JAY-JAY POV
*****2 YEARS LATER********
Life is… honestly beautiful.
I never thought I'd say that again, but here I am — waking up every morning to three tiny humans who call me "mama" and somehow make the world feel less scary.
I finished college in two years.
Yeah. Two.
I don't even know how I survived the all‑nighters, the stress, the crying‑in-the-bathroom moments, but I did it. For them.
And now?
I own my own business.
A real one.
A legit one.
A whole pharmacy‑based company with my name on the paperwork and everything.
It started small — just me, a laptop, and way too much caffeine.
But it grew fast.
People trusted me.
They liked how I explained medicine in a way normal people could understand.
They liked that I cared.
Now I have employees.
A building.
Clients.
A future.
Sometimes I look around and think:
Wow.
I actually made it.
Me.
Jay‑Jay.
The girl who thought her life was over at seventeen.
Now I'm twenty, a business owner, a graduate, and a mom of three.
And for the first time in forever…
I'm proud of myself.
Mia lives with her now‑husband.
Yeah, she actually got married last year and moved to the U.S. like it was nothing.
We still talk all the time though — video calls, voice notes, random memes at 3 a.m.
She misses the kids like crazy.
Every time she sees them on camera she gets all emotional and starts threatening to fly back just to squeeze their cheeks.
But right now?
I have a mission.
A very serious one.
I need to find the cake.
Because Keira — my sweet, tiny, adorable daughter — will absolutely throw a full‑body, Oscar‑winning tantrum if she doesn't get the exact cake she asked for.
I froze.
Like literally froze in the middle of the bakery aisle, holding a box of cupcakes I didn't even want. That voice… I hadn't heard it in two years.
"Jay," he said again.
I turned around slowly.
Percy.
His eyes were red, like he hadn't slept or like he'd been crying — which was insane because Percy never cried. Ever. But right now he looked like someone had punched the air out of him.
"Percy," I whispered.
He didn't even let me finish. He sprinted toward me and wrapped me in the biggest, tightest hug like he was trying to squeeze two years of missing me into one moment.
"BABY SISTAH!" he yelled, loud enough for the entire store to hear.
Every single person in the aisle turned to stare at us like we were filming a drama scene.
I felt my face heat up. "Percy—people are looking—"
"I DON'T CARE," he said, hugging me even tighter. "YOU'RE HERE. YOU'RE REAL. YOU'RE ALIVE."
I laughed a little, even though my eyes stung. "Of course I'm alive, idiot."
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his hands still on my shoulders.
"You disappeared," he said, voice cracking. "You disappeared for two years. And now you're just—shopping for cake?"
I shrugged awkwardly. "Keira wants cake."
He blinked. "Who's Keira?"
I froze again.
Oh.
Right.
He didn't know.
"I will explain, but for now find the Ferrero Rocher chocolate cake," I told Percy, pointing at him like a stressed mother pointing at her misbehaving child.
"But baby sistah—" he started, already gearing up for drama.
"Percy, please," I said, dead serious. "If I don't find that cake, I'm going to lose my brain. Like actually lose it."
He stared at me for a second.
Then he burst out laughing.
Not a normal laugh.
A full‑on, bend‑over, slap‑his‑knee, wheezing laugh.
People turned to look at us again, probably thinking we were filming a prank video.
"Oh my god, baby sistah," he said between laughs, "you're still the same. Two years gone and you're still dramatic as hell."
I crossed my arms. "PERCY."
"Fine, baby sistah," he grumbled, finally taking the cake search seriously.
He scanned the shelves like he was decoding some secret mission. Then, without even looking at me, he dropped the question I'd been avoiding.
"You still haven't explained who Keira is," he said, eyes moving over every cake box like he was reading their souls.
But before I could answer, he spotted something on the top shelf.
"FOUND IT!" he yelled, grabbing the Ferrero Rocher cake like it was a trophy.
"Now tell me who is Keira," he said, not joking anymore.
I took the cake right out of his hands — gently, but fast — because knowing Percy, the shock alone was enough to make him drop it.
And I was not about to deal with Keira's meltdown over a smashed cake.
"She is my daughter," I said, turning away and walking toward the checkout counter like it was the most normal sentence in the world.
Behind me, I heard Percy choke on his own breath.
"YOUR—YOUR WHAT?" he sputtered, footsteps scrambling as he rushed after me.
I didn't slow down. I just kept pushing the cart
Percy caught up, grabbing the side of the cart like he needed support
"Jay… baby sistah… you can't just drop that on me and walk away," he said, voice cracking.
I shrugged, placing the cake on the conveyor belt. "Well, I just did."
He stared at me like I'd personally ruined his entire worldview.
"You have a daughter," he repeated, softer this time, like he was still trying to convince himself it was real.
"And two sons," I added.
Percy stopped breathing.
Like actually stopped.
His eyes went so wide I thought they might fall out.
His hands slowly dropped to his sides, and he just stared at me like I'd told him I secretly ruled a small country.
Percy didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't breathe.
He just stood there, frozen in the middle of the checkout line like someone unplugged him from reality.
Then—
very slowly—
his chest expanded like he was taking the biggest inhale of his life.
Oh no.
I knew that inhale.
That was the Percy about to explode inhale.
And before I could stop him—
"THREE?!" he screamed.
The entire store went silent.
Every cashier.
Every customer.
Even a baby in a stroller stopped crying.
Percy threw his hands in the air like he was summoning lightning.
"YOU HAVE THREE KIDS?!" he yelled again, louder this time, like the first shout wasn't enough.
I covered my face with my hands. "Percy, please—"
"NO, NO, NO," he said, pacing in a frantic circle. "YOU DISAPPEAR FOR TWO YEARS AND COME BACK WITH A WHOLE TRIPLE PACK? A FAMILY SIZE? A BUY‑ONE‑GET‑TWO‑FREE?!"
People stared.
Someone whispered, "Is this a prank show?"
Percy pointed at me dramatically. "YOU—BABY SISTAH—ARE A WHOLE MOM?! A MOM OF THREE?!"
I grabbed his arm. "Percy, lower your voice—"
He didn't.
He absolutely did not.
"I'M AN UNCLE THREE TIMES AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW?!" he shouted, voice cracking like a dying microphone.
I sighed.
This was exactly the Percy I remembered.
And honestly?
I didn't say any of that.
I just left him standing there in the middle of the store, still frozen like a shocked statue, and walked to the checkout counter. The cashier scanned the cake, gave me a polite smile, and I paid as fast as I could.
The second I stepped outside, the cool air hit my face.
I exhaled.
Finally.
Peace.
I held the cake carefully with both hands, praying nothing happened to it because Keira would absolutely declare war if this thing got even slightly dented.
I barely made it three steps toward the car before Percy came flying out of the store like he'd been launched.
"BABY SISTAH, STOP RIGHT THERE!"
I closed my eyes. "Oh god…"
He ran up to me, out of breath, hands on his knees like he'd just sprinted a marathon.
Then he straightened up, pointed at me dramatically, and said:
"I want to meet them."
I blinked. "Percy—"
"No," he said, shaking his head so fast his curls bounced. "No excuses. No running. No disappearing again. I WANT TO MEET MY NIECE AND NEPHEWS."
He said it so loudly a couple walking by actually jumped.
I held the cake tighter, clutching it like it was a priceless artifact. "No, Percy."
He froze mid‑step, eyes wide, mouth hanging open like I'd just told him Santa wasn't real.
"No?" he repeated, voice rising again.
"WHY?" he yelled, voice echoing across the parking lot like we were in a dramatic movie scene.
I tightened my grip on the cake. "Because, Percy, if you see them you will tell Keifer."
Percy froze.
Like someone hit pause on him again.
His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again like a confused goldfish.
"So Keifer is their father," he asked quietly.
I nodded once.
Percy's whole face changed — not dramatic this time, not loud, not chaotic. Just… stunned. Like the truth finally clicked into place and hit him straight in the chest.
"Jay, please," he said, stepping closer. "I won't tell Keifer."
His voice cracked on the last word.
I looked at him, really looked at him — the same Percy who used to annoy me on purpose, who used to tease me until I screamed, who used to tell Keifer everything without thinking.
But right now?
He looked terrified of hurting me.
"Percy…" I whispered.
He shook his head fast, eyes shining. "No. Listen to me. I swear I won't tell him. I swear on everything. On my life. On my stupid mouth. On every embarrassing thing I've ever done. I won't say a word."
My throat tightened.
"I'm not on his side," Percy said, voice low and steady. "I'm on yours. Always."
The wind blew a little, and for a second the parking lot felt too quiet.
I swallowed hard. "I just… I can't let him know. Not yet."
Percy nodded slowly, like he understood more than I expected.
"Then he won't," Percy said. "Not from me."
"Fine," I said finally.
The word came out small, but it felt huge.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
I nodded, hugging the cake closer to my chest. "Just… don't make me regret trusting you."
He placed a hand over his heart like he was taking an oath. "You won't. I swear."
"Let's go meet them," he said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me like I was a lost toddler.
"Which one is your car?" he asked, spinning around like he expected a vehicle to magically appear.
I stared at him. "Where is yours?"
He blinked at me, confused. "Mine?"
"Yes, Percy. Your car. The thing with wheels. The thing adults use to travel."
He puffed his chest out proudly. "Baby Sistah, I came to walk."
I stopped walking. "You what."
He nodded like he'd just announced something heroic. "So no car."
I rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw my brain. "This is the one," I said, pointing at the blue car.
"Here, hold this," I added, shoving the cake into his hands before he could protest.
Percy held it like it was a newborn baby he wasn't qualified to touch. "Why does this feel heavier now that I know I'm an uncle?" he muttered.
I ignored him, digging into my pocket for the keys. My fingers were freezing, but I finally got them out and clicked the unlock button.
The car beeped.
Percy jumped.
"Bro," I said, staring at him. "It's just the car."
He clutched the cake tighter. "I'm emotionally unstable right now, Jay. Don't judge me."
I shook my head and opened the door.
I got into the car and opened the passenger seat for him
"Get in," I said, starting the engine. "My house is ten minutes away."
"Where are the kids?" Percy asked, looking around like they might pop out of the trunk.
"At home," I said casually.
Percy's jaw dropped. "Jay, you left your kids at home alone?"
"Percy, the maids are there for a reason," I said, pulling out of the parking spot.
He blinked. "Oh. Right. Rich‑people solutions."
I rolled my eyes. "So tell me, how's life? Any girlfriends?"
He leaned back, buckling his seatbelt dramatically. "Actually… I'm married."
I slammed the brakes.
The car jerked.
Percy slammed into the dashboard. "OW—BABY SISTAH WHAT THE—"
"YOU'RE WHAT?!" I yelled, turning to him so fast my neck cracked.
He rubbed his forehead. "Married! I'm married! Can you not kill me before I explain?!"
I stared at him like he'd just told me he lived on Mars.
"Percy," I said slowly, "you… got married."
He nodded proudly. "Yes. A whole wedding. Vows. Rings. Cake. Tears. Everything."
I blinked. "To who?!"
He grinned like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment. "Honey."
I stared at him.
He stared back.
"…Honey?" I repeated slowly. "As in Honey Bee Rider?"
"Yeah," Percy said proudly. "Honey Bee Rider Mariano."
I stared at him like he'd just confessed to marrying a cartoon character.
He grinned like this was normal.
I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw the back of my skull and started the car again.
"Percy," I said, pulling out of the parking lot, "you married Honey. Keifer's secretary."
"Yes," he said, nodding like he'd just won an award. "My wife."
I stared at him so hard I almost forgot I was driving.
"Percy," I said slowly, "you married Honey Bee Rider… the woman who was basically a canvas with full‑on makeup every single day."
Percy gasped like I'd insulted royalty. "EXCUSE YOU—she is an artist."
I rolled my eyes before I could say something back.
Then his phone started ringing.
He froze.
Looked at the screen.
Then looked at me with the biggest, most dramatic puppy‑dog eyes I'd ever seen.
"Jay… can I tell her please?" he asked, clutching the phone like it was a sacred object.
I sighed. "Percy—"
He leaned closer, eyes wide, eyelashes fluttering like he was auditioning for a commercial. "Please. Just her. She won't tell anyone. She's my wife. My soulmate. My honey."
I groaned. "Fine, I guess. As long as she doesn't tell Keifer."
Percy lit up like a Christmas tree.
"THANK YOU," he whisper‑yelled, already swiping to answer.
He cleared his throat, sat up straighter, and suddenly his voice dropped three octaves.
"Hey, baby," he said, all soft and sweet like he wasn't just screaming in a parking lot five minutes ago.
I stared at him.
"Baby, when will you come home?" Honey asked from the other end, her voice smooth and professional even through the phone.
"Soon," Percy said, grinning like a kid with a secret. "Honey, guess who I found in the bakery shop this morning."
I slapped his arm.
He ignored me.
There was a pause on the line.
"…Who?" Honey asked, suspicious already.
Percy's smile grew wider. "Take a wild guess."
Honey sighed. "Percy, I don't have time for riddles. I'm literally in a meeting."
He perked up. "Oh! Tell them your husband says hi."
"PERCY," she snapped.
He giggled.
I wanted to throw him out of the moving car.
"Fine, fine," he said, still smiling. "I found Jay."
There was a sharp inhale on the other end.
"…Jay?" Honey repeated, like she wasn't sure she heard right.
Percy nodded even though she couldn't see him. "Yep. My baby sistah. In the bakery. Buying cake."
Honey gasped. "OH MY GOD—JAY?!"
I groaned.
"Baby, I will come home and explain everything to you. For now—bye!" he said in one rushed sentence. "Love you!"
I stopped the car.
"We're here," I said, stepping out.
Percy climbed out behind me, eyes going huge as he stared at the house. "Damn, Jay, you're rich. How did you manage to buy this mansion?"
I smirked. "Well, what can I say? When I'm the CEO of MKM…"
I started walking toward the door.
He scrambled out of the car, nearly tripping over his slippers. "JAY. JAY. BABY SISTAH. YOU CAN'T JUST DROP 'I'M A CEO' LIKE IT'S A WEATHER UPDATE."
I shrugged, unlocking the door. "You asked."
Percy followed, scoffing. "Okay, okay, CEO, calm down. You're not the only rich one here."
I raised an eyebrow. "Percy, you walked here in slippers."
He gasped. "THAT DOES NOT MEAN I'M POOR. I'm rich AND comfortable."
I snorted. "You live in a penthouse with a private elevator and a gold‑trimmed mirror, Percy."
He pointed at me proudly. "EXACTLY. I'm rich. I just don't like driving."
"You don't like anything that requires effort."
"That's because I'm rich," he said, flipping his imaginary hair.
I rolled my eyes and pushed open the door.
The lights flicked on automatically.
Percy gasped dramatically. "Jay… your house has motion‑sensor lights. Mine only has those in the hallway."
I didn't say anything.
I just stepped further into the foyer, kicked off my shoes, and called out:
"Kev, Kade, Keira—Mama home."
The house shifted instantly.
Little footsteps.
A thump.
A door slamming.
Another thump.
Percy straightened like a soldier preparing for battle.
Then—
"MAMA!" three tiny voices screamed at once.
Percy's soul left his body.
Percy's soul left his body.
Kevin and Kade and Keira came to literally jump on me — a full‑force, tiny‑human tackle that almost knocked the cake out of my hands.
Kevin wrapped around my waist like a koala.
Kade clung to my leg like he was trying to fuse with it.
And Keira launched herself into my arms with her bunny squished against my chest.
"MAMA!" they all yelled at once.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
💙🔥 Author's Note 🔥💙
Sooo how was the chapter 🤭✨
Comment and tell me how it was — I need to know if you guys are surviving or already stressed 😭💬💙
I dropped one more chapter for you guys today because I love the chaos, but I think this is the last one for the day… 😊💖😩
It's literally 9:10 pm in the U.S and I should probably sleep or something 😭💀
But COMMENT because the chaos has only just started 😌🔥
You're not ready for what's coming next.
Honey and Percy are a couple in this book 😌✨