Friday mornings always taste like freedom, and today it's sweeter than the mountain of cereal Chris is demolishing across from me.

I stretch my arms overhead, working out the kinks in my back as another yawn escapes me. The kitchen clock reads 7:15 AM, and sunlight streams through the blinds, painting golden stripes across our worn kitchen table. No classes today means I get to be a normal big brother for once, not some stressed college freshman racing between lectures.

"Are you gonna eat anything?" Chris asks, milk dribbling down his chin as he shovels another spoonful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch into his mouth.

"Nah, not hungry yet," I mumble, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Truth is, I'm too wired thinking about seeing the twins later. My stomach's been in knots since Tuesday when I met their mothers, a disaster that somehow ended up working out perfectly.

Chris crunches loudly, eyeing me over his bowl. "You look tired. Did you stay up late again?"

“Yeah I was just texting."

"With your girlfriends?" His voice rises with that teasing tone only little brothers can master.

"Maybe." I can't help the stupid grin spreading across my face. Even after three days, it still feels surreal saying that word. Girlfriends. Plural.

The front door opens with that familiar squeak, followed by the clicking of Evelyn's shoes against the hardwood. Right on schedule.

"Good morning, Millers!" she calls out, her voice artificially bright as she rounds the corner into the kitchen. She's wearing a powder-blue sweater with her hair pulled back the ponytail she always sports. Her smile freezes slightly when she sees me.

"Seth, I didn't expect you to be up already." There's an edge to her voice that makes me tense. We haven't really talked since that weird confrontation Tuesday night.

"Just hanging with Chris before school," I say, keeping my tone casual.

Evelyn opens her mouth to say something when a sharp knock at the front door interrupts her. I glance at the clock again, confusion creasing my brow.

"Are you expecting someone?" Evelyn asks, her voice tight.

"Not this early," I mutter, pushing back from the table. "I'll get it."

I shuffle to the door in my pajama pants and worn t-shirt, running a hand through my bedhead. When I swing it open, my jaw nearly hits the floor.

Rose and Lilly stand on my porch, matching overnight bags slung over their shoulders. Rose's wild grin contrasts with Lilly's more measured smile, but both of their eyes light up when they see me.

"Surprise!" Rose chirps, bouncing on her heels.

"Wait, don't you both have classes today?" I ask, blinking in confusion as I take in their unexpected appearance.

Lilly adjusts the strap of her bag. "We decided to skip. The weekend starts now."

Before I can even step aside to invite them in, they both move past me into the entryway. Rose's shoulder brushes against mine as she passes, sending a familiar electric jolt through my body.

"You mentioned you'd be up early today," Lilly explains, her eyes scanning my living room with methodical interest. "We figured it would be efficient to arrive right away. Maximize our time together."

"Plus, we couldn't wait until tonight," Rose adds, dropping her bag on the floor with a thud. "Patience isn't really my thing."

I'm still standing by the open door, trying to process their sudden appearance when Chris's voice pipes up from behind me.

"Seth? Who's here?" He appears in the hallway, cereal bowl still in hand, milk mustache decorating his upper lip.

Rose's eyes widen with delight. "You must be Chris!" She strides toward him, hand extended like she's meeting a business associate instead of a nine-year-old. "I'm Rose Harris, your brother's favorite girlfriend."

Lilly makes a scoffing sound, shooting Rose a look that could wither plants. "Favorite? Yeah right."

Chris, completely unfazed by their bickering, reaches out and shakes Rose's hand with surprising formality. His milk mustache quivers as he squints up at her with curious eyes.

"Were you the ones who bit my brother's neck?" he asks, his voice carrying the innocent bluntness only a nine-year-old could manage.

I nearly choke on air, my hand instinctively flying to cover the fading hickeys on my throat. "Chris! That's…"

"What?" Rose blinks, momentarily thrown off her game.

Chris points at my neck with his spoon, drops of milk splattering on the floor. "Evelyn said someone gave my brother love bites. They're all purple."

My face burns hotter than the surface of the sun. Behind me, I hear Evelyn's sharp intake of breath from the kitchen doorway.

Lilly sets her overnight bag down with careful precision and walks over, extending her hand to Chris. "Hello, I'm Lilly Harris," she says, her voice gentle but matter-of-fact. "Those are bites adults give each other when they're in love."

Chris's eyes widen as he solemnly shakes her hand, processing this new information with the seriousness of a tiny professor. He looks between the twins, then back at me, his brow furrowing with concern.

"Please don't hurt my brother," he says quietly.

Something in my chest cracks open at his words. I move to his side, resting my hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, buddy. They're not hurting me."

Rose crouches down to Chris's eye level, her usual predatory demeanor softening into something very gentle. "We would never hurt Seth," she says, her voice uncharacteristically serious. "We care about him too much."

Lilly nods in agreement. "Your brother is very important to us."

Chris's eyes flick between the twins, considering their words. After a moment, he gives a small nod.

"Okay," he says simply, seemingly satisfied with their answers. "I'm gonna finish my cereal before it gets soggy." He turns and pads back to the kitchen.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, watching him go with a mixture of embarrassment and pride.

Evelyn finally steps forward from where she's been lurking in the kitchen doorway. Her smile is tight as she extends a hand toward the twins.

"Hello," she says, her voice carrying a brittle cheerfulness that makes my skin crawl. "I'm Evelyn. I take care of Chris."

Rose takes her hand first, her grip noticeably firmer than necessary. "Nice to meet you," she says, though her usual playful tone has an edge to it. "Seth's mentioned you."

"Has he?" Evelyn's eyes flick to me, something dangerous flickering in their depths.

Lilly steps forward next, her handshake precise and clinical. "Thank you for taking care of Chris. He seems like a wonderful child."

"Actually," Evelyn says, her smile never reaching her eyes, "I'm not sure it's a good idea for you two to stay over this weekend." She turns to me with a look of manufactured concern. "I think it's a bit soon for Seth, don't you? You've only been dating for what, less than a week?"

My mouth drops open, but before I can say anything, Rose steps between us. The transformation in her face is immediate and terrifying. Her usual playful expression vanishes, replaced by something feral and dangerous. Her eyes narrow to slits, her lips pulling back in what could technically be called a smile but looks more like a wolf baring its teeth.

"Excuse me?" Rose's voice drops to a growl. "You speak for our boyfriend now?"

Evelyn straightens her spine, drawing herself up to her full height. "I run this house when his mother is away," she declares, her voice dropping to a dangerous octave. "I'm responsible for creating a stable environment."

My stomach knots with anxiety as I watch this confrontation unfold.

Lilly, who's been observing the exchange with calculating precision, suddenly moves. She steps forward with the fluid grace of a predator, positioning herself directly in front of Evelyn.

"I don't think that's true," Lilly says, her voice soft but razor-sharp. "This is Seth and Chris's home. Their mother's home. She said we could stay over.”

Evelyn's face contorts into a mask of barely contained fury. Her eyes dart between the twins before settling on me with an intensity that makes me take an involuntary step back.

"What are your intentions with Seth, exactly?" she asks, her voice dripping with false sweetness while her eyes remain cold. "Because it seems rather manipulative to show up unannounced at his home, don't you think?"

The tension in the room thickens like concrete setting. I can hear Chris's spoon clinking against his cereal bowl in the kitchen, oblivious to the showdown happening in our hallway.

"Our intentions?" Rose repeats, her voice dangerously soft. "That's between us and Seth."

"Enough, Evelyn." My voice comes out firmer than I expected, surprising even myself.

The three women turn to face me, the twins with matching expressions of surprise, Evelyn with a flash of hurt quickly masked by annoyance. She sighs, shoulders dropping as she glances toward the kitchen.

"Chris, are you almost ready for school?" she calls out, her voice shifting into that professional nanny tone.

"Hold on!" Chris shouts back. "I have to get dressed!" The patter of his feet echoes through the house as he races upstairs to his room.

Evelyn turns back to me, all business now. "He has a math quiz today."

"A math quiz? It's only his second week of school. That's insane." I shake my head, genuinely concerned for my little brother. Elementary school seems more intense than I remember.

"I know," Evelyn agrees, momentarily forgetting her animosity as we share this small moment of adult solidarity. "They're pushing them harder every year."

Lilly clears her throat, drawing our attention away from elementary school curriculum concerns. "Evelyn," she says, her voice taking on that polite-but-firm tone that somehow manages to sound both respectful and commanding, "after you drop Chris off, why don't you take the weekend off? You've been working so hard."

Evelyn's face hardens instantly. "I take my job very seriously," she says, clutching her purse strap tighter. "Chris needs consistency in his routine."

"Seth, Rose, and I are perfectly capable of getting him through the weekend," Lilly counters, her smile never wavering despite the steel in her voice. "We can handle homework, meals, bedtime, everything."

Evelyn's eyes narrow as she looks between us. "Wouldn't you rather I be here so you can focus on Seth?" she asks, directing the question at the twins while pointedly avoiding my gaze. "I'm sure you'd prefer some... private time together."

Rose lets out a short laugh, crossing her arms as she leans against the wall. "She's got us there, sis," she says, shooting Lilly a meaningful look. "Can't argue with that logic."

Lilly sighs heavily, her jaw clenching as she shoots Rose a withering glare. "Fine," she says, frustration evident in every syllable. "You can stay, Evelyn."

Before anyone can say another word, the thundering of small feet comes pounding back down the stairs. Chris bursts into the hallway, backpack bouncing wildly against his small frame, one shoelace untied and flapping dangerously with each step.

"I'm ready!" he announces breathlessly, his hair still sticking up in the back despite his obvious attempt to smooth it down.

I can't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "Whoa there, speed racer. Let me fix your shoe before you trip." I crouch down to tie his lace while he fidgets impatiently.

"There you go, all set," I say, giving his shoelace a final tug.

Chris beams at me, then turns to the twins with a curious expression. "Are you girls gonna be here when I get home from school?"

Rose nods enthusiastically. "Absolutely! We'll be right here waiting."

Evelyn checks her watch with exaggerated concern. "We should get going, Chris. We don't want to be late."

She extends her hand to him, which he takes automatically. As they head toward the door, she glances back at me expectantly.

"I'll walk you guys out," I offer, following them to the porch.

The morning air feels crisp against my skin as I step outside with them. Chris skips ahead to Evelyn's car while she lingers beside me, her expression unreadable.

"I'll be back after I pick him up from school," she says, her voice carrying just enough edge to remind me she's still upset.

"Alright," I reply, trying to keep my tone neutral. "Have a good day, buddy!" I call to Chris, who waves enthusiastically from his seat seat.