Unexpected Lines.

Finding Home.

Kaia smirked but walked over, dropping her water bottle down beside her. For a moment, they just kicked the ball back and forth, the rhythm easy and unspoken.

“You know,” Jana said finally, catching the ball under her foot, “it’s funny. Jill… she thought she could play us both. But all she really did was put us on the same team.”

Kaia froze for a second, then laughed softly, shaking her head. “That’s actually so true. She’d hate that.”

“Good.” Jana flicked the ball up, catching it. “Then it’s even better.”

Kaia sat down on the mat, and Jana joined her, cross-legged. Their shoulders brushed, and Kaia let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding.

“I’m glad it’s you,” Kaia admitted quietly. “That it’s you I ended up… friends with in all of this. You didn’t have to give me the time of day after—well, everything.”

Jana shrugged, her smile gentle. “I knew what it was like. I couldn’t be mad at you. And besides, I like having another chaos partner.”

Kaia grinned. “You and Vicky aren’t enough chaos already?”

“Never,” Jana said firmly, before bumping Kaia’s shoulder. “So you’re stuck with me now.”

And Kaia didn’t mind one bit.

Kaia barely had time to breathe before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Jana smirking, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“You ready for some fun, hermana?” Jana whispered, nodding toward a pile of balls in the corner of the training hall.

Kaia raised an eyebrow. “Fun? You mean chaos.”

Vicky, bouncing nearby, grinned like she’d been waiting for Kaia all day. “Chaos is life. You’ll catch on.”

Before Kaia could protest, Jana snatched a ball and lobbed it at her midsection. Kaia yelped, but quickly realized it was all in good fun. She lunged at Jana, tagging her back with a quick shove, and Vicky squealed, “Yes! Let the games begin!”

The next twenty minutes were a blur of dodging, tossing, and laughing so hard Kaia thought her stomach might give out. Jana egged her on, teasing, “Come on, Kaia, keep up! You’re slower than Ingrid in warm-ups!”

“Hey! I’ve been doing runs every day!” Kaia shot back, though her laughter gave her away.

Vicky rolled on the floor dramatically after a failed dive for a ball. “I demand a rematch! Kaia, you’ll pay for that!”

Amid the chaos, Kaia felt something strange — a warmth she hadn’t expected. Jana wasn’t just teasing her; she was including her. Pulling her into their little bubble. For a moment, the shadow of Jill, the complications, the heartbreak — none of it mattered. Here, it was just laughter, lightness, and a kind of unspoken trust forming between them.

“Okay, okay,” Kaia said, panting, hands on her knees. “You two are officially insane. But… I kind of like it.”

Jana’s grin softened. “We know. That’s why we chose you.”

Vicky chimed in, mock-serious, “Welcome to the chaos, Kaia. You’re officially one of us.”

Kaia laughed, letting herself be pulled into a group hug. She’d never admit it out loud, but this — this silly, ridiculous mess of a friendship — was exactly what she needed.

Kaia pushed her fork aside, feeling her stomach full but her mind buzzing. “Okay, one more Catalan phrase,” she said, trying not to trip over the unfamiliar sounds.

Alexia laughed, watching her little half-sister struggle with the rolled R’s. “Kaia, you’re getting it! Don’t worry about the mistakes. That’s part of learning.”

Alba chimed in, helping with the pronunciation. “Estic molt contenta de tenir-te aquí, Kaia. That’s ‘I’m very happy to have you here.’ Try it.”

Kaia repeated it slowly, stumbling on a couple of words, but managed a passable attempt. “Estic… molt contenta… de tenir-te… aquí.”

“Perfect!” Alexia clapped, and Eli, smiling warmly from the kitchen doorway, ruffled Kaia’s hair. “You’re learning so quickly, darling. I’m proud of you.”

Kaia felt a little thrill in her chest. Being here, being accepted by them, learning the language of the father she’d never met… it made her feel connected, like a piece of her was finally settling in the right place.

“Do you want to try the next one?” Alba asked, grinning. “It’s about family, so it should be easy for you.”

Kaia nodded eagerly. “Bring it on.”

Dinner that evening flowed naturally into laughter and casual teasing, with Kaia slipping in Spanish phrases when she could to show off what she’d learned before her Catalan lesson. Alexia and Alba beamed at her. They didn’t see her small, secret pangs of guilt over the past — the drunk night in LA, the strange motel, the letter signed ‘L’… the memory that never fully made sense at the time.

Kaia swallowed hard at the thought but pushed it down. This was here and now — family that had chosen her, sisters who were patient and kind, and a mami who loved her like her own.

And for the first time in a long while, Kaia felt a little more whole.

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