Jace and Jade stared at the twisted doorknob, their expressions mirroring the same horrifying realization.

"Mara," Jade whispered, almost choking on her words.

"Jade? Are you in there?" a voice called again.

Jace quickly shoved Harper into Jade's arms so fast that Jade barely caught her, then dashed into his room and slammed the door shut. The lock clicked violently behind him.

Jade swallowed hard, forcing her breathing to steady as she watched the knob turn.

The door swung open.

"Mara," Jade breathed, forcing a smile even though she still looked like someone who had seen the dead.

But Mara didn't notice. Her eyes were already glued to Harper.

"Harper!" she squealed, snatching the baby from Jade's arms and raining kisses on her face, rubbing her face against the baby's cheeks dramatically. "Oh my sweet girl, aunty missed you so much! Hope mama has been treating you well...huh?"

Harper giggled loudly, waving her tiny hands in the air.

Jade, who felt like she had just survived a building collapse, stood frozen. She stuttered out, "Hi... hi, Mara... good morning."

"Oh, Jade, I'm so sorry for not coming again the other day, my car has been bad. I finally got it fixed this morning and drove straight here! I needed to see my favorite girls."

"It's okay... hope you've fixed it?" Jade managed, clutching the empty space where Harper had been.

"Yes... I think I just need to save up to get a new one soon. But right now, I need something to eat," Mara announced, setting Harper down carefully on the living room floor before turning and stepping toward the kitchen.

She marched toward the kitchen...

And stopped dead in her track...

"What the bloody fuck, Jade?! What happened here?"

The faint smoke residue was still all over the kitchen, The opened windows and the pan soaking in the sink. She forced a laugh.

"It's nothing. Just... kitchen accident."

"Really? What sort of accident?" Mara gave her a long, suspicious look. She rolled up her sleeves and started opening cupboards like she lived there.

"Oh my God, Mara, it was so stupid," Jade rushed to explain, forcing a shaky laugh. "I was making breakfast.. fried eggs and I forgot a pot of oil on the back burner. I was distracted for just a second playing with Harper and it flared up. But thank goodness Jac.." then she quickly stopped herself from saying too much.

Mara who didn't get the last part, shaked her head. "You nearly burned the building down for fried eggs! Okay, well, let's get some real food going. I'm going to make us my famous mac and cheese!"

"Yeah, thank God," Jade whispered, rubbing her forehead.

And just like that, the tension seemed to dissipate into the normalcy of Mara's presence. Who was moving like the whole apartment belonged to her. She cooked loudly, talked loudly, and laughed loudly.

Soon, she turned on the music, singing off-key, and filling the air with the comforting smell of butter, cheese, and garlic.

Harper squealed as Mara danced around with her, making silly animal sounds and jokes. The baby laughed so hard that she snorted, and Mara swooned dramatically.

Over lunch, which Mara insisted they eat right there on the living room floor, as the conversation flowed easily, just like old times.

"Jade, I am so excited for Christmas," Mara said, scooping a large fork of mac and cheese. "It's the only thing keeping me sane right now."

Jade nodded without saying a word.

Mara's smile faded slowly. "Honestly, though, I'm dreading the family party. Since last year's own,it now gets harder." She poked at her pasta.

Mara set the spoon down. "can I tell you something depressing?"

Jade blinked. "Sure."

"My husband cheated on me."

Jade's stomach sank. "Mara... I'm so sorry."

Mara laughed, but her eyes glistened. "Yeah. It's awful. And guess what? I still can't let go... Our entire friend group knew. All of them. Acting like they loved me while knowing he was messing around with someone else. I swear, I hate them all."

Jade touched her shoulder gently. "You didn't deserve that. and it sad that the friendship group broke off."

"I'm surviving," Mara sighed. "It's just... the marriage, the cheating, the betrayal... it just makes the rest of the friend group so weird. Everyone is choosing sides. And it's affecting my relationship with my family. It's all just so dead right now."

"Mara, I'm so sorry," Jade said genuinely, reaching across to squeeze her friend's hand. "That's awful. But still, you've me and Harper so you'll be fine."

"And..." Mara's voice broke a little, "I miss my brother. Jace always handled things. He always had solutions. I hate not knowing where he is. Nobody does. Jade... I'm scared something's wrong."

Jade's heart lurched. "You didn't check his apartment?" Jade asked, pretending to sound casual.

"We did. Mom and Dad went over there, but his apartment is having some major piping replaced, so it's under renovation. We don't know where he went after that, and he isn't taking anyone's call... not even Mom's. He just sends these cryptic texts saying he's fine and out of range. But I think he's just avoiding us."

Jade swallowed hard. "Maybe he just needs alone time."

"I hope so," Mara breathed, eyes on Harper. "I really hope so Jade."

The afternoon flew by quickly... Mara still energized by the food and the company, played continued to every silly game she knew with Harper. Then she unpacked a pile of Christmas gifts she'd bought for Harper... toys, dresses, even a tiny Santa romper.

Then Mara stretched, yawning loudly. "I think I'll just sleep over. I'll use the second room."

Jade's entire soul left her body.

"Um... no!" she nearly shouted. "You can't. I... I booked fumigation for tomorrow morning.Early. They need that room to be empty."

Mara blinked. "Really? That's sad... Was thinking we can just order pizza and watch terrible Christmas movies, like old times."

"Yes, and that's sweet... but " Jade lied again without hesitation. "You'll be uncomfortable."

Mara reluctantly gathered her things, gave Harper a final, lingering kiss, and walked toward the door. "I wish I could take this little nugget with me, but I know you'd miss her too much!"

"More than anything," Jade agreed, walking her to the door.

The door clicked shut.

And guilt hit Jade like a punch.

She exhaled slowly, pressed her forehead to the door, then gathered herself and walked to Jace's room. She knocked softly.

"She's gone," Jade whispered.

When she heard no response, she went back to the living room to gather Harper, who was still happily batting at a toy Mara had given her. It was time to retreat to their prison.

As Jade bent down to lift the baby, the lock on Jace's door twisted, and the door creaked open.

Jace stood there, still in the same clothes, but he looked tired with his eyes dark, but there was a strange, subtle shift in his demeanor.

And then his voice came...

"You can let her play."

Jade froze

"You don't have to lock yourselves in there," he added. "Just make sure to keep an eye on her not to mess things up."

He walked past her, headed toward the kitchen, for another glass of water.

Jade stared at the kitchen door for a long second... then slowly set Harper down. Harper squealed happily and crawled toward her toys.

Soon, Jace emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water in his hand.

"Jade," he called.

She lifted her chin. "What?"

He hesitated... the first real hesitation she'd seen from him since he moved in.

"It must have really been had lying to your best friend..."

Jace met her eyes, something dark and unguarded flickering there.

"So sorry for dragging you into this."

"Jace... just call your mum," Jade sighed. "Please."

"I will. but not yet"

"Why? Why are you hiding?"

Jace's jaw tightened. "Miss Jade, don't forget rule number four: do not poke nose in each other's business."

Before jade could answer, Harper suddenly gasped sharply...

Jade turned instantly.

"Harper?"

But Harper wasn't looking at her. She was staring at Jace and pointing at him...

Her tiny voice whispered....

"Da-"

"Da-"

Harper's small finger pointed straight at Jace.

Jace froze, the glass of water midway to his lips. Jade's heart stuttered, her breath catching in her throat. She looked from Harper's innocent, insistent gaze to Jace's face, which had gone utterly blank... a mask of stone dropping instantly over the subtle vulnerability she had just witnessed.

"Harper, honey, no, what are you saying." Jade said quickly, moving to scoop the baby up. Her voice was too loud, too quick as she tried to laugh, a dry, nervous sound. "Do you mean Dance?"

Jace went to set the glass down sharply on the counter, the clink echoing like a gunshot. He didn't look at either of them.

"It's getting late, and almost time for quite hours," he stated, his voice flat and dismissive, returning to the cold tone that had defined their relationship since he moved in. "You should be in your room."

He turned and walked back toward his own door.

Jade watched him go, cradling Harper close. The baby was unfazed, already chewing happily on a stray piece of her paper. But Jade's mind was reeling.

Da-?

It was the first time Harper had made any sound close to a real word. And it wasn't 'Ma' or 'Mama.' It was 'Da.? And she had pointed it straight at the exact man.

"Just babbling," Jade muttered to herself, but the word felt thin and unconvincing. Harper was almost a year old. And Babies often said mama before Dada... But Harper's own was different and the timing, the pointer finger, Jace's reaction... it was a cruel, perfectly timed coincidence.

Jade retreated to the safety of her bedroom. She put Harper in her crib and watched her for a long time, the shadow of the afternoon's near discovery still heavy in the air. Lying down, she stared up at the ceiling, the comforting weight of normalcy Mara had brought now replaced by a crushing sense of dread and soon she drifted to sleep.

The digital clock read 1:47 AM. When Harper started crying. The apartment was utterly still, the silence thick and heavy only Harper's cries could be heard.

Jade slipped out of bed to get her out of her crib, rocking her gently, whispering her name, and pacing the room. But Harper's cries only grew louder... sharper... almost painful.

Across the hall, Jace stirred in his sleep.

He sat up in bed, jaw clenched, temples throbbing. The cries pierced straight into his skull. He ran a hand over his face, frustrated, exhausted, praying for the noise to stop.

he couldn't storm into her room... that would be crossing the line. So, when the noise didn't stop, he stood and walked the living room instead, hoping distance would help.

But It didn't.

Instead, the crying followed him like a haunting echo.

He dropped onto the couch, pressing his palms to his eyes.

Then Jade came out... Harper in her arms, the baby's sobs finally softening. Jade looked equally exhausted, as her hair looked messy, and her eyes were red.

Jace sat up, glaring at them. "For fuck's sake, Jade," he burst out, frustration leaking through every word. "Can you and your daughter just let me sleep? Huh?"

Jade's head jerked slightly, as though slapped by the words. "I'm sorry," she whispered, voice barely there.

"It's 1:55 AM now!" he snapped. "I pay for a rented apartment... can't I get one proper night of sleep? I thought you said she doesn't disturb. If she keeps behaving like this, then take her to a damn hospital and get her checked."

Jade flinched, pulling Harper tighter against her chest. The baby, momentarily shocked by the harshness of the sound, let out a fresh wail.

His words were bullets. Sharp and Cruel. Laced with something Jade couldn't place... anger... or hatred?.

Jade stood there in the dim light, holding her baby like a shield, wondering if she had made the biggest mistake letting this man into her home.

Jace didn't wait for any response from Jade. As he scoffed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and stormed back to his room. His door slammed shut with the kind of force that made Harper flinch against Jade's shoulder.

The crying slowly faded... then disappeared completely.

And Jace, exhausted, frustrated, and mentally drained, finally drifted off to sleep.

By morning, the apartment was quiet.

Jade woke up, too early. His eyes were still gritty with fatigue. He stepped out of his room, pulling his shirt over his head, already running late for a critical check in with the developers.

He paused when he saw them.

Jade and Harper were curled up on the living room floor. Both still wearing last night's clothes. A thin blanket thrown over them like an afterthought.

Jade's head was awkwardly propped on the edge of the couch, while Harper snuggled tightly into Jade's chest, thumb in her mouth, breathing softly.

For a second... just a second... Jace's expression flickered. Something unreadable. Almost... guilt.

But he didn't let it stay.

He grabbed his keys, walked past them without a word, and left the apartment.

Jade woke two hours later, her back aching from the floor. Harper still slept peacefully beside her.

She groaned, stretched, and then looked around the messy apartment.

"That's it," she muttered, surveying the slightly disheveled living space. "I am not a cleaner in this house."

She grabbed an easy-dry marker and marched to the small whiteboard she kept in the kitchen for grocery lists. She meticulously divided the apartment. The living room...theirs, Harper's room... hers, The kitchen... shared.

She drew a hard line. Jace's Room, Jace's Hallway, The Utility Closet, The Second Bathroom. She circled the last three areas boldly.

JACE'S RESPONSIBILITY.

"His mess, his side," she whispered, dragging Jace's clothes, shoes, and empty water bottles to one corner. "My mess, my side."

She cleaned her portion of the house spotless... and left Jace's exactly as it was.

A perfect line of separation.

Evening came so fast.

When Jace returned, he stepped inside and stopped.

He blinked.

The left side of the apartment was sparkling.

The right side... his side... looked like an hurricane had passed through.

Jade stepped out of the kitchen and handed him a folded paper.

"Those are your chores," she said simply.

Jace scoffed. "What is this? For what?"

"For the mess you create, I've been doing the cleaning for days now." Jade replied. "Rule number two... equal contribution. Remember?"

Jace glared at her, jaw ticking.

But the rule was real.

And she caught him with it.

"Fine," he muttered.

He grabbed a mop with the attitude of someone holding a weapon and started cleaning.

Night came again. And Harper started crying.

It was a sharp, high pitched wail that was impossible to ignore. Jade tried the usual tricks, rocking, shushing, singing off-key. But the cry continued, piercing and relentless.

This went on for two more nights. Two nights of fractured sleep, not just for Jade, but also for Jace in the apartment.

On the third night, shortly after 2 AM, the crying reached a frantic pitch. Jade was pacing, her patience evaporated,and Jace on the other hand was fed up... He shot out of his bed, furious, sleep-deprived, and stormed into Jade's room without knocking.

Jace barged into her room, his face dark with fury, his hair mussed from interrupted sleep.

"Where the fuck is her father?" he hissed, rubbing his temples violently. "Maybe she wants her daddy! This is insane, Jade!"

Jade froze, clutching Harper closer. The question hit too close, too hard. "You mind your own business, Jace," she spat back, her voice low and dangerous. "Get out of my room now!"

"Mind my...? I can't sleep!" he yelled, dropping his voice immediately for fear of pissing Harper up more, but the aggression was still there. "This thing has been crying for three straight nights! It's ridiculous! It's a silly cry! Can't you just give her a bottle or something?"

"Silly cry?" Jade repeated quietly, voice trembling with disbelief as she dropped Harper to the ground. "She's a baby, Jace! What do you expect her to do? File a complaint?"

They glared at each other, breaths heavy.

And then, just as suddenly, the crying stopped.

Jade and Jace paused their hostilities, looking down.

Harper was silent. She wasn't looking at Jade. She was staring past her, stretching forth her tiny hands to Jace.

Then she started to giggle. A wet, joyous sound.

"See?" Jade breathed, pushing Jace toward the door. "Now, get out!"

Jace turned, his anger returning.

The moment his back was to her, Harper let out a heartbroken, shuddering sob and started wailing again, louder than before.

Jace froze. He looked over his shoulder to little Harper.

Harper's tears vanished. Her face split into a delighted, gummy smile, her arms outstretched again, beckoning to him.

Jade cursed under her breath. "Oh, come on."

Harper stretched her chubby arms toward him again, making soft excited noises.

And something in Jace's fury melted Completely.

as he knelt down... hesitated... then opened his arms.

Bang!

The door of Jade's room closed behind her.

She walked back into the room and let herself fall freely to sit on the bed.

Jace turned and gave her a wide look with a brow raised.

"What?" She asked

"You didn't think the sound of the bang would have terrified her?" He inquired while patting Harper on her back.

She rolled her eyes, folds her arms Then forced a smile which was obvious.

"I'm fine, I can be like that most times." she responded.

"How often do you do that?" He asked again, turning slowly to her.

"You know what, nevermind."

He mimicked her, keeping a weird look with his tongue which stuck out a little and then he let out a scoff.

Harper let out a giggle that softens the atmosphere. She placed her small fingers on his lips hoping to get his tongue and he quickly withdrew it in.

He held her closer

"Uh... you like that huh?" He released a tender smile and cuddled her which made her laugh. He repeated the face and the mimicry and she giggled the more.

Jade didn't have any other option than to dance with the rhythm in the room.

She couldn't control the joy that emanated from within her, she only let out a soft chuckle while maintaining her position on the bed.

She began to think and reflect on the joys of motherhood. How lovely it would have been if this was truly what her home looked like but she wouldn't risk it as.

How Jace would have been the perfect father figure to her precious Harper. She watched as both of them were carried away in their world of play until Jace almost stumbled over the chair in the room.

Harper was frightened only for a little while before she bounced back to the very first giggle that softened Jade and Jace again.

It was innocent and shrill.

"Careful! I wouldn't forgive you if she gets hurt" She warned and quickly made for the rocky chair by the corner.

"So what if I get hurt? What are you going to do?" Jace stopped, the smile gradually fading from his face to a more relaxed and serene look.

"Definitely, I ain't gonna give a damn about you, that's because you aren't my problem. You are a problem to yourself only, my child is my priority. Plus, if you fall, you too won't know how to hold her.

Please.. the chair, before you step into another mess. I won't clean it up even if it's not your fault." she offered.

"Hmm, interesting" Jace muttered and sat on the rocky chair now patting Harper who was now calm and rested gently on his chest.

He felt his chest tighten as the baby already started dozing.

"How can she be this calm on me, a total stranger? Well it happens" he thought to himself.

A deafening silence crept into the room and dropped dead. Jade rose gently and walked to the window, counting her steps and being very careful to not make one wrong move to show how she was feeling.

Everything around felt like it was spinning. "How can I be gradually moving back into this loop I've been trying to avoid? There's nothing else for me here." her inner voice whispered to her.

The air in the room was beginning to feel like there was a strange gas pumped in, so she walked to the window to look at the view of the night.

She held the bars of the louvre and pressed her face against it, shutting her eyelids tight against each other.

Jace was lost in his own world with his face fixed at a spot and his hands still patting Harper who was already asleep.

He swallowed hard and tried to remember how the closeness got to that point.

His mind started washing up the incident of the past hours to the present.

At last he broke the silence but only mumbled to himself.

"Did you say something?" Jade asked, turning her head slowly to look at his direction with her hands still holding the louvre. She'd been silently listening while trying to absorb the pain within her.

"It's just strange, I mean everything."

He said, still maintaining the angle of his gaze in that particular direction he had been looking at.

"What's strange?" She asked

"Why'd she have to say Da, pointing at me and..." he was cut short by Jade almost immediately.

"...and babies do say strange things. Perhaps that was another sound or she probably wanted to do something funny. Brush that off."

She wasn't agitated, she just sternly remained calm with her hands now folded against each other and she looked at him straight in the eye.

"Brush it off?" He asked and raised a brow.

"Yeah.." just as she was about to walk towards the baby drawer, her phone rang. As soon as she checked the caller, she gasped aloud.

Jace was already dozing off while still tapping Harper and rocking the chair.

He turned his head a little and chewed a little for two seconds then steadied back in the rocking chair.

She took the phone outside and gently closed the door behind her.

"Hey, sup babe,you called in quite late."

"Yeah, I know. Guess what?" the caller responded with enthusiasm.

"What now? You are making me feel nudgy in my stomach." she moaned raising her head up.

"C'mon, just try. Give it a thought,"

"Just say it already or you forget about it. Who wakes up someone in the morning and starts asking them to guess?" she began to feel irritated.

"Alright lollipop, this is it... I was scrolling through my website tonight and I think I found something that might interest you."

"You're still not saying what it is..." Just then, her door knob squeaked open, she turned her head and Jace Sticks his head about to say a word, she flagged him down and begged him to keep quiet, but he almost seemed stubborn

"What?" He asked confused with his sleepy eyes.

"What I'm trying to say is that I... is someone with you?"

"I'll give you a call later girl, I think my neighbors are at it again." she lied.

She hung up and turned to face him almost in a hushed tone.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Well I don't sleep in your room!" He blatantly said and brushed her off, walked into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water and gulped down.

She watched him all the while in despair and her eyes followed him until he entered his room and closed the door behind him.

"Urgh! He almost ruined it"