Breaking the Grid

Our future

I grab the market bag from the passenger seat, balancing it on one hip as I push the car door shut with my other hand. The cold air of London lingers in my jacket, but as I step toward the house, warmth settles in my chest.

I unlock the front door and step inside. Before I even have the chance to set the bag down, I hear voices. Laughter. Faint, but distinct.

I smile.

I already know exactly where they are.

Without hesitation, I move through the hallway, past the living room, and toward the garden doors. The scene that greets me through the glass makes me pause.

I have no idea what they're doing.

Kyra, in one of my hoodies, is crouched down, laughing so hard she's barely breathing. Kimi stands beside her, looking like he's explaining something, but Milo? Milo is on the ground, rolling in some dramatic way.

I laugh.

"What in the world are you guys doing?" I say, loud enough for them to hear through the open door.

All three of them turn to look at me, but it's Milo who reacts first.

His face lights up, and before I can even set the bag down properly, he's already running toward me at full speed.

I catch Milo effortlessly, lifting him into my arms as he giggles, his small hands gripping onto my jacket. I hold him close, breathing in the familiar scent of home and warmth, and walk toward the other two.

Kyra looks up as I approach, a soft smile already on her lips.

"Hi, beautiful," I murmur, leaning in to kiss her lips before pressing another kiss to her forehead. She hums in appreciation as I slip the bag into her hands.

Before I can even say anything else, Kimi makes a disgusted face.

"Ugh, disgusting."

I roll my eyes. "Shut up, man," I mutter, pulling him into a quick hug. He barely has time to react before I push him away, making him stumble a bit.

Kyra's voice pulls our attention back to her.

"Aww, Bee, thank you!"

We turn to see her peeking into the bag, a bright smile on her face as she pulls out a smoothie and her favorite snacks. Her eyes sparkle with genuine appreciation, and I can't help but smirk.

Kimi moves fast, snatching the bag right out of Kyra's hands, his eyes scanning the contents with exaggerated urgency.

"And how about me???" he exclaims, looking at me like I've personally betrayed him.

I smirk, crossing my arms. "Well, if you'd told me you were here, maybe I would have grabbed something for you, loser."

His face twists like I just said the dumbest thing in the world. "Yeah, right. I'm sure you bought all this before you even knew I was here!"

I let out a laugh. "Too bad then, bro."

He looks at Kyra for backup, but she's already ahead of him, tilting her head with a dumb little smile like she's holding back a laugh.

"Okay, you're becoming as much of a nuisance as Kyra, I see."

Then she gasps, putting on an overly dramatic offended look.

"Okay, you're rude. You should go back to the hotel!"

Kimi doesn't even blink. "It's not even your house!"