CRYSTAL AVENUE. 5:00 pm.
Stephen sat slouched in his office chair, his hands spread across his face. On the monitor, stock charts crawled in restless lines. Nearby, Akirá slept quietly in her pram. The radio murmured in the background, it filled the room with borrowed voices. 'Good evening, ladies and gentlemen—my name is Darren, and welcome to the Five-Nights Channel. I'll be covering today's main headlines. Firstly… reports confirm that famed singer Jerald Dre and his family will be laid to rest this coming weekend. Authorities have stated that one suspect has been taken into custody. But that's all the information released so far. So stay tuned for further updates. This has been Evening Reports. I'm Darren Schumpeter, and you're listening to Five-Nights Live.' the radio crackled softly. "God bless them all." Stephen said aloud. He rose from the chair and checked on the Akirá, then gently pushed the pram—he left the office. They made their way to the kitchen, where Mila was laughing and shouting at the television. Her energy was contagious—Stephen felt it the moment he entered. He stopped the pram beside the kitchen island. Without a word, he dropped onto the couch, he played peek-a-boo with her. Mila stared at him—confused, delighted, completely locked in. "Peek-a-boo." Stephen said. She laughed softly. "My little girl… you're growing so fast." he rubbed his nose against hers. Mila was happy, Stephen blew raspberries against her tummy until her laughter filled the room. Then the sound of the main gate cut through it all.
Stephen straightened. He went to the kitchen and pulled a bottle of wine from the cupboard, he set two glasses beside it. He filled them carefully. From the refrigerator, he took out a slab of chocolate, then scattered a bouquet of flowers across the counter like confetti—an improvised gesture, imperfect but sincere. Moments later, Katherine entered the mansion, exhaustion written across her face. She closed the door behind her, and her gaze landed on Stephen—who stood across the living room, a glass of wine in his hand. "Evening, baby." he greeted, his voice warm with care. "Aw—baby?" she said softly as she walked toward him. They closed the distance between them, her arms wrapped around his neck, and he pulled her close, careful not to spill the wine still in his hand. "I missed you." she said, a bright smile lit up her face. "Not as much as I missed you." Stephen said, he leaned in. Their lips met—soft, tender, familiar. Katherine reached for his glass and took a sip of wine. He stared at her adoringly. Then Akirá stirred, his tiny cries cut through the moment. Almost immediately, Mila joined in, her own protests rose. Katherine rested her head against Stephen's chest and let out a soft chuckle. "Looks like it's your turn." he said. "What?" she replied, "Please—I just got home." She swirled the wine in the glass. "I need this little moment of peace."
"Valid point." he said. "Though you are going to spend that little moment with your loving husband, aren't you?" Humor and curiosity threaded his tone. She lifted a finger and pressed it gently to his lips. "Yes." she said softly. "Now do us this favor, while your loving wife waits for you." Her tone didn't waver. Stephen took a slow sip, then he tended to his children. He gathered them both into his arms, he hummed a soft lullaby as he carried them up the stairs, their cries faded with each step. Katherine remained by the kitchen counter, her eyes closed. Doctor Michaelmas's detached tone replayed in her mind. Then Antonio's words—sharp, unresolved. The thoughts looped endlessly, each one weighed against the next. She stood there, suspended between moments, wondering which step to take… and what it would cost her once she did.
Oceanic Bay. 5:27 pm.
Shore lane Avenue.
Lucas sat alone at a small café table outside the Mug & Diner, a cup of coffee cooled between his hands as he scrolled through his phone. Inside, waiters moved mechanically precise, laughter and chatter spilled out onto the sidewalk and into the street. Beyond it all, waves rattled softly against the shore, a salty breeze drifted inland. The sun was sinking fast, barely keeping the sky lit—washed in orange haze. A waiter set down a saucer of cheesecake, chocolate dripped along the side. While Lucas doom scrolled on his screen, a woman watched him from across the road. He didn't notice as she stepped off the curb. The faded sunlight caught her face mid-stride, Adriana. She flicked her hair back with a casual twist of her wrist as she kept her stride. As she reached the restaurant, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. It rang… Once… Twice, Then the call went through. "LJ." Adriana answered. "Mama, What's going on? where are you?" Lucas asked. Her expression faltered. "What are you doing at the Mug & Diner?" she asked. "Don't you know how expensive that place is?"
"Ma, What are you talking about?" he asked. "Just come meet me outside." Adriana snapped. Lucas took a deep breath. "Ma, relax." he said. "Okay? We're just here to talk—not buy the whole menu." He sighed. "Besides, you don't have to worry. I'll cover the snacks… or whatever you want."
"Fine."
The restaurant hummed as she went in. Then she found Lucas, Adriana let the chair scrape echo. "Aw… my baby boy doesn't even see me." she said, her smile thin—bitter. "Tell me… is that phone worth more than your own mother?" Lucas sat, stared deep into her eyes, he finally scoffed. "I missed you too… Ma." a smile tore across her face. She hastily lunged forward, her arms wrapped around him. "My baby boy." she breathed, she held him like she might never let go. "Ma! you're embarrassing me." he whispered,heheld her loosely. Then she Let go, and arched an eyebrow. "Ouch… is that how you feel about your mother?" she teased. Lucas shrugged "Come on, Ma… you know I didn't mean that." Fake tears in her eyes, she wailed "Ah! I'm an embarrassment to my baby boy!" He buried his face in his hand. "Okay, Mama… now you're embarrassing us for real." She burst out laughing "Relax, eres como una niña—"
"¿Qué?" Lucas interrupted. Their laughter lingered in the air as they settled. A waiter appeared, crisp and polite. "Good evening. What would you like to order?"
"A cocktail for me." she said.The waiter looked at Lucas. "And what can I get you, sir?" he asked,Lucas stared at the menu, "Let me get uh… half a dozen of donuts." he responded. "With hot chocolate, please?" he added.
The waiter jotted their orders then he left, Adriana hung over the table. "So… how've you been? How's the family?" she asked, Lucas nibbled on the bread, "Uh… they're alright, I suppose. I haven't been since last summer." he said.She sighed, "You're such a lousy big brother." she teased, "you have to always be there for your family…. ain't nothing better than that. Lucas, Family is everything anyone would want." she stated. Lucas leaned back slightly. "Don't worry about them. Tokyo… she's loud—smart. She can handle herself." Concern softened her gaze. "Aw… my poor Tokyo." she said, "Now that everything's serious, there's something I need to talk to you about." he confessed. "What is it?" She asked. He hesitated, his words caught between each other. "It's… uh… about… uh…" Her gaze fixed on him. "It's about… what?" she asked. He clicked his tongue, "There's a girl I like—and I want this to last. But I've never been in such a… moment in my life, I never liked—loved, someone like this before. And I really don't want to mess this up, my past high school relationships hadn't felt like this before, back then I was quick to lose interest, but this time it's different… this time I certainly don't want to lose this feeling, so—would you be able to help me, Mama?" he asked. "I could tell you to give her attention or gifts." she said, but she shook her head. "But really… just understand her for who she really is. They always say, 'love is a two way street', love only makes sense when you don't want any of it to screw up. So, just love her when she's around, her impurities, flaws, it's where love is most appreciated."
"Whoa." he muttered. The waiter appeared then he set two plates and drinks before them, the conversation paused by the small clatter. She thanked the waiter as he returned to the kitchen, her gaze softened "LJ… a relationship isn't just fun. It's sacred. Some ladies these days… they're in it for gifts, not love." Lucas' gaze sharpened. "I can't decide if I'm impressed by your philosophy… or your sobriety." Their laughter cut through the restaurant's hum. "I'll tell you everything you need to know." she said. Lucas' eyes softened. "Thanks for coming, Mama." he murmured. City lights ignited the night, as cars sliced through the darkness. Side by side, mother and son found their rhythm once more.
352. Sinister road. 5:51 pm.
Planet Skate Park.
Tokyo and her crew lounged on a park bench, posted up across from the skate pit and its battered obstacles. Palm trees loomed overhead, their shadows stretched long as the soft sunset barely held on to the horizon. Skaters carved through concrete, teens drifted in loose clusters, and somewhere nearby a DJ worked the crowd, his bass thumped through the park like a restless heartbeat. Michael yawned. "I'm dead ass tired." he muttered. "My eyelids won't listen to me." Marcel didn't look up. "You're just high, fool." he said. Tokyo scoffed, as she twirled a lock of hair. "Y'all boys need to grow up. For real." she said. Marcel snorted. "Whatever, Queen. Have you even seen your eyes right now?" he gestured at his own eyes. She smirked. "Brighter than your tomorrow." Tokyo replied. Their laughter dissolved into the music. The DJ's beat crawled through the railings; it vibrated the ground like a warning. Tokyo pushed herself up and stretched lazily. "Guess I've got to go." she said. Michael's eyes narrowed. "Why do you always have to pull stunts like this?" he asked. Her gaze locked on his. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I mean… whenever the day is at its peak, you just decide to dip randomly." Michael said. Tokyo's eyes sparkled with mischief. "That's because I can." she said, Tokyo walked away. Marcel's eyes followed her. "This girl—this girl is something else… she's on another level, bro." he said. Michael's gaze followed her, he lingered. "Yeah… she's something else." he said. Tokyo marched out of the skate park, then she jumped into a taxi and the car drove off, the tail lights faded into the dusk.