The evening at Watson Mansion was peaceful for exactly five minutes.
Then Keiran started asking questions.
"Ate."
"Hm?" Jay looked up from where she was helping Keifer with his medicine.
"If kuya got shot… does that mean he's bulletproof now?"
Keifer snorted softly.
Jay sighed. "No, baby."
Keiran frowned seriously. "Then why did movies lie to me?"
Keigan looked up from the couch calmly. "Because you watch weird movies."
"I do not."
"You watched a dinosaur fighting aliens yesterday."
"It was emotional."
Jay laughed softly while Keifer leaned back against the couch watching them quietly.
The living room felt warm tonight. The rain outside had finally stopped, leaving the mansion calm and cozy.
Keiran suddenly turned toward Keifer again.
"Kuya."
"What now?"
"Did it hurt?"
Keifer blinked once. "Yes."
"Did you cry?"
Jay immediately looked at him too.
Keifer narrowed his eyes. "Absolutely not."
Keigan muttered under his breath, "Liar."
Jay almost laughed.
Keifer looked betrayed. "You too?"
Keigan shrugged innocently. "Ate said you almost passed out when the doctor cleaned the wound."
Jay froze.
Keifer slowly turned toward her.
"…You told them that?"
She immediately defended herself. "It slipped out!"
"You ruined my image."
Keiran gasped loudly. "KUYA CRIED?"
"I did not cry."
"A little?" Keigan asked calmly.
"Not even slightly."
Jay tried not to smile while adjusting the blanket over his legs.
Keiran suddenly climbed onto the couch beside Jay and stared at Keifer dramatically.
"Ate saved kuya."
Keifer scoffed weakly. "I saved her first."
"Then ate saved you back," Keiran declared proudly.
The room fell quiet for a second.
Jay looked down shyly while Keifer stared at her softly.
Honestly?
Keiran wasn't wrong.
Before anyone could say anything—
Jay's phone suddenly rang.
The screen lit up with:
Kuya Calling
Jay immediately answered.
"Hello?"
The second she picked up—
"BABY SISTAHHHH!"
Jay pulled the phone away from her ear instantly while Keigan winced slightly.
Percy's loud voice echoed through the entire room.
"How is my brother-in-law?! I heard he got SHOT?!"
Keifer groaned softly from the couch. "Why is he screaming?"
Jay laughed quietly. "He's dramatic."
"I AM NOT DRAMATIC," Percy shouted through the phone.
"You literally yelled that."
"BECAUSE MY BROTHER-IN-LAW GOT SHOT!"
Keiran's eyes widened excitedly the moment he heard Percy's voice.
"PERCYYYYYY!"
He practically launched himself toward Jay and grabbed the phone quickly.
"PERCY!"
"KEIRANNNN!"
Now both of them were shouting.
Very loudly.
Jay immediately moved the phone away from her ear again.
Keigan sighed deeply like this happened daily.
Keifer looked genuinely exhausted already.
"PERCY!" Keiran yelled excitedly. "KUYA GOT SHOT BUT HES ALIVE AGAIN!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ALIVE AGAIN?!" Percy yelled back dramatically.
"HE WAS SLEEPING LIKE DEAD PEOPLE!"
"OH MY GOD?!"
Jay buried her face in her hands laughing.
Keifer looked offended. "Why do I sound dead in this story?"
Neither of them listened.
"PERCY!" Keiran shouted again. "ATE IS TAKING CARE OF KUYA!"
"OHOOOOO," Percy teased loudly. "ATE JAYYYYY."
Jay immediately covered her face. "I hate all of you."
Keigan finally took the phone gently before the two destroyed everyone's ears.
"Hi, Percy."
"Keigan! Finally someone normal!"
"Not really," Keigan replied calmly while glancing at Keiran hanging upside down on the couch.
Percy laughed loudly through the phone.
Then his tone softened slightly.
"But seriously… how's kuya?"
Keigan looked toward Keifer quietly.
"He's okay now."
Jay's smile faded softly hearing that.
Okay now.
Thank God.
Percy sighed in relief dramatically. "Good. Tell him if he dies, I'll beat him up."
Keifer muttered from the couch, "That makes no sense."
Jay smiled softly while looking at him.
Alive.
Complaining.
Annoyed.
Perfect.
Keiran suddenly climbed into Keifer's lap carefully before Jay could stop him.
"Oops," Keiran whispered dramatically. "I forgot kuya is injured."
Keifer wrapped an arm around him anyway.
"You're lucky you're cute."
"I know."
Keigan shook his head tiredly while Jay laughed softly beside them.
And somewhere between the loud yelling, the teasing, the laughter, and Keiran asking if bullets expire—
The mansion no longer felt cold.
It felt lived in.
Loved in.
Like a real family was finally filling the empty spaces.
Hey guys im so sorry I forgot to mention that i made a new book a few days ago named "Her bodyguard '' If someone doesn't know about it pls go and check it out im so sorry i didn't mention i totally forgot cz i was so busy i apologise by my heart so sorry but pls go and check it out🌷