Page 65 of One Baddie for Three Daddies

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JAMES

We stand outside Bianca's childhood home, the air thick with tension. Bianca's hands tremble as she adjusts her dress for the umpteenth time. I place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, feeling the subtle tremor beneath my palm.

"Relax, Bia," Alex says, grinning. "If your family gets too intense, just tell them you brought three bodyguards."

She snorts a laugh, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Liam steps closer and grabs her hand firmly.

"We've got this," he says. "You ready?"

She nods, though it's more of a quick dip of her head than anything confident.

The door creaks open as we step inside, and I'm hit with the warm scent of cinnamon and baked apples. A woman who must be Bianca's aunt rushes forward with open arms.

"Bianca! It's been too long!"

"Hey, Aunt Clara," Bianca says, trying to muster enthusiasm.

Clara’s eyes dart to the three of us standing behind Bianca. "And these must be your... friends?"

"Yes, my boyfriends," Bianca replies quickly. "James, Alex, and Liam."

Clara’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but she recovers fast, giving each of us a welcoming nod. “Nice to meet you all. Come in, come in.”

Inside, the house buzzes with chatter and laughter. Kids run around with toys while adults sit in clusters, sipping on drinks and catching up. Nobody seems to be paying us any mind beyond polite curiosity.

Liam leans close to me and murmurs, “Seems like we were worried for nothing.”

“Don’t jinx it,” I reply under my breath.

A tall man approaches us—Bianca’s uncle, judging by the family resemblance. He shakes our hands one by one.

“Welcome,” he says warmly. “Make yourselves at home.”

We follow Bianca through the house to a spacious living room where more relatives are gathered. I catch snippets of conversation—someone talking about their latest promotion at work, another complaining about traffic.

We weave through the throngs of Bianca’s family, each step feeling like we’re marching into a potential minefield. Bianca’s grip tightens on my hand as we approach an older couple sitting on a floral-patterned sofa.

"Grandma, Grandpa," she starts, her voice steady but laced with an edge of nervousness. "These are my boyfriends. This is James, Alex, and Liam."

Her grandmother squints at us through thick glasses. "Boyfriends? Plural?"

"Yes," Bianca confirms, standing her ground. "We all used to date in college and recently reconnected."

Her grandfather grunts, glancing between us with narrowed eyes. "Well, as long as you're happy," he mutters, returning to his crossword puzzle.

We move on, greeted by various cousins and aunts who either give us curious glances or welcoming smiles. Most seem unphased as Bianca explains our past and present relationship.

Aunt Clara sidles up to me with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “So, how does this work? You boys take turns doing the dishes?”

Alex chuckles beside me. “We’re more into sharing responsibilities equally,” he quips.

Aunt Clara laughs and pats Alex on the shoulder. “Good answer, young man.”

As we continue our introductions, I notice a few older relatives exchanging whispers and uncomfortable glances but nobody outright objects. It’s clear some are trying to wrap their heads around our unconventional setup.

“Oh, there’s my sister, Aliyah!” Bianca says, pointing.

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