Chapter thirty-eight – Four Homes

Ryan's POV

Sarah was wiping down the café counter when Ryan walked in, basketball bag slung over his shoulder and hair slightly damp from practice.

"How was school?" she asked without looking up.

He set the bag by the stairs. "Good. Tryouts went well."

She stopped. "You make the team?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Sarah smiled, one of those proud, quiet ones that never tried to make a big deal out of things. "I knew you would."

There was a pause before she asked, "Did Ben make it too?"

"Yeah. And Anna and Savannah made cheer."

Something flickered in her eyes when he said Anna's name, but she masked it quickly. "That's great. You've found your people."

Ryan leaned on the counter, voice lower. "It's weird. I didn't think I'd care. But I kinda do."

She tilted her head, warm. "That's not weird at all, Ryan. That's growing up."

He offered a small smile before heading upstairs. Somehow, hearing her say that made it all feel real.

Ben's POV

Jack was on the couch, half-asleep with the TV flickering in the background. The same old sports highlights played on loop, but Ben barely noticed them anymore. He dropped his backpack by the door and stepped inside.

"You're home early," Jack murmured, eyes still half-closed.

Ben flopped into the chair beside him. "Tryouts results came out today."

Jack turned his head slowly. "Yeah?"

Ben couldn't stop the grin. "I made it."

Jack's eyes lit up, and for the first time in a while, there was no tiredness in them—just pride. "You serious?"

Ben nodded, bouncing his leg. "Ryan made it too. We're both in."

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. "That's big, Benny."

Ben leaned back, gazing at the ceiling. "First practice is tomorrow. I'm nervous… but excited too, you know? Like something's finally happening."

Jack paused, then said softly, "You worked for it. You deserve it."

Ben looked at him. "You think you can come see one of the games? When we start?"

Jack hesitated. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I'd like that."

It wasn't a promise, not really. But it was enough for Ben to believe it might happen.

He smiled again, this time more to himself. "Guess I'm really on the team now."

Anna's POV

Dinner at the Morgans' was as formal as ever. Richard sat at the head of the table, Evelyn across from him. Anna sat in the middle, poking at her green beans.

"So," Evelyn said gently, "you mentioned something about cheerleading?"

Anna perked up. "Yeah, I made the squad. Savannah too."

Richard nodded once. "Good."

That was all he said. No smile, no further questions.

Evelyn jumped in. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. I'm sure you'll look amazing out there."

Anna smiled politely, but her gaze flicked back to her father, who was already cutting into his steak.

"And Ryan made the basketball team," she added, a little too quickly.

That got Richard's attention. His knife slowed. "Whitmore's boy?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah."

He didn't say anything else, just resumed eating. Evelyn glanced between them, sensing something she couldn't quite place.

Anna kept her voice casual. "He's… not what people think. He's actually kind of cool."

Evelyn smiled, curious. Richard stayed silent.

Savannah's POV

The apartment was quiet when she walked in. No lights on. No voices. Just the hum of the fridge and the city sounds outside the window.

Savannah dropped her keys into the bowl by the door and pulled her phone out. A message from Anna blinked on the screen.

Anna: We should hang again this weekend. That diner was fun :)

She smiled but didn't reply right away.

She walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge—half a carton of milk, takeout containers, and an apple that looked suspicious. Her mom and dad were out of town. Again. She didn't even remember where they'd gone this time—some trip, some meeting. She was used to it.

She heated up leftover pasta, sat on the couch with the TV on mute, and scrolled through pictures they'd taken at the diner. One caught her eye—Ryan looking down at his plate, mid-smirk; Anna half-laughing; Ben with a straw wrapper stuck to his nose.

Savannah stared at it longer than she expected.

She'd always been the loud one. The bright one. The confident one.

But tonight, her world felt a little too quiet.

She pulled a blanket over herself, clutching her phone like a lifeline, and whispered to the empty apartment—

"I made the squad."

There was no one to hear her, but it still mattered.