Kieran barely had time to set his bag down before Amelia spotted him from the living room. She was curled up on the couch, scrolling through her phone, but the moment he stepped inside, her head snapped up.
“You’re glowing,” she said flatly.
Kieran stopped mid-step and gave her a confused look. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” she replied, narrowing her eyes with mock suspicion. “You’re glowing. People don’t glow after just a normal weekend. So… what did you do?”
He sighed, dropping his keys onto the console table. “Hi, Amelia. Nice to see you too.”
She sat up, tossing her phone aside. “Don’t ‘hi, Amelia’ me. You went off-grid for three days, didn’t answer my texts, and now you walk in here looking like a man who’s just discovered inner peace. Spill.”
Kieran grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “It was nothing,” he said casually, hoping that would end the interrogation.
Amelia gave him a long look, then smirked. “Nothing, huh? I’m assuming Clara was there for this ‘nothing’ weekend?”
He froze for half a second, which was all she needed.
“Oh my God,” she said, grinning like a cat who’d cornered her prey. “You did take her somewhere. Where? And don’t you dare tell me it was ‘nothing.’”
“It was just a cabin,” he admitted, shaking his head at her expression. “By the lake. Quiet. That’s all.”
Amelia pressed her hands to her chest dramatically. “A cabin getaway? Quiet lake? Oh, Kieran, that’s practically a declaration of love!”
He rolled his eyes. “We talked. We cooked. We walked around. That’s it.”
“That’s huge,” Amelia countered. “For you, that’s basically writing her name in the stars.”
Before he could reply, Arielle stepped into the room from the hallway, carrying a folded blanket. She paused when she saw her children, then raised an eyebrow. “What’s this about stars?”
Amelia pointed directly at Kieran. “Your son took Clara on a secret romantic getaway and refuses to give me details.”
Kieran groaned. “It wasn’t secret. I just didn’t announce it to the entire world.”
Arielle’s expression softened as she looked at him. “You took her somewhere?”
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “A small place by the lake. I thought we could use some time away.”
Her smile was gentle, the kind only a mother could pull off. “That sounds lovely. How was it?”
Kieran glanced at his sister, who was watching him like a hawk, and muttered, “It was good.”
Amelia gasped loudly. “Good? That’s all you’ve got?"
He shot her an unimpressed look. “You’re being dramatic. We cooked, we walked, we talked. That’s it.”
“For you, that’s basically a proposal,” Amelia teased, throwing herself back on the couch.
Before Kieran could respond, Arielle appeared from the hallway, carrying a folded blanket. Her gaze shifted between her children, one eyebrow raised. “What’s this about proposals?”
Amelia wasted no time. She sat up straight and pointed at Kieran like she was presenting evidence in court. “Your son here whisked Clara away for a romantic cabin getaway and is refusing to give me details.”
Kieran groaned. “It wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t secret either. I just didn’t think announcing my weekend plans was necessary.”
Arielle’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. “You took her somewhere special?”
He hesitated briefly before nodding. “It was a nice place. Quiet. Thought we could both use the time.”
Her expression softened, warmth shining in her eyes. “That sounds wonderful, sweetheart. How was it?”
Kieran glanced at Amelia, who was practically vibrating with curiosity, and muttered under his breath, “It was good.”
Amelia gasped dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. “Good? That’s all you’re giving us? You took your girlfriend to a lakeside cabin, and the only word you can come up with is good?”
Kairo chose that exact moment to walk into the living room, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. “What’s going on here?” he asked, glancing between the three of them.
Amelia jumped at the opportunity. “Dad, your son had a secret romantic weekend with Clara and refuses to give me anything beyond one-word answers.”
Kairo’s gaze shifted to Kieran, his expression unreadable. “A romantic weekend?”
Kieran ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. “It wasn’t meant to be a big deal. I just wanted some time with her, away from everything. That’s all.”
Kairo studied him for a moment before nodding slightly. “You seem… lighter,” he observed. “Happy.”
Kieran blinked, caught off guard by his father’s tone. “I am,” he admitted after a pause. “Happier than I’ve been in a while.”
Amelia’s grin softened into something more genuine. “Clara’s good for you,” she said quietly.
For once, Kieran didn’t argue. “Yeah,” he said, his voice calm and sure. “She is.”
---
Later That Evening
Dinner that night was different. Lighter somehow. Kieran’s usual guardedness had melted, and it didn’t escape Arielle’s attention. She kept sneaking glances at her son across the table, while Kairo observed silently, sipping his wine.
Amelia, however, couldn’t keep quiet.
“So,” she started, poking her fork into her salad, “is Clara coming over this weekend? Because if she’s part of this family now, I expect to see her at least once a week.”
Kieran raised an eyebrow. “Part of this family?”
“Obviously,” Amelia said, rolling her eyes. “She makes you happy, doesn’t she? That means we like her. That means she’s basically family.”
Arielle smiled softly. “She’s welcome here anytime, Kieran.”
He hesitated before nodding. “I’ll ask her,” he said simply.
Kairo finally spoke up, his voice steady. “You care about her.”
It wasn’t a question, but Kieran answered anyway. “Yeah,” he said, meeting his father’s gaze directly. “I do.”
There was a beat of silence before Kairo gave a small nod of approval. “Then take care of her,” he said simply... 
============================================
Later that night, Amelia found Kieran in the living room, scrolling through his phone with an almost distracted smile.
“You’re falling for her,” she said simply, leaning against the doorframe.
Kieran glanced up, slightly startled, before shrugging. “Maybe I already did.”
She grinned knowingly. “Good. About time...”