Despite being an awkward boy post trauma whose boundless energy had been dulled by hardship, Leo slowly began to show signs of recovery thanks to the nurturing care of his new family. The process was anything but easy. His sweaty nightmares, regur bed-wettiionally charged mood swings, and occasional loss of appetite created plenty of challenging moments. But with patience, love, and a willio adapt, they found their way through.

  Goonie, reizing her limitations, sought help from a skilled therapist to guide Leh everything he felt and thought. The therapist, a kind and uanding woman, made strides in helping Leo process his feelings. Despite the progress, Leo dreaded the weekly sessions. None of the other kids at school had to see a therapist, and it left him with the nagging belief that something was fually wrong with him now. Had daddy broken him?

  Even so, he gradually began to rediscover enthusiasm for life. While he never quite returo the carefree boy who had once been the apple of his mother’s eye, small sparks of his irrepressible spirit began to reemerge.

  Quinn, his vibrant and uable cousin, embraced her new little brother wholeheartedly—at least at first. Over time, as the y wore off, she found herself craving personal space. More often than not, she sought refuge upstairs in her room, shutting the door to carve out a private haven for herself.

  One evening, curiosity got the better of Leo. Drawn by the strange sounds emanating from her room, he crept up the stairs and peeked inside. What he saw left him wide-eyed with wonder. Quinn sat cross-legged on her bed, a curious device banced on her p. Lights danced across the surface, fshing in respoo her touch, creating a mesmerizing interpy of color and sound.

  It wasn’t just the mae that captivated him. Quinn, normally a whirlwind of goofy energy, was utterly focused, her expression serious and intense. Her fingers darted over the buttons, juring a shifting melody that seemed to pour straight from her soul. For a moment, she wasn’t just his cousin; she was a maestro anding an orchestra of light and sound.

  Leo stared in awe. His cousin’s full name was Quinzel Rosemary Ramses—a hat sounded as elegant as a fairytale princess. But to everyone, including Leo, she was simply Quinn. She had always been just Quinn, and that felt perfect for someone as uniquely dynamic as her.

  Quinn was the sort of person who refused to choose between experiences. She did everything that caught her i, often all at once, as though time itself might run out before she could taste every fvor of life. Whether she was rollerbding with friends, pying basketball or soccer, sketg in art css, perf in drama, or peting in gaming club tours, Quinn seemed to exist in a perpetual state of exploration.

  Her moonie, once described her as a budding gourmet sampling life’s buffet. It t metaphor—Quined every new i like a delicacy, sav it until something else piqued her curiosity.

  To Leo, Quinn was nothing short of extraordinary. She wasn’t just his amazing cousin; she henomenon. In his eyes, she was more remarkable than the superheroes he idolized, like Mistral. Even during his darkest moments, Mistral had remained a bea of inspiration for Leo, but Qui closer, more real, and perhaps was even more heroi her own way. Unlike Mistral, Quinn wasn’t born with superpowers, although Mistral hadn’t beeher—everything she did came from her owermination and curiosity.

  What delighted Leo most was that, despite Quinn’s many talents and wide circle of acquaintances, she didn’t seem to have any super close friends or a siivity that dominated her time. Her ever-ging is and broad curiosity left space for Leo, and he cherished that space fiercely. It felt like, no matter hoeople or pursuits filled her life, Leo ecial to her.

  And that made all the difference. Quinn was his superhero, his role model, his fidant—and he didn’t have to share her with anyone.

  Quinn’s natural talent for music had always been evident, but things started to shift when she began taking after-susic csses. The structured enviro wasly her style—she preferred a more free-flowing, improvisational approach. Jazzier. Wilder. The kind of thing that made her stand out, even if it didn’t always fit the mold. The rigidity of pying in a group didn’t suit her, aher did stig to one instrument.

  Over time, she breezed through the recorder, et, guitar, and trumpet, dabbling with each before moving on. She was quick to pick up the basics, but mastery didn’t i her as much as discovery. And then she found the drums—and shortly after, the keyboard.

  The drums were pure, unfiltered fun for Quinn. But the keyboard? That was where she truly came alive. She loved not just the pying but the endless possibilities that came with the school’s electric keyboard. One moment, she’d py a cssical piano piece; the , she’d switch to a san tone. From there, a harpsiight emerge, followed by strange, experimental tohat sounded more like they belonged in a sci-fi movie. Her creativity was unbounded, and the keybave her the tools to explore every er of it.

  Through a friend in her music css, Quinn discovered a whole world of eleistruments—keyboards, synths, keytars, and more—and where to find them. Trips to local music shops became a new obsession. She saved every penny she could, running errands foonie, walking neighbors’ pets, and watering their pnts. Her goal? A shiny, magical-sounding device called a mixing board.

  Leo was iably pulled into her orbit. He tagged along on her music store outings whenever Goonie allowed it, fasated by the gadgets and the sparkle in Quinn’s eyes as she explored this world. Sometimes, he thought about how much Quinn muttered about “mixing” and wondered if her mom’s knack for cooking might have pyed a role in her new passion.

  That m, Quinn had e home with her test acquisition: a strange, blinking traption that Leo couldn’t make sense of. The box it came in piqued his i, but the curious notes drifting from her room ter that day sealed the deal. The musitrigued him so much that, while using the bathroom door, he couldn’t help but creep closer. His curiosity propelled him into her room.

  Inside, he found Quinn on her bed, her p taken up by the mysterious gadget. Lights pulsed across its surface as her fingers flew over the buttons, creating an ever-shifting melody. She hadn’t noticed him yet, lost in her creation.

  Leo tilted his head, listening ily, utterly mesmerized. It wasn’t just the music that held him spellbound—it was Quinn herself. Her pink-dyed hair swayed with her movements, a bold statement of her growing individuality. Without her signature goggles perched atop her head, her face was fully visible, her mid-length hair framing her determined expression. She wore her usual mix of baggy windbreaker and fy miniskirt, an etric look that only Quinn could make work.

  As he watched her fingers dance over the pad, Leo’s mind wandered. What would his hair look like if it were pink like hers? The thought made him grin wide, the kind of grin that hadn’t e easily in a long time.

  “HAT’S THAT THING CALLED?!” Leo finally burst out, uo tain his excitement.

  Startled, Quinn gnced up, blinking in surprise. Then she smiled, tolerant and amused. Without answering, she turned back to the device. Her rhythm had faltered for just a moment, but she recovered quickly. Now that she had an audience, her enthusiasm doubled, and she pyed with even more fir.

  Leo’s head began to sway to the beat, his grin widening into something radiant and genuine. For the first time in months, he wasn’t thinking about therapy, nightmares, or the weight of everything he’d endured. He was thinking about the music that she ying for him. About Quinn, herself. About the magic that she could create.

  Once Quinn finished her impromptu performahe melody still buzzing through her veins, she was riding a high. It was a bination of creative satisfa and the newfound joy of having shared something special with Leo, who was still grinning from ear to ear. Her heart swelled as she gnced down at her little brother, his wide eyes shimmering with awe. In that moment, any lingering annoyance about him barging into her room dissolved pletely.

  Overwhelmed with affe, Quinn bolted downstairs, Leo trailing after her like a shadow. She burst into the kit, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.

  “Mama! I love Leo!” she announced, her words a decration and a celebration all at once.

  Laguna—Gooo everyo Quinn—looked up from the ter where she was choppiables, her warm smile brightening further at the ued outburst. Though the se was wele, it surprised her; Quinn hadn’t expressed suguarded love for Leo in some time, not sihe y of having a younger sibling had worn off.

  Quinn caught her breath and gnced down at Leo, who was now clutg her arm like it was a lifeline. His adoration was written all over his face, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes softened with something more than her usual pyfulness.

  She began to think about Leo's p their home. To her, it still felt like his presence was too provisional, as if he were a guest rather than family. It wasn’t a feeling she attributed to her mother’s as—Laguna had goo extraordinary lengths to save and adopt him. But the fact that he still slept on the living room sofa g Quinn. It made her worry, irrational or not, that Leo might somehow drift away.

  Quinn crossed her arms and gave a determined nod, more to herself than to anyone else. “Leo’s had to sleep on the sofa for too long… isn’t there something else we do for him?”

  Laguna’s smile faltered slightly, repced with a thoughtful frown. “You know the house only has two bedrooms, sweetheart. There is the office, but…” She trailed off, gng toward the living room as if the solution might be hiding somewhere in pin sight. “That room doesn’t have a closet. And if we move the puter, where would it go? It’s not as simple as—”

  Before she could finish, Quinn interrupted. “Mama!” Her voice was decisive, her energy unwavering. “I’m giving Leo my bedroom.”

  Laguna blinked, utterly taken aback. “You’re what?”

  Without waiting for a response, Qui down and scooped Leo into her arms, hugging him tightly. His small frame melted into hers, his head resting against her shoulder as his fusion began to give way to crity. He pulled back just enough to look at her, his wide eyes searg hers for firmation.

  “Are you sure?” Laguna asked, still reeling. “Quinn, that’s your room. You’ve made it your own—don’t you think this is a bit impulsive? Where would you sleep? And the office doesn’t even have a—”

  “I know, Mama,” Quinn interrupted agaione resolute. “I’ll figure it out. ut my clothes on the shelf in there or something. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that Leo has a proper room. He won’t feel like part of the family if he’s just crashing on our couch. That’s not a bedroom—it’s a temporary fix, and he’s not temporary.”

  Her words hit Laguna like a wave, leaving her momentarily speechless. Finally, she managed a choked ugh, her voice catg as she said, “I ’t believe my child is su amazing person. You’re my little hero.”

  Quinn puffed out her cheeks and stood a little taller, a pyful dispy of pride that made her mother chuckle. But her eyes drifted back to Leo, who was staring up at her in awe.

  For a moment, she felt something shift between them. She had always loved him—g to him even—but this was different. This was the kind of love that came with responsibility, with the realization that being a big sister wasn’t just about having fun or being admired. It was about stepping up, about making sacrifices when it ted.

  Leo, still puzzling over the versation, finally spoke, his small voice breaking through the silence. “I don’t… have to sleep on the sofa anymore?”

  “Nope,” Quinn replied, grinning as she ruffled his hair. “From now on, you’ve got a room all your own. And don’t worry—I’ll still barge in to bug you sometimes.”

  Leo giggled, a sound so pure and joyful that it warmed both Quinn and Laguna’s hearts.

  “You’re the best sister ever,” he decred, his voice filled with reverence.

  Quinn beamed, her cheeks pink from both pride and the rush of the moment. “Don’t you fet it, squirt.”

  Pulling the both children cloonie held them tightly as though to shield them from the weight of the past and the challenges of the future. “We’ll get started on all of this as soon as I’m off work, alright? We’ll hire someoo move Quinn’s bed and furniture—and we’ll see about getting you a bed of your own, Leo.”

  Quinn shook her head with a carefree smile. “It’s fine, Mama. I always loved crashing on that fy old cou the offiyway. That’ll be good enough for me.”

  Leo blinked up at his cousin—no, his sister—with wide, questioning eyes. “Y-yonna sleep on a coustead of me now? That’s not fair!”

  Quinn scoffed, a smirk tugging at her lips. “I’m a bit tougher than a certain little pipsqueak. Nah… don’t look at me like that—I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s no big deal.” She cleared her throat and straightened her back with exaggerated seriousness. “What I meant to say is, you’re still a growing kiddo. You could use a bit of extra room to stretch out some.”

  Leo blihen ughed, the sound bubbling up unbidden, while Goonie shook her head with a fond smile.

  The sofa in the living room had been his spot ever since he moved in, but now that he thought about it, he had often caught Quinn napping on both the living room and office couches. Somehow, the arra felt both surreal and magical to him.

  “You’re really giving up that nice brass bed, Quinn?” Goonie asked, a hint of disbelief ione, despite her approval. She thought back to the day she had splurged on it, wanting to make Quinn’s room extra special. “Are you sure?”

  Quinn gave an exaggerated nod, her ponytail bobbing with the motion. “I’m sure, Mama. But he ’t have my clothes!” She smirked and leaned down to pinch Leo’s cheek teasingly. “They wouldn’t fit him anyway!”

  “Ow!” Leo pouted and squirmed, batting her hand away. “B-but—your clothes are so cute, Cousin! And the way you color your hair!”

  Goonie blinked in surprise at his ear decration.

  Quinn puffed her chest out, striking a mock-dramatic pose. “I know! I’m a treer. But you’re still a little squirt, Leo, and my clothes wouldn’t fit you—plus, you’re a boy.”

  Leo hesitated, his small hands fidgeting nervously as he fli the words, “You’re a boy.”

  Notig how his face crumpled, Quinn tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden sadness clouding his expression. With a reassuring smile, she reached out to pat his head gently. “Okay, fine. You try on one or two things, I guess.”

  Leo’s face lit up immediately, his eyes sparkling with excitement. The thought of wearing some of his sister’s cool clothes sent his imagination into overdrive. He could already picture himself twirling dramatically, ag just like Mistral—only cooler! Was that possible?

  Quinn heaved a sigh of relief, then waggled a fi Leo with a pyful grin. “Speaking of, hey! You should stop calling me ‘cousin.’ I’m your sister nht?”

  The word “sister” hovered oip of Leo’s tongue as his thoughts swirled. Memories of his old life flickered briefly—the absence of his mother, the sharp cruelty of his father, and the lingering ache of loneliness. But here, in this warm and bright pce, with Goonie’s steady presend Quinn’s pyful energy, everythi different.

  Finally, he took a deep breath and tried the word, his voice wobbling with emotion. “S-sister…”

  His eyes shimmered with tears, and as the word settled in his heart, something inside him eased—a vacy that had once seemed endless now felt just a little fuller. A tear slipped free, followed by another, and soon Leo’s small face ith a cascade of emotions.

  Goonie crouched down, her hands on his shoulders. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” she asked gently, her voice tinged with . “Are you happy here with us?”

  Leo’s face lit up as he nodded vigorously, sending tiny droplets of tears flying. “I am! I’m super happy! It’s so warm and bright here with my Auntie Goonie—and my sister—you’re both so amazing!” His words tumbled out in a high-pitched squeal that made Quinn giggle.

  Qui Goonie’s gaze, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know, he should call you Mama too,” she suggested, winking at Leo.

  But Goonie’s expression grew serious, and she shook her head. “No,” she said firmly. “I-I don’t mean I wouldn’t be hoo be his mother. But isn’t that… disrespectful to my sister? To his mom?”

  Quinn winced, realizing her misstep. “Oh, crap—that’s right.” She bit her lip, gng at Leo with a flicker of guilt.

  For a moment, the room fell quiet as both women looked at the boy they had e to love so deeply. His bright, tear-streaked face was full of hope and trust, and the sight of it made their hearts ache. They eaew that one day they would have to expin the full truth to him—that his mother was gone, forever out of reach, and that his father would never return—not because they didn’t want him, but because his father had forfeited his p Leo’s life through his cruelty.

  It was a heavy reality that her Goonie nor Qui ready to share, but for now, they simply basked in the joy of the moment.

  Quinn leaned doulled Leo into an, whispering, “Don’t worry, little bro. You’re stuck with me forever, got it?”

  Leo giggled, his tiny arms ing tightly around her. “Got it, Sister!”