onto the street, and walked home arm in arm. The wheels of their suitcase ran on the limestone pavement, announcing their passage, along with many other students heading home for Christmas.

They only stopped when a small, white painted house appeared in their vision. Rita opened the small gate and let them both in, fighting her keychain to figure out which one of the million keys she owned was the one of her place.

"Why do you have so many keys?" Nicole asked, but her eyes were on the garden. It had grown unloved since her mother passed. Looking at her mum's favourite place like that hurt more than the idea of seeing her dad again.

"That's for me to know."

Nicole rolled her eyes. She shoved her hands in her pockets and leaned against the door, blocking her sister from opening the door.

"Is there anything I should know before I go in? Is there anything at all you should've told me?"

Rita bit her cheek, considering her next words. Things had changed a lot since Nicole had been at that house. It was easier to show her than to explain, but either way, telling her in advance would only mean scaring her away.

"There is one thing that might be... inflammatory?" she said. "But honestly, I think I prefer to see your raw reaction."

Nicole frowned, but the door opened with a click and she stumbled in, regaining balance in a swift movement towards the wall before she could crash on the floor. Her eyes surveyed the dark hall, and she felt the remaining of her heart being cut once more.

She should've expected it, but her mind was still frozen in the year she left. Instead of five pairs of shoes against the wall — hers, her sisters and her parents — there were elegant boots, muddy sneakers and her dad's combat boots.

Rita took her pink rain boots off and put them next to the others, but Nicole was frozen in place. Her sister nudged her to move and took her to the living room, but her face was still drained of colour.

"Dad!" Rita called, seeing the three of them laying on the sofa while watching a movie. "We're home."

Without hesitation, the man got up to look at both of them, touching his chest with one hand. His eyes were on Nicole, despite her gaze being fixed on the TV. The woman was also quick to be by his side, looking at ease in her sweatpants and dark hair up in a messy bun. She smiled at her stepdaughter, clueless about how her appearance alone was nerve-wracking.

Her father engulfed her in a tight hug, crushing her against his chest. Warm tears ran down his face, gathering in his chin, where his head met the top of Nicole's.

"I'm so happy to see you, Laura. We missed you so much."

Rita's face opened in shock, her wide eyes going from her dad to her stepmom. She didn't understand how could he mess up so quick. Despite being a terrible husband, he had always been a marvellous father, and he had always loved them. For that reason, Rita had stayed when her sisters turned their back on him. It made no sense that he could ruin their relationship again when all he wanted was to be with his girls again.

Nicole didn't move. The mistake was only adding another knife to the several ones that ripped her chest once she walked in. She was limp in his arms, looking at the screen as if no one else was in the room. In that aspect, she was acting like the teenager who hadn't bothered to get up. It was the first time she saw him.

"I'm so glad you're here," said her father. "Mia and I have been waiting for this day. We want to be a family again, all six of us. I want to mend our relationship."

He loosen his hug, taking a step back to look at her but never letting her go completely. Her vain look moved to him, her eyes meeting his. They were the same colour, but that was about where the similarities between father and daughter ended.

"You're watching Home Alone," said Nicole. They used to watch those movies every Christmas when her mum was with them.

"I thought it was nice to keep the tradition alive."

Mia stepped up just to say, "It's a great movie." Maybe she thought she had been quiet for too long.

Nicole nodded, freeing herself from his arms and backing away. Her eyes surveyed the four of them, the family that her mother's death had formed. Dad could be mistaken for the kid's biological father. Only Rita didn't match.

"Is it just me and Rita here?"

Mia nodded. "Rita said the three of you would arrive at the same time."

The sisters looked at each other, and Rita shrugged. "I guess Laura's flight must be delayed. Speaking of which, I think Nicole is about to flee."

They didn't have time to process the information. Nicole was out of the door before they knew it, running down the street without a set course.

Rita stared back at them. "Well, I thought she would've handled longer. This is on you, though. What kind of father mistakes his daughters? Shameful." She shook her head. "I'll be in my room. Don't bother me unless she's back."

🖤🤍🖤

The thick drops of rain fell on him as he ran from the cafe to the bus. It was empty. He walked to the middle and sat by the window, placing his school bag on the other seat. His hair was damp, sticking to his forehead, and he pulled it back, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

He leaned against the window, staring at the frosty night of December. The dark glass acted as a mirror at certain angles, and he saw the reflex of a girl sitting behind him. She looked his age, but when he finally recognised her, he realised she was much older.

He turned around, looking at the seat behind him. The blonde sat with her knees against her chest, her back against the window. She had her headphones in and kept texting someone with her quick thumbs. Her clothes weren't wet like his, so he assumed she had walked in before the rain.

They met in highschool, or at least he saw them for the first time when he joined the local school. It had been almost two years since he last saw the triplets, at least one that wasn't Rita. Although he couldn't say which one she was, the haircut gave away who she wasn't. He saw Rita all the time around town, but this girl he didn't.

Back in highschool he had been in love with Laura, but she never cared for a kid like him. Besides, he had never been able to tell them apart.

"Are you just going to stare, Isaac?" she finally broke the silence.

He swallowed dry. None of them had ever spoken so many words to him at once. It didn't matter how much he tried to understand which one was standing in front of him, Laura and Nicole were too alike, even in personality.

"You know my name."

She sighed, glancing at him. "And you know mine."

Not entirely true, but he could try guessing.

"Where are you going to?" she asked, face blank.

Isaac wondered why hadn't she smiled yet. There was something wrong with not seeing that permanent mocking smirk twisting her lips. It made him more uncomfortable than the grin ever did. It was as if something was wrong, as if somewhere along the way she had forgotten herself. Or maybe he was just overthinking it.

The bus stopped, opened the doors and let an old lady walk inside and sit by the driver. She shook the water off her umbrella and laid it on the ground before leaning against the seat. The driver and she started their usual conversation about grandkids and food.

"Nowhere," he said at last.

"Nowhere," she repeated, looking past him. "I guess that's where I'm headed, too."

He wanted to ask what did that meant, but he doubted he would get a straight answer. She looked deep in thought, but he didn't want to let the conversation die.

"How have you been?"

She looked at him, and the bus halted. Her eyes diverted to the window and then back to him. "Bye."

Startled, he looked through the window too, looking at the front of the theatre. He threw his bag over his shoulder and glanced at her one last time before leaving.

"See you around."

"Don't keep your hopes up."

Isaac left the bus, wondering how she knew which stop was his. Despite that, he ran into the building and shook the rain off his hair once more.

Inside, he walked to the other side of the large room, pretending not to see the redhead smoking on a green leather sofa. He hated passing through her. There were only two potential outcomes. Either she was too high to notice him, or she would pick on him for the rest of the night.

Luck wasn't in his favour.

"Isaac!" she beamed, sitting up. "Come here, baby."

He froze in place, and said through gritted teeth, "Don't call me that."

She laughed, waiting for him to sit by her side, and then laid his legs on his lap. Her head turned to the side as she blew a cloud of smoke away from him. She waved the blunt around, perhaps marvelled at her own hand. Even she hadn't been able to escape the rain. Her fiery hair was embroidered with drops all over.

"What are you going to watch?" she asked, petting his arm with the free hand.

"Nothing in particular."

She nodded. "How are things at home?"

"Same as always."

It didn't matter if she wanted to help when he told her nothing. She took the cigarette to her lips one more time before crushing it in the ashtray that had been placed there just for her. Yawning, she got up and stretched. Her wet clothes clung to her body, but it didn't bother her.

"I think Laura and Nicole are in town," he added.

Her green eyes met his brown ones, and she smiled the way he expected the girl on the bus to smirk at him. He wondered if they had turned out the same way his friend did. If maybe life was as bad for them.

That'd be sad, he thought, but maybe we could make a support group.

"Are you sure you didn't see Rita?"

"I think it was Nicole. Laura wouldn't have talked to me at all."

The girl laughed, pulling him up from his seat. 2This calls for celebration. Let's watch that movie you came here for. On me."

He tripped on the carpet, but she pulled him back up, dragging him.

"Calm down, Vic!" he complained. "Are you trying to break my arm?"

My apologies for the delay.

Good news, I got into uni. Bad news, I don't want to go.

I hope you liked this chapter. If you didn't, well I never said I was good writer. I'd still pick me over After ngl.

So this is Isaac. I like to think of him as the other Gio. And that was Vic. I like to think of her as the other Jenny. They're different people but the core is the same. Soft boy and bad girl. Do you like them? Do you not like them? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading, cuz if you are reading I have a soft spot for you. True story.

(Silent readers say Heyo!)