The Lives We Built

In a home built on patience, grit, and second chances, Kim and Adam Ruzek are raising two kids who couldn't be more different.

Kade Truett Ruzek is the older one - all sharp edges and big feelings, protective to a fault, learning what it means to be steady in a world that isn't. He's loud when he loves, stubborn when he's scared, and already carries pieces of both his parents in the way he stands his ground.

And then there's Briar Sage Ruzek - the watcher, the feeler, the quiet heart of the house. She notices everything. The tone in a voice. The weight in a room. The moments when Mom comes home tired or Dad stays up too late. She is softness with strength tucked inside.

Time in this universe is fluid. Ages shift. Moments stand alone. Each chapter drops into a different season of their family's life - sometimes they're little, sometimes they're growing, sometimes they're right on the edge of becoming more than they were the day before.

From early mornings and late-night talks to broken rules, sibling standoffs, scraped knees, and quiet forgiveness, these one-shots capture the life they've built together - messy, warm, and completely theirs.

Because family isn't perfect. It's patient. It's stubborn. It stays.