The weekend arrived quietly, carrying with it a softer kind of warmth. Lesley settled into the living room of Stacy and Zoe's house, the space filled with the faint scent of vanilla and fresh linen. Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, pooling across the polished floor and the low table where a half-eaten cake sat between them.
Zoe had just returned from the hospital with the baby, and though she was resting upstairs, her presence lingered in every corner—tiny blankets folded neatly, a bottle left on the side table, the hush that comes with a newborn in the house.
Lesley sat back against the couch, a plate balanced on her lap. Across from her were Sam, Alexandra and Athena, while Stacy perched on the armrest, absently scrolling through her phone before glancing up.
"Heard Daphne's back," Athena said, breaking the easy quiet. "And she's taking over her dad's business now?"
Lesley's gaze dropped to the slice of cake on her plate. She nudged it with her fork, dragging the tines through the frosting without taking a bite.
"Yeah," she said after a moment. "She took over the project our company's trying to close."
A small pause followed. Alexandra leaned forward slightly, brows knitting with mild surprise.
"That's new. I thought she loved modeling. Same as your sister, right?"
Lesley let out a soft breath, her fingers tightening briefly around the fork before relaxing again.
"That, I don't know yet," she admitted. "I don't know her motive. And I hope there isn't one." Her voice cooled, more guarded now. "I'm not here to play whatever game she decides to start."
Athena exchanged a glance with Alexandra before speaking again. "If you close the deal, she'll probably be around more. Especially if you're overseeing things."
"I really hope not," Lesley muttered, finally setting the fork down. "I just want this to be business. Nothing else."
Stacy tilted her head, studying her a little too closely. "Are you still in love with her?"
Lesley scoffed, though the sound came a fraction too quick. "What made you think that?"
"I mean," Stacy shrugged lightly, "when she left, you were wrecked. And you haven't had a girlfriend since."
Lesley leaned back, crossing one leg over the other, her expression sharpening as if to deflect. "That doesn't mean I still love her. Besides…"
"Besides?" Alexandra prompted, leaning in with open curiosity.
For a fleeting second, Lesley hesitated. A face slipped into her thoughts uninvited—Denisse, with her quiet smiles and steady presence. The way she lingered in the background but never truly felt distant.
"She already has Denisse," Athena cut in, as if reading the silence. "It's obvious."
Stacy's lips curled into a knowing grin. "Yeah. How are you two now? We told you you'd fall for her."
Lesley rolled her eyes, though there was no real bite to it. "What makes you think that? You know I don't do commitment."
Alexandra raised a brow, her tone turning sharper, more deliberate. "So you're saying you're just playing house with your assistant? Like your usual flings?"
The words landed harder than expected.
Lesley stilled.
A fling?
The thought didn't sit right. It didn't even come close. Denisse wasn't like the others—the easy distractions, the passing amusements. There was something steadier about her, something that lingered long after she left a room.
Lesley exhaled quietly, her gaze drifting back to the untouched cake.
"I think Denisse is different," Alexandra continued, her voice softening. "You should take things to the next level. Make it official."
"Yeah," Sam added with a small nod. "She's kind. And I like her. She's… good for you."
Lesley didn't respond this time. She just sat there, absorbing their words, letting them settle in the spaces she usually kept closed off. Her fingers tapped lightly against the plate, a restless rhythm betraying the thoughts she didn't voice.
Stacy leaned forward, her expression gentler now. "I know you were hurt badly before. That's why you avoid this stuff. But maybe it's time to give yourself a chance again, Les." She paused, then added quietly, "If Denisse is worth it… maybe the risk is too."
Silence stretched for a moment, not uncomfortable, but full.
Then Lesley huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head as she set the plate aside. "I thought you invited me here to see Baby Sebastian," she said dryly. "Why is my love life suddenly the main topic?"
"Because," Athena replied without missing a beat, "you look like you're missing someone."
Lesley snorted, seizing the opening. "That's rich, coming from you. You're only saying that because Trixie's on a business trip."
Athena groaned and threw Lesley an unimpressed look. "Oh, don't turn this around on me." She shook her head. "We're talking about you."
The tension eased, replaced by soft laughter that filled the room. For a moment, it was simple again—friends gathered together, teasing, sharing space.
But even as Lesley leaned back into the cushions, letting the conversation drift, her thoughts didn't quite follow.
They lingered somewhere else entirely.
After a while, the easy chatter in the room softened as the sound of footsteps echoed from the second floor.
Almost instantly, a ripple of anticipation moved through the group. Conversations trailed off, heads turning toward the staircase as if pulled by the same thread.
Zoe appeared first, careful and radiant, her attention wholly fixed on the small bundle in her arms. Baby Sebastian. Close behind her, Stacy hovered protectively, one hand ready at Zoe's back as they made their way down step by step.
The reaction was immediate.
"Oh my God—Baby Sebby is here!" Sam's voice rang out, bright with unrestrained excitement.
"Come to Aunty Alex, baby," Alexandra said, already pushing herself up from her seat and stepping forward.
"No, let me hold him first," Athena cut in, quick to follow.
"You've all got to chill," Zoe laughed softly, adjusting her hold on the baby. "Everyone will get their turn."
"Fine," Lesley said, rising from her seat with surprising decisiveness. "I'll go first."
That did it.
Every head in the room turned toward her.
Lesley paused mid-step, brows lifting at the sudden attention. "What?" she said, half-defensive, half-amused. "Can't I be excited about Baby Sebby too?"
A grin spread across Stacy's face as she glanced around the group. "Make way, please. This rare moment deserves respect—our commitment-allergic babe might finally be evolving."
Lesley rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth betrayed her. "You're all dramatic."
"Fine, fine," Athena said, lifting her hands in surrender. "For the sake of your future love life, go ahead."
Lesley huffed out a quiet laugh and stepped closer. Zoe met her halfway, her movements slow and deliberate as she carefully transferred Sebastian into Lesley's arms.
For a brief second, Lesley stiffened—then instinct took over.
She adjusted her hold, one arm supporting his tiny body, the other cradling him securely against her chest. He was warm. Lighter than she expected, yet impossibly present. Fragile, but real.
Her expression softened without her noticing.
"Aww… he's so cute," she murmured, her voice quieter now, almost reverent.
The others gathered around her, drawn in as if orbiting the same small center.
"He's got Zoe's eyes," Sam observed, leaning in.
"And her lips too," Athena added, smiling.
"And when are we having our own?" Alexandra cut in smoothly, slipping an arm around Sam's waist. "Should we make one tonight?"
"Babe!" Sam gasped, her cheeks flushing instantly.
"What?" Alexandra laughed, completely unbothered. "Look at him. He's adorable. He needs a playmate, right, ladies?"
"I totally agree with that," Stacy chimed in with a grin.
Lesley glanced sideways at Athena. "Don't tell me you're agreeing and planning one too."
"What? No," Athena said quickly, shaking her head. "Trixie and I are nowhere near that stage."
"Maybe you and Denisse should plan it too," Zoe added lightly, her tone far too innocent to be harmless. "So Baby Sebby will have lots of playmates."
Lesley blinked. "What? How—"
"They told me everything," Zoe continued, clearly enjoying herself. "They even said you two look cute together. Matching sexy pajamas and all."
A beat of silence—then—
"Oh my God, you're all impossible," Lesley groaned, though a small smile tugged at her lips as she looked down at Sebastian, using him as a convenient distraction.
But the warmth in her chest had nothing to do with deflection.
Around her, laughter filled the room again, light and unrestrained. One by one, everyone took their turn holding the baby—passing him carefully, cooing, teasing, lingering just a little longer than necessary.
And somewhere in between the laughter and soft voices, Lesley found herself watching it all unfold with a quiet, unfamiliar fullness settling in her chest.