The path between the two houses was already wider by the third morning, worn smooth by small feet that could not decide which door to run through first.
I stood at the kitchen window with a cup in my hand and watched Nova race from the yellow door toward us, Elara close behind. Mira followed at a normal pace, smiling, while Thorne stayed back to close their door.
Cassian came up beside me. “They are going to wear a ditch in that grass before the month is over.”
“I do not mind,” I said. “It means they feel welcome in both places.”
The girls burst in. Nova climbed onto a chair. “We had toast at Mira’s house again. But we still want your eggs.”
Elara nodded. “And your coffee for Mira. She said she forgot to grind more.”
Mira stepped inside and held up an empty jar. “It is true. We are s
