“I’ll spar you,” Leo says without looking over. “Could use someone to burn off this tension.”
Kieran laughs. “Bring it, boxer boy.”
Finn cuts in. “Get the rookie to sign a waiver first, Leo.”
Their chirping fades as we walk along the beach, the tide softening the edges.
It’s easy now. It’s right.
I lean into Nate, his arm settling around me. Eyes closed for a heartbeat.
The sea. The breeze. The warm, beautiful chaos of people who feel like home.
THE END