week after engagement party

billie shuffles into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and ready to start cooking the twins favorite breakfast meal.

eggs and waffles.

after billie was done cooking and making some coffee she looked up to see anastasia walking in.

"morning." ana said before yawning.

"good morning, do you want some coffee?"

"no, i'm alright, you're still taking the twins to coney Island this afternoon right?"

"yep, all the rides and games we can handle. you sure you can't come?"

"tempting, but-"

anastasia cuts off as the elevator dings. a moment later, victoria enters the kitchen, hoisting a paper bag and looking suspiciously bright-eyed for this early in the morning.

"darling!" victoria says happily.

victoria throws her arms around ana, who barely manages to catch her.

"fuck, victoria, what are you doing-"

"saying good morning to my sunshine, duh!" victoria tries to pull her in closer, but anastasia steps back.

"victoria we have company."

"it's just billie." victoria said, getting pissed off.

"yeah...don't let me stop you." billie said with a fake smile.

"see? she understands."

"still, i don't need you to put in a performance at home. you can act normal."

"whatever. i'm here to see billie anyway." victoria tosses her hair over her shoulder and turns her back on anastasia to focus on billie.

"grab me a cup of coffee and let's chat."

"victoria, we talked about this. it's not appropriate to ask billie to fetch you things." ana said.

victoria rolls her eyes, but moves to get her own cup of coffee. billie tries to catch anastasia's gaze just as the twins come in the kitchen with messy hair.

"good morning. what's for breakfast?" jason asked as he yawned.

"oooo! waffles! score!" jacob said smiling.

"i thought you boys could use a little treat for breakfast." billie said smiling.

billie starts to set a plate of waffles and eggs down in front of jacob..but victoria snatches it out of her hand.

"dude!?" billie said shocked and pissed.

"victoria, surely that's not necessary-"

"this kind of unhealthy eating is exactly what i wanted to talk to you about, billie." victoria said.

"but waffles." jason said pouting.

"don't worry, jacob. i grabbed some fresh spinach and mushrooms to put in an egg white omelette for you and your brother."

"i'm jason, not jacob." jason said upset.

"that's what i said." victoria takes two steps and dumps the plate over the trash can.

"victoria!" anastasia said shocked.

"noooo!" jacob said sadly.

"what the hell!? that was so wasteful. you just threw out perfectly good food!" billie said angrily

"it's fine, we can afford it." victoria said with a fake smile.

"food waste is about more than affording, you know." billie said.

"ugh. anastasia back me up here." victoria said.

"while i don't agree with her methods...maybe victoria has a point?" anastasia said unsure.

"mom. not you too.." jason said.

"anastasia...is this the kind of example you want to set for your children?"

"i can't believe you're-" victoria said getting cut off by ana.

"victoria, billie has a point. we don't want the boys to think it's okay to walk into someone else's house and throw away their breakfast, right?" ana said.

"...ugh, i guess not. sorry."

"but.. victoria also has a point, as a family, we can try to eat a little healthier.. starting with those egg white omelettes."

billie rolled her eyes, and took the mushrooms and spinach from the paper bag and started chopping them.

"can we still get cotton candy at coney island this afternoon, mom?" jason asked pouting.

"coney island? that rat-infested germ factory? absolutely not! boys your age need to be educated, not entertained. there are plenty of museums you could go to instead." victoria said.

"but mom said we could go ages ago!" jacob said.

billie looked up at anastasia, but she's looking at the twins helplessly. "boys.. victoria is a part of this family now, we have to respect the new rules that she wants. besides, a museum doesn't have to be boring. you two loved it when billie took y'all to the planetarium, right?"

"that was totally different." jacob said.

"yeah, no one promised we could go to coney Island first." jason said.

'god i would hate victoria as my stepmom.' billie thought to herself.

"billie, make sure you strain the spinach before you add it to the egg whites!" victoria said.

"yeah i know, victoria." billie said pissed.

after breakfast, anastasia and victoria headed to work, leaving billie and the twins to plan.. or replan.. their day.

"mom is always less fun around victoria." jason said upset.

"yeah, she said it was okay to go to coney Island before!" jacob said.

"i think your mom should've said we could go. it's unfair to both of y'all, and i'm sorry." billie said.

"see? this is why you're way better than victoria." jacob said smiling.

"well, that, and you can actually tell us apart." jason said giggling.

"are you sure about that..jacob." billie said jokingly.

"hey, if you know it's not fair, and we know it's not fair..why don't we just go to Coney Island?" jacob said smiling.

"yeah! technically, mom never said we couldn't go. just that we have to respect victoria. we can do that..right jacob?" jason said grinning.

"if it means going to Coney Island, then i'll try my best." jacob said.

the twins looked up at billie making puppy eyes. "well..when you put it like that..." billie thought to herself for a moment. "alright, let's go to coney Island!" she said smiling.

"yay!" the twins yelled in unison.

that afternoon, billie and the twins arrive at Coney Island. seagulls wheel in the air overhead, and happy children rush past them, tugging balloons and licking ice cream cones.

"well, what do y'all two wanna do first?" billie asked.

"can we get a snack? i'm starving." jason said.

"breakfast wasn't very filling, was it?"

the twins shook their heads.

"look! cotton candy!" jacob said excitedly.

"well, i'm not sure that's more filling, but maybe after we get y'all a more bigger snack." billie said.

billie hunts down a vendor and buys some stuff for the boys to enjoy.

"billie you're the best!" jason says as billie hands them a corn dog each.

"i know." billie said smiling.

the boys eat their corn dogs as billie leads them through the amusement park,

"step right up, feast your eyes in the balloon dart game! pop a big balloon, get a prize! pop a little balloon and get two!" a carnival worker yelled.

"billie! billie! can we do it? pleaseee!" jason asked excitedly.

"of course. i don't see why not." billie said smiling.

billie paid the carnival worker, and he gave the twins a couple of darts each.

"hi-yah!" jacob said as he threw dart after dart missing each time.

"jacob, you have to take your time. like this.." jason said.

he took a few deep breaths, lined up his shot, and... missed.

"oh." he said sadly.

billie tried not to laugh.

"don't worry, boys...these games are probably rigged anyways." billie said.

"hey!" the carnival worker said getting angry.

"what? it's the truth." billie said.

"you think it's the game's fault that these little kids couldn't hit the balloons?" the man said.

"well i guess not, when you put it like that." billie said rolling her eyes.

"billie, you have to try now!" jacob said.

"yeah! you can win for us!" jason said.

"oh..i don't know about that.." billie said.

but by the time she even finished her sentence the carnival worker handed her more darts.

she rolled her eyes and aimed for the big balloon..and  to her surprise she hit it.

"nice one!" jacob said happily.

"congratulations. what prize do you want?" the carnival worker asked.

the boys help billie pick out a prize, and she tucks it under her arm as the three of them keep walking.

"billie, why did the big balloon only get you one toy?" jacob asked.

"yeah! the big balloon should've been worth like, five prizes." jason said.

"well, if the prizes were based on the same size, then you'd be right. but which balloon do you think is harder to hit?"

"the small one?"

"exactly. and the prizes are based on difficulty."

"it didn't seem very difficult when you played." jason said smiling.

"well, i guess i just have a lot of skills."

"really? what else can you do?"

billies mind went completely opposite, only thinking about sexual things. thankfully, they all reached the ferris wheel, saving her from having to answer.

"three please." billie said to the worker.

she nodded and the three of them climbed into one of the carts, and the boys pile in besides billie, the safety rail lowers and they begin to rise.

"whoa. are we really safe up here?" jason asked scared.

jason squishes against billies side, his knuckles are white as he grips hard onto the safety bar. billie wraps her arm around him.

"absolutely. science says so." billie said smiling.

"science?" jason asked confused.

"yeah, see how an axis holds us? the big wheel is stable because there's a smaller wheel in the middle, connecting it to the axis. there are a bunch of forces at work right now, but it's nothing the engineers couldn't handle. that's why there's a specific number of carts and passengers." billie said

"coooool." jason said looking amazed.

"you're so smart billie." jacob said smiling.

"thanks." billie laughed. "i'm normally a chemistry nerd, but i'm pretty into math and physics too."

"so is mom." jacob said as he looked at the view below him.

"yeah, i wish mom was with you instead of victoria. you two are perfect for each other." jason said giving billie a soft smile.

"oh, well.. life isn't fair sometimes, i guess."

billies heart sinks in her chest, and their cart begins to go down.

she took a deep breath as she stepped off the ferris wheel with the twins, determined not to let thoughts of anastasia or victoria ruin her day.

"where to next boys?" billie asked smiling.

billie spends the rest of the afternoon chasing the boys around the amusement park, enjoying every ride and game they can.

𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚙 : 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝

billie finally returns home with two exhausted but happy boys. anastasia browses her newspaper in the den and victoria is nowhere to be seen.

'thank god' billie thought to herself.

"you're back.. how was y'all's day?" anastasia asked.

"it was so much fun! we went to coney Island, and it was the best day of my life!" jacob said excitedly.

"yeah! but mom please don't tell victoria okay?" jason said.

"excuse me!" victoria yelled as she marched her way into the room, hands on her hips.

"uh, boys, why don't y'all go start your bath?" anastasia said.

"are we in trouble?" jason asked sadly.

"uhm, no. i'll come help y'all in a few minutes okay?"

the boys give billie a quick hug before rushing out of the room. meanwhile victoria is glaring at billie. hard.

"you took them to coney Island!? after i explicitly told you not to!?" victoria said pissed.

"victoria they still got to learn things there, i taught them about physics and-"

"-that's not the point!" victoria yelled.

"it seemed like the point this morning..." billie said.

"victoria, calm down! the boys had a good day, plus they got to have fun after all these new changes." anastasia said.

"are you seriously siding with her right now!?"

"it's not about sides. it's about what's best for jason and jacob. and while art galleries certainly have their place in well rounded educational purposes, i approve of billie's decision to take them to coney Island today."

victoria glared at anastasia, but ana doesn't back down.

"fine. i can tell when i'm not wanted."

victoria grabs her purse, then walks her way to the elevator.

anastasia takes a deep breath as the doors close, then turns her attention back to billie. "are you sure you don't wanna go after her?"

"it'll be better for everyone if i give her some space before we try to talk. she has to learn this relationship is going to have its compromises at some point."

anastasia crosses to the kitchen and pours herself a glass of wine. she offers billie some too.

"so, coney Island, huh?"

"yeah." billie said smiling

"you could at least pretend you feel bad about starting a fight."

"i could, but we both know you'd see right through me."

"true. honestly, i'm glad you went. victoria can be unreasonable, and she doesn't get the boys.. not like you do. you make learning fun for them, and you let them be kids. i appreciate that."

anastasia smiles as she noticed the prize tucked under billies arm.

"i guess the twins aren't the only ones you let still be a kid."

"oh this old thing? i got it for you. here you go."

billie got the penguin and 'booped' her nose, ana chuckled as she examined it closer.

"i'll think of you every time i see it. but seriously billie, thank you."

"of course, we just wish you were there with us."

"yeah, it would've been nice to enjoy the day with the twins..and you. next time i'll pretend to be sick." she said chuckling.

"you better."

anastasia gazes deeply into billies eyes..

billie can feel that pull again, that magnetic sensation in the pit of her stomach that draws her in, despite that small part of her brain trying to protest..

"ana.."

her name is a whisper on billies lips, a prayer, a protest, a plea..

"billie i-"

"mom! how full are we allowed to make our bath!?" jacob yelled.

"oh god.."

billie can't help but laugh at the expression on ana's face, and at the situation going on.

"you better go before they flood the whole place." billie said laughing.

ana nodded and ran towards the bathroom.