He's not a Baby

The light filtering through the curtains was weak and gray, the kind that made you question if it was morning at all. Graham stirred slowly, groggy from a restless night. He hadn't fallen asleep until well past four. His mind had been working overtime—flashes of his parents, their graves, the silence in this new house, and of course, the friction with Sophia.

A soft knock came at his door, followed by Janet's gentle voice.

"Graham, sweetheart. Time to get ready. We've got to get to the school early."

He groaned lightly and pushed himself up. "Yeah… okay."

He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, rubbing his eyes, trying to shake off the heaviness that still clung to his limbs. Then, dragging himself to his feet, he stretched lazily, slipped into his slippers, and padded out of the room toward the bathroom down the hall.

The house was quiet—just the hum of the air conditioner and the distant clink of something from downstairs. He yawned, half-asleep, and reached for the bathroom doorknob.

It turned easily.

He pushed the door open.

Steam rolled out instantly, warm and fragrant with the scent of floral soap and shampoo. His brain didn't register what he was seeing at first—just shapes and fog, the gleam of water, the soft splash of movement.

Then it hit him.

In the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles and half-submerged in the soapy water, was Sophia.

And she was naked.

Her head whipped toward him with a look of horror, mouth parting in a gasp. Her hair was piled up messily, a few damp strands stuck to her cheek. But Graham's gaze—traitorous, stupid, stunned—dropped for the briefest moment to the full, bare curves of her chest rising just above the waterline. Smooth, wet skin. Pink, perfect—

"Sick bastard!" she shrieked. "What the actual fuck?!"

Graham flinched as if he'd been slapped, jerking his head up.

"I didn't know! Shit—I didn't know you were in here!" he stammered, stumbling backward as she scrambled to grab a towel.

"You could've knocked!" she barked, her voice echoing off the tiled walls.

"Hell, you could've locked the goddamn door!" Graham replied. He was already out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him, heart thumping. Embarrassment rushed to his face, burning hot, as he made a beeline for his room. The image—those wide, glistening eyes, her soaked skin, the way she looked more goddess than girl—it was branded behind his eyelids now.

"Shit," he muttered, falling face-first onto his bed.

He didn't mean to see it.

But that didn't stop it from replaying again, and again, and again.

Graham stayed in his room longer than he should've. Part of it was him trying to cool off the heat still simmering under his skin from the awkward moment earlier. Part of it was to avoid running into Sophia again. But the bathroom was calling, and he had to face the day eventually.

He opened the door slowly, peeking into the hallway like he was checking for landmines. And of course, just his luck—Sophia was stepping out of the bathroom right then, wrapped in a short, white towel. Her skin glistened with leftover water droplets, and her damp brunette hair clung to her shoulders in a wild, seductive mess.

Their eyes met for a split second—hers full of fire, his blank with tired regret.

"Fucking pervert," she hissed through clenched teeth, narrowing her eyes at him like he was something disgusting stuck to her shoe.

Graham exhaled through his nose and kept walking.

"I didn't even see anything," he muttered under his breath.

She didn't reply. Just stomped off to her room, her hips swaying dramatically as the towel threatened to fall loose. Graham shook his head and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. The steam still lingered faintly, warm and moist. He peeled off his clothes and stepped under the shower, letting the water beat down on him.

He let it wash away the tension, the embarrassment, the lingering image of her.

When he came downstairs a while later, Sophia and Janet were already seated at the small dining table in the kitchen. The scent of toast, eggs, and brewed coffee filled the air. Graham took the empty seat without a word.

"Morning, sweetheart," Janet greeted with a warm smile. "Hope you slept okay."

He nodded, offering a small smile back. "Morning."

Sophia didn't look at him. She was focused on her phone, stabbing at her breakfast with half-hearted effort.

Janet cleared her throat and sipped her coffee. "So, I'm going to take you both to school today. I've got to handle a few things for Graham—help him with the admission test, put in a good word to speed up the paperwork. I spoke with the administration yesterday, so it should go smoothly."

"I'm pretty sure he can do that himself," Sophia said without looking up. "He's not a baby."

Graham's jaw tensed slightly, but he didn't rise to the bait. He just reached for the toast and took a bite, chewing slowly.

Janet gave her daughter a look. "Sophia, don't start this morning."

"I'm just saying." Sophia shrugged, picking up her juice.

Graham shook his head with a faint scoff. The morning tension was already alive and kicking.

They finished breakfast mostly in silence. Graham offered to help clear the plates, but Janet waved him off. "Just go get your things ready. I'll warm the car."

Sophia slipped past him with a sideways glance, still irritated—or maybe amused, he couldn't tell which. Either way, the ride to school was bound to be awkward.

Minutes later, they were all in Janet's car. The sun was finally peeking through the clouds, and the city of Alphacrest stretched before them—wide roads, high-rises with gleaming windows, people walking fast like they had somewhere urgent to be. Everything moved quickly here. The energy felt alive, buzzing with something Graham couldn't name yet.

He leaned his head against the window, letting the view blur past him as Janet navigated through traffic. Sophia was quiet beside him, earbuds in, arms folded tight across her chest.

And so began his first real step into this new life.