Jori Family shots

The smell of bacon and pancakes filled the Vega-West kitchen as Jade stood by the stove, flipping pancakes with an expert flick of her wrist. She was still in her sleepwear—an oversized black T-shirt and pyjama pants—but her sharp blue eyes were alert.

Behind her, at the kitchen island, Tori sat with her head resting dramatically against the cool marble countertop. Her long, dark brown hair was a mess, and she groaned loudly as she rubbed her temples.

"My head is killing me," Tori whined.

Jade rolled her eyes as she plated the pancakes. "Oh no. Should I call the press? International pop star Victoria Vega-West has a headache. Tragic."

Tori lifted her head just enough to glare at her wife. "This is your fault."

Jade raised an eyebrow, turning back toward the stove. "Oh, really? And how exactly is your headache my fault, Mommy?" She emphasized the nickname their kids used, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Tori huffed. "Because you kept talking in your sleep again! And then you kicked me! Right in the shin!"

Jade smirked as she turned off the stove. "Sounds like a you problem."

"It is a me problem," Tori grumbled, rubbing her shin. "I swear, you were dreaming about murdering someone again."

"I don't dream about murder," Jade said, rolling her eyes as she placed the plates of food on the table. "At least, not every night."

Before Tori could respond, the pitter-patter of little feet filled the kitchen as their kids ran in.

"Pancakes!" Ruby cheered, climbing into her seat. Her dark hair was a mess, just like Jade's in the morning.

"Good morning, Mama! Good morning, Mommy!" Lola chirped, her voice a dead ringer for Jade's.

Callie and Cassie followed closely behind, still rubbing their sleepy eyes.

"I'm still sleepy," Callie mumbled as she climbed onto her chair.

Cassie nodded in agreement, then scrunched her nose. "Mommy, you look weird."

Tori gasped, placing a hand on her chest. "Wow. Betrayed by my own child."

Jade chuckled, ruffling Cassie's dark hair. "Good observation, kid."

Tori shot her a glare. "You are so lucky I love you."

Jade smirked. "Oh, I know."

As the kids dug into their pancakes, the morning chaos continued—just another typical day in the Vega-West household.

Jade had only been gone for one hour. She had run a few errands, picked up some things for dinner, and even grabbed coffee for herself and Tori. A simple, normal morning.

But when she stepped back into the house, she immediately knew something was off.

For starters, the living room was gone.

Well, not gone, but completely transformed.

Pillows, blankets, and furniture were rearranged into what could only be described as a massive pillow fort—one so large it stretched across the entire living room. The coffee table was flipped sideways as a "wall," couch cushions were stacked like barricades, and there was even a makeshift flag sticking out from the top, drawn in crayon.

Jade blinked. "What the—"

Before she could finish, she heard giggles from inside the fort. Narrowing her eyes, she set down the grocery bags and crossed her arms.

"Tori."

Silence. Then, a sudden rustling from inside the fort before Tori's head popped up from behind a pillow wall.

"Oh, hey, babe," Tori said, grinning like a kid caught stealing cookies. "You're back early."

Jade gestured vaguely at the mess. "What. Is. This?"

Tori, looking completely unbothered, adjusted the blanket on her shoulders like a cape. "It's a kingdom, Jade. The kids and I built it. It has rooms."

Before Jade could reply, four tiny heads appeared behind Tori.

Ruby, sitting at the top with Tori, smirked. "We call it West-Vega Land."

Lola, peeking out from under a blanket, added, "I wanted to name it Lola-topia, but I was outvoted."

Callie, who was sitting cross-legged inside, beamed. "We even have a snack corner! Mommy brought Oreos!"

Cassie, the smallest but definitely the mastermind, looked up at Jade. "Mama, you can't enter without permission. This is a royal establishment."

Jade inhaled sharply, trying very hard to be the responsible parent. But the second she glanced at Tori—who was still grinning like a five-year-old—she knew that battle was already lost.

"Tori," Jade said slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose, "you are a grown woman. Why are you inside a pillow fort?"

Tori shrugged. "Because it's awesome, duh."

Ruby nodded. "We have a no-serious-people policy, by the way. So unless you wanna take off your scary director face—"

"—And bow to the queens," Lola added.

"Queens?" Jade echoed, blinking.

Tori cleared her throat dramatically. "Yes, um, Queen Tori the Fearless and our four princesses."

Callie gasped. "Mommy, she's not bowing!"

The girls all gasped in fake shock, Cassie clutching her tiny heart as if Jade had deeply offended the kingdom.

Jade, arms still crossed, gave Tori a long, long look. "You seriously made them call you Queen Tori the Fearless?"

Tori flipped her imaginary royal cape. "It was either that or Captain Tori of the Blanket Empire. I think this one sounds cooler."

Jade exhaled. "You know I have actual responsibilities, right? Unlike whatever this mess is."

Tori gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock betrayal. "Excuse me, but this mess is a masterpiece. It took strategic planning, teamwork, and—"

Ruby cut in, grinning. "—And the couch fell over twice."

Jade's eye twitched. "What?"

Lola whispered to Cassie, "I told you we should've fixed the pillows before she got home."

Jade opened her mouth to yell, but before she could, Callie threw a blanket at her face.

Tori gasped in fake horror. "ATTACK! ATTACK!"

Before Jade could react, all four kids started pelting her with pillows.

Jade stumbled backward, caught between rage and disbelief. "Are you little demons serious right now—"

Tori cackled. "The Queen demands VICTORY!"

"MAMA IS THE ENEMY!" Cassie yelled.

"SHOW NO MERCY!" Ruby added.

Jade barely had time to throw up her arms before she was tackled full force by four tiny gremlins and one fully grown pop star.

There was chaos. There was screaming. There were so many pillows.

By the time Jade managed to fight her way out, she was flat on her back on the carpet, hair a mess, breathless from getting jumped by her own family.

Above her, Tori grinned down victoriously, sitting on a pillow throne. "So... you surrender?"

Jade narrowed her eyes. "I hate you."

Tori, still grinning, leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Love you too, babe."

Jade groaned, rubbing her face. "I swear, if this mess isn't cleaned up by tonight—"

"—Then we'll just build it again tomorrow," Tori finished, winking.

Jade sighed. "I really should've married someone less annoying."

The kids giggled. Tori blew her a kiss.

And Jade, despite herself, couldn't stop the small smile creeping onto her face.

Because, as ridiculous as it was...

This was their normal.

And, deep down, she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Jade had one rule.

Okay, she had many rules, but the most important one was simple: Clean up your mess before bedtime.

So when she walked into the living room that evening, fully expecting to see the fort gone...

She found all five of them still inside it—asleep.

The once chaotic West-Vega Land was now eerily silent. The soft glow of the fairy lights they had strung up earlier cast a warm light over the scene, making everything look... peaceful.

Jade let out a sigh, crossing her arms as she surveyed the disaster zone.

Tori was right in the middle of the mess, sprawled on her back, one arm loosely draped over Callie, who was curled up beside her.

Cassie was snuggled against Tori's other side, her little hand still holding onto Tori's hoodie like a lifeline.

Lola had somehow managed to sleep upside down, her legs flung over a pillow wall, her head near Ruby's.

And Ruby—of course—had the most dignified sleeping position, curled up like a cat, arms crossed, looking like she'd fight anyone who woke her up.

Jade pinched the bridge of her nose.

These idiots.

She should wake them up. She should make them clean this up. She should be the responsible adult.

But instead...

She just sighed and grabbed a blanket from the couch.

Carefully, she stepped over the mess, tucking it around the girls, making sure they were warm. She hesitated when she got to Tori.

Her wife looked ridiculous—mouth slightly open, breathing slow and steady, her once neatly tied-back hair a complete disaster.

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're cute," she muttered under her breath.

She bent down and gently brushed a strand of hair from Tori's face before standing back up.

With one last glance at her sleeping family, Jade shook her head, smirking to herself.

Maybe—just maybe—she'd let them keep the fort up for one more night.

But only because they looked peaceful.

And definitely not because she secretly thought it was cute.

Nope.

Not at all.

Jade had just turned to leave when suddenly—

A hand grabbed her wrist.

Before she could react, she was yanked down into the fort, landing with an undignified oof right next to Tori.

Jade blinked, caught completely off guard. "What the—"

Still half-asleep, Tori smirked. "Where do you think you're going?" she mumbled, voice laced with exhaustion.

Jade huffed, trying to sit up, but Tori tightened her grip, resting her head against Jade's shoulder.

"Stay," Tori murmured.

Jade froze.

She could feel Tori's warm breath against her skin, the way she naturally curled into her like she belonged there.

And worse?

The kids started shifting too.

Callie, still barely awake, wiggled over and threw an arm over Jade's waist.

Cassie followed, pressing against her side.

Lola, without even opening her eyes, mumbled, "Mama, stop moving."

Ruby, in a barely audible voice, muttered, "Traitor. You're part of the kingdom now."

Jade groaned. "This is not happening."

But Tori, still smirking against her shoulder, whispered, "Too late. You're trapped."

Jade let out an exaggerated sigh, but she didn't try to move again. Instead, she muttered, "You're all ridiculous."

Tori hummed sleepily. "And you love us."

Jade didn't respond.

Instead, she shifted slightly, just enough to pull the blanket up over everyone.

And with a final, quiet exhale...

She closed her eyes.

Maybe just for a little while.

Moments later, Jade regretted everything.

She had barely settled into a comfortable position when she felt movement.

At first, she ignored it.

Then—

A tiny hand smacked her face.

Jade's eyes snapped open.

Cassie, still fast asleep, had somehow shifted so that her hand was resting directly on Jade's cheek.

Jade glared at the tiny traitor, but before she could move—

Lola rolled over and kicked her leg.

Jade gritted her teeth.

Oh, for the love of—

She tried to shift again, but the weight of four tiny bodies had completely pinned her down.

And Tori, the biggest traitor of all, was still clinging to her like an oversized koala, completely at peace with life.

Jade inhaled sharply. "Tori."

Tori didn't move.

Jade nudged her. "Tori."

Nothing.

Jade poked her side. "Tori, wake up before I—"

"Mmm..." Tori sighed, snuggling closer. "Five more minutes..."

Jade stared at the ceiling in pure suffering.

She was completely stuck.

Held hostage by her own wife and four tiny humans.

She let out a slow, slow exhale.

"Unbelievable," she muttered.

Tori, still half-asleep, smirked against her shoulder. "Told you... trapped."

Jade groaned.

She was never going to live this down.

Jade barely had a second to react before Tori's arms tightened around her, pulling her even closer.

"Tori," Jade muttered, voice muffled against Tori's shoulder.

"Mmm... comfy..." Tori sighed contentedly, burying her face in Jade's neck.

Jade froze.

She could feel Tori's slow, even breaths, the warmth radiating from her body, the way her fingers lightly curled against the back of Jade's shirt—like she was completely at peace.

Jade hated how her heart betrayed her in moments like this.

She should be annoyed. She should be plotting revenge for getting trapped in a pillow fort against her will.

But instead...

She let out a small sigh and relaxed—just a little.

"...You're ridiculous," she muttered, even as her hands instinctively settled around Tori's waist.

Tori smirked sleepily. "And you love me."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Debatable."

But she didn't move.

She just lay there, trapped in Tori's hold, listening to the soft breathing of her wife and their four chaotic kids, all nestled together in their ridiculous pillow fort.

And maybe—just maybe—being trapped like this wasn't so bad after all.

The quiet stillness of the pillow fort was punctuated only by the occasional snore or soft mumble from the kids. Jade lay there, feeling entirely too warm for her liking, and yet... oddly content. The weight of four tiny bodies plus Tori clinging to her was ridiculous. And she had a million things to do. But in this moment, she didn't move. It was hard to argue with the feeling of being completely enveloped in her family's chaos—no matter how absurd it all seemed.

The weight of her reality sunk in as the laughter and energy from earlier faded into a peaceful hush. She couldn't help but smile, even if she would never admit it to anyone.

Tori shifted again, her arm tightening around Jade's waist. "You know," Tori murmured into her neck, her voice still sleepy but warm, "this could be our new normal. We can skip the adulting for a while, just live in the fort."

Jade let out a long sigh, her chest moving with the air she released. "We can't just stay in the fort forever, Tori."

"Oh, we can," Tori insisted, sounding more awake now. She turned her head slightly to face Jade, eyes half-lidded and content. "We're royalty. Royalty gets to break the rules."

Jade huffed. "And what exactly does 'royalty' do when the house is a disaster?"

Tori's hand slowly slid up to stroke Jade's arm. "They get room service," she said, with that mischievous grin of hers. "And naps. So many naps."

Jade rolled her eyes. "I don't need a nap. What I need is a break. I'm going to need some serious therapy after this."

Tori chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through Jade's body. "You love it," she said quietly, her fingers brushing against the fabric of Jade's shirt.

Jade swallowed hard, trying to suppress the warmth that crept up her neck at Tori's touch. "You're ridiculous," she muttered, but it wasn't as fierce as it should've been. Instead, she tucked her chin into Tori's shoulder, feeling the comfortable heat of her body.

A small giggle came from Ruby, and soon after, a sleepy voice piped up from Cassie. "Mama, are you staying with us?"

Jade smiled softly, adjusting her position slightly so she could look down at her youngest. Cassie blinked up at her with sleepy eyes.

"I don't know," Jade teased. "Maybe I'll sneak out while everyone's still asleep."

"Nooo!" Callie moaned, clutching her blanket tighter. "You can't leave the kingdom. The queen needs you!"

Jade raised an eyebrow, but a soft chuckle escaped her. "Queen Tori can handle it for one night."

Tori playfully shoved her. "I could totally rule this place alone. I'm a powerhouse of royal energy."

Ruby, still perched on top of the pillow wall, piped in with a serious expression. "You can't be Queen without a crown, Mom."

Jade, thinking quickly, reached over and grabbed a random pillow, squishing it onto Tori's head like an impromptu crown. "There. Perfect. You're officially crowned."

Tori stared at her with a mock glare, but it was clear she was loving every second of it. "I look good in any crown," she said, sticking her chin up in the air like she owned the place.

Jade leaned back, taking in the sight of her wife and their kids, surrounded by a mess of blankets and pillows, like they'd all just created their own little world—a world where rules didn't exist, and bedtime didn't matter.

Jade's heart melted, just a little, as she watched her family. She reached over and gently pulled Tori a bit closer, just as their daughters shifted, snuggling up to the warmest, most ridiculous pile of bodies.

And even though Jade had originally planned to make them clean up tonight—just as she always did—she realized that, in a way, she didn't mind the mess.

Not this time.

Maybe tomorrow, she would make them clean up. Or maybe not.

For now, she'd just let them be... her ridiculous, chaotic, wonderful family.

"Alright," Jade muttered with a resigned sigh. "One more night. But then we clean everything up. Deal?"

Tori looked up, smirking. "Deal."

"Deal," Jade repeated, her voice soft as she settled in, knowing she'd never be able to resist their antics for long.

And so, with the weight of their little kingdom around her, Jade closed her eyes and let the quiet hum of her family lull her to sleep.

After all, in the end, who really needed a break when they had each other?

Jade woke up to the smell of something... burning. Ugh. She groggily blinked her eyes open, immediately realizing she was still in that ridiculous pillow fort. Tiny limbs were draped all over her, plus one fully grown pop star practically using her as a body pillow.

"Great," she thought. "Trapped again."

Then the smell hit her harder. "Oh, for the love of—"

"Tori," Jade muttered, nudging the lump beside her. "Something's burning."

Tori groaned, turning her face into Jade's neck. "Five more minutes..."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Your house might be on fire."

Tori hummed sleepily. "That's a future-me problem..."

Jade'd had enough. She shoved Tori off—not hard, but enough to make her yelp and roll onto her back.

"Ow, rude," Tori mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Jade ignored her and carefully moved the girls, who were still dead to the world. She crawled out of the fort, stretching her stiff back, and headed for the kitchen.

What she saw made her stop dead.

Lola was standing on a stool, clutching a spatula and looking very guilty. The stove was on, smoke rising from what could barely be called pancakes. Callie was perched on the counter, hands covered in what looked like syrup, and Ruby was holding a juice carton—upside down—spilling its contents all over the floor.

Cassie, meanwhile, was sitting cross-legged on the table, happily munching on an Oreo.

Jade exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "...Should I even ask?"

Lola winced. "We were making breakfast."

"For you and Mommy," Callie added quickly. "Because you always make it."

Jade's expression softened for half a second before Ruby, still holding the juice carton the wrong way, took a step forward.

"Mama, I think—"

Before she could finish, the juice slipped from her hands and splattered everywhere.

A long, painful silence filled the kitchen.

Cassie, still casually eating her Oreo, licked her fingers and shrugged. "Well... that happened."

Jade squeezed her eyes shut and counted to three. Then—

"Tori," she called, her voice dripping with impending doom.

From the living room, a pause. Then a guilty, "Uh... yes?"

Jade turned to see Tori poking her head out of the pillow fort, looking like she was plotting her escape.

Jade gestured to the absolute war zone of a kitchen. "Do you see this?"

Tori's gaze shifted from Jade to the mess behind her. Then, she did what any responsible parent would do.

She grinned. "Wow, breakfast in bed? You guys are so thoughtful!"

Jade glared.

Lola quickly cut in, waving the spatula. "We were trying to make pancakes, but I think the pan was too hot..."

"And I was making juice," Ruby added.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "You make juice by pouring it, Ruby."

Ruby huffed. "Well, yeah, but I wanted to make it cool."

"Spilling it everywhere is not cool," Jade deadpanned.

Cassie, still unbothered, grabbed another Oreo. "I think the pancakes are on fire."

Jade turned back to the stove, and—yep. Smoke. Oh, for—

She rushed forward, quickly turning off the heat before things got worse.

Behind her, Tori finally decided to grace them with her presence, strolling in like she hadn't just abandoned Jade to this disaster. "Okay, so maybe this is a tiny bit messy—"

"Tori."

"—But, babe, look at their faces!" Tori motioned toward the girls, who were all looking up at Jade with their best innocent expressions. "They tried."

Jade stared at them. Four hopeful pairs of eyes blinked up at her.

Jade exhaled. "You all are lucky you're cute."

The girls grinned. Tori grinned.

Jade sighed, shaking her head. "Alright. Everybody step back. I'll make breakfast."

Before anyone could cheer, she pointed at Tori. "And you—are cleaning up the mess."

Tori gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Me? But I—"

Jade shot her a look. Tori immediately shut up.

"...Yes, dear."

Jade smirked. "That's what I thought."

As Tori grabbed some paper towels to start mopping up the juice, the girls cheered and huddled around the table, watching as Jade grabbed the proper ingredients to make real pancakes.

Within minutes, the chaos turned into something much more manageable. The smell of burning was replaced by warm vanilla, the sound of bickering turned into playful giggles, and soon enough, a fresh stack of golden pancakes was sitting in front of them.

Tori, dramatically flopping into her chair after pretending to suffer through cleanup, shot Jade a big, proud smile.

"See?" she said, reaching for a pancake. "This is why I married you."

Jade snorted. "Because I can make pancakes?"

Tori nodded. "And because you put up with us."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Barely."

The girls giggled, and as they all dug into breakfast, Tori reached under the table and squeezed Jade's hand. Jade gave her a look, but... she didn't pull away.

Because, despite the mess, despite the chaos, despite everything—this was home. And honestly? She wouldn't trade it for anything.

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Jade groggily blinked at her phone screen, barely registering the name flashing across it. Tori. Ugh. She squinted at the time. 3:07 AM. Seriously?

Jade sighed, swiping to answer. "Tori," she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. "Why are you calling me at three in the—"

"I hate you."

Jade blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I hate you," Tori repeated, her voice wobbly—almost like she was about to cry.

Jade immediately sat up, suddenly more awake. "Tori, what—"

"It's your fault," Tori cut in, sniffling. "You did this to me."

Jade ran a tired hand through her hair, smirking slightly despite the worry creeping in. "Okay, what exactly did I do now?"

A beat of silence. Then, in the smallest, most pitiful voice— "I can't sleep without you."

Jade froze.

Tori let out a tiny, miserable sniffle. "I tried, Jade. I really did! I put pillows on your side of the bed, I wore your hoodie, I even wrapped myself in, like, three blankets—but it's not the same."

Jade, now wide awake, bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "So let me get this straight," she said, leaning back against the headboard. "You called me at three in the morning just to tell me that you hate me... because you love me too much to sleep without cuddling me?"

"...When you say it like that, it sounds dumb."

Jade did laugh this time. "Oh, it's dumb. It's really dumb."

Tori groaned. "Jaaaade, it's not funny!"

Jade shook her head, still smirking. "Oh, no, it's hilarious. I knew you were clingy, but this? This is next-level."

Tori let out another dramatic groan. "I am clingy, okay?! But only with you!"

Jade's smirk softened just a bit. "...Yeah?"

"Yes!" Tori huffed. "I swear, you ruined me! Before you, I could sleep just fine! And now? Now I feel wrong without you here, and I hate it."

Jade's heart squeezed a little. She rubbed a hand over her face, sighing. "Tori, babe, you know I'll be back soon, right?"

Tori sniffled. "That's not soon enough."

Jade felt a warmth spread through her chest. Even though she was exhausted, even though Tori's dramatics were borderline ridiculous, she couldn't help but smile.

"...Want me to stay on the phone until you fall asleep?"

There was silence for a moment. Then, in a much smaller voice— "...Would you?"

Jade rolled her eyes, but her voice was gentle when she said, "Yeah, dork. I would."

Tori sighed in relief. "Okay. I'm getting comfortable."

Jade shook her head, amused, as she listened to the rustling of blankets.

A few minutes passed, the silence between them no longer filled with frustration, but with something much softer. Something warm.

Then, Tori mumbled sleepily, "I still hate you."

Jade chuckled. "Love you too, babe."

Tori hummed, already half-asleep. "Mmm... yeah, yeah..."

And within moments, her breathing evened out, her soft sighs of sleep filling Jade's ears.

Jade leaned her head back against the pillow, closing her own eyes.

Maybe she hated being away, too. Maybe she missed Tori just as much. But she'd never admit it. ...Not out loud, anyway.

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Jade groggily blinked awake, the soft buzz of her phone pulling her from sleep. She reached over, grabbed it off the nightstand, and squinted at the screen.

New Message from Tori (7:12 AM): Since you're not here, I've decided the girls can take your side of the bed. You can't do anything about it. 😘

Jade sat up instantly. "Are you kidding me?" she muttered, already typing back.

Jade (7:14 AM): Excuse me? That's MY side of the bed, Vega.

The little typing bubbles popped up instantly.

Tori (7:14 AM): Was your side. Past tense. You abandoned us. The girls and I had a meeting, and we've all agreed that your side is now ours.

Jade's eye twitched. A meeting? Oh, she knew her wife was dramatic, but getting the kids involved in her bed-theft agenda? Seriously?

Jade (7:15 AM): You're literally stealing my territory while I'm gone.

Tori (7:15 AM): It's called survival, babe.

Before Jade could type back, another message popped up. This time, it was a photo.

Jade clicked on it, and— "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

It was a picture of their bed. Tori was sprawled out on Jade's side, looking smug as ever, with Callie and Cassie tucked under her arms. Ruby and Lola were lying sideways at the foot of the bed, all four girls clearly fast asleep.

And the worst part?

A tiny sign—clearly written in crayon—was taped to Jade's pillow.

"WEST-VEGA PRINCESS LAND. NO MAMAS ALLOWED."

Jade inhaled sharply, her grip tightening around her phone. Oh. It was on.

Jade (7:17 AM): Enjoy your little empire while it lasts, Vega. When I get home, there's going to be a reckoning.

Tori's response came immediately.

Tori (7:17 AM): Sure, sure. But until then... my bed now. ❤️

Jade stared at her screen in complete, exhausted disbelief. She was never leaving them alone again.

Jade sat in her director's chair on set, arms crossed, phone clutched in her hand, glaring at Tori's last text. Her bed. HER bed.

She was supposed to be focused. They were in the middle of setting up the next scene, she had work to do. But how could she concentrate when her traitorous wife had stolen her sleeping territory and recruited their tiny army of children to reinforce the coup?

"Jade, we're almost ready for the next take," her assistant director called.

Jade exhaled sharply. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

But just as she was about to shove her phone into her pocket—buzz.

She narrowed her eyes and looked down.

New Message from Tori (9:46 AM): Girls want pancakes for breakfast. Should I make them or should I wait for you to come back and fix your crimes first?

Jade scoffed. My crimes? Seriously?

Jade (9:47 AM): Oh, don't wait for me, Queen Tori the Fearless. I'm sure you and your little princesses can handle breakfast without me.

She barely had time to smirk before another response came in.

Tori (9:48 AM): Oh, we can. But if I do it, there's a 50% chance the kitchen catches on fire.

Jade groaned, dragging a hand down her face. Why am I married to this woman?

Before she could respond, another text popped up.

Tori (9:48 AM): Also, Cassie just said that when you come home, she's gonna make you sleep on the couch. Thoughts?

Jade inhaled deeply, trying to summon patience she did not have.

Jade (9:49 AM): I'm divorcing you.

Tori (9:49 AM): No, you're not.

Jade (9:50 AM): I should.

Tori (9:50 AM): But you won't.

Jade clenched her jaw, refusing to acknowledge the fact that, yes, Tori was right.

Before she could even think of a response, a video came through.

Jade hesitated, then tapped play.

The screen filled with the chaotic scene of their kitchen. Pancake batter was everywhere—on the counter, on the floor, on Lola's face. 

Callie and Cassie were giggling as they stirred a very questionable-looking mix, while Ruby stood in the background, arms crossed, clearly regretting every decision that led to her being part of this mess.

And Tori—Tori, the absolute menace that she was—was standing in the middle of it all, holding up the phone, smiling like this was all perfectly normal.

"Morning, babe!" Tori's voice rang out through the set. "Just wanted to give you a little update: Kitchen's still standing, the girls are still adorable, and, oh—"

She turned the camera to Cassie, who grinned mischievously and shouted— "NO MAMAS ALLOWED!"

The video ended.

Jade stared at her phone. Then, she shoved it into her pocket before she threw it across the damn room.

"Alright," she said through gritted teeth. "Let's shoot this scene so I can go home and take back my bed."

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A few weeks had past, Jade had done directing her movie and she was finally going home, she was excited to go home to her bed and her girls, mostly her bed. 

Jade had been looking forward to this moment all day. Coming home. Kicking off her boots. Curling up in her bed. Finally getting some peace after weeks of chaotic filming.

But as soon as she stepped into their bedroom, she stopped dead.

Because there, sprawled across her bed, were all five of them.

Tori, lying in the center like she owned the place, one arm flung dramatically over her face.

Ruby, curled up by her side, arms crossed even in her sleep.

Lola, snoring softly, half-covered by the blankets but with one socked foot sticking out.

Callie, practically draped over Tori's stomach, her tiny fingers still clutching the fabric of Tori's hoodie.

And Cassie, her little head resting on Jade's pillow, her tiny hand gripping the edge like she knew she was in enemy territory.

Jade exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. Unbelievable.

She had one request. One. And somehow, these little gremlins had once again taken over her bed like it was a damn kingdom.

Jade should wake them up. She should reclaim what was rightfully hers.

But instead... she just sighed.

Because as much as she hated to admit it, the sight of them all tangled together, completely at peace, made something in her chest ache. In a good way.

She shook her head and walked over to the bed, careful not to wake them as she reached for the blankets, adjusting them so her girls wouldn't get cold.

And then—just as she was about to leave to find somewhere else to sleep—a hand grabbed her wrist.

Tori.

Still mostly asleep, barely opening her eyes, she tugged weakly at Jade's arm. "Stay," she mumbled.

Jade hesitated. "Tori, there's no room—"

But before she could argue, Ruby shifted, rolling closer to Tori. Then Lola, mumbling something in her sleep, scooted over. Then Callie. Then Cassie.

Until suddenly—somehow—there was space. Right in the middle.

Jade stared at them. Then sighed in defeat.

With a final, reluctant huff, she climbed into bed, squeezing herself into the tiny space between Tori and Cassie.

Immediately, little hands latched onto her—Callie curling against her side, Cassie gripping her sleeve, Lola resting her head against her arm.

And Tori, the biggest traitor of them all, smirked sleepily and whispered, "Told you you'd fit."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

But as the warmth of her family surrounded her, as she finally—finally—let herself relax... she couldn't help but smile. Just a little.