Sunny stood in front of the calendar mounted beside the refrigerator.
The word GROCERIES was written in thick, unapologetic ink.
She groaned.
"Didn't I just go grocery shopping last week?" she muttered to herself, dragging a hand down her face.
From the couch, Sofia looked up from her iPad, eyes wide and innocent.
"Mama bear, could you get me Biscoff on your way back?"
Sunny narrowed her eyes. "No, baby. Why don't you just join me?"
Sofia's lips formed a dramatic pout.
"Abuela is on her way to come pick me up and Papa bear's at work. So you're all I have."
She delivered the final line with exaggerated, heartbreaking puppy eyes.
Sunny sighed in defeat. "Fine. But I want everything spotless when I return."
Sofia straightened immediately and gave a sharp salute.
"Aye, aye, Captain."
"Don't get cocky with me" Sunny said.
The walk to the grocery store took forty minutes.
Forty long, reflective minutes under a sky that couldn't decide whether it wanted to be sunny or moody.
By the time Sunny grabbed a cart, she was already irritated.
"I can't believe the entire food vanished in one week," she muttered while pushing the cart forward.
"I don't know if I'm raising children or animals."
She tossed items into the cart—three of everything. Juice boxes. Bread. Pasta. Snacks she knew would disappear in two days.
She already knew she'd be back next week. Unless pigs learned to fly.
Or Melissa decided to show up and shop by herself for once.
Sunny glanced down at her list while pushing the cart forward—and collided into something solid.
Her heart jumped into her throat. She looked up.
"Chef— I… I mean… Miss Castello. I'm sorry."
The formality tasted wrong the moment it left her mouth.
Across from her stood Alejandra.
Leather jacket. Dark eyes. Controlled expression. But something flickered there when Sunny addressed her like a stranger.
Alejandra's heart tightened.
"Um… what are you doing here?" Sunny asked, immediately realizing how ridiculous that sounded.
Alejandra lifted a brow. "I came to get something, Sunny. It's a store, after all."
"Yeah… it's a grocery store… after… where you get important items…" Sunny laughed awkwardly.
"I should probably shut up."
Silence fell between them. Heavy. Familiar.
Sunny broke eye contact first and pushed her cart forward.
"Well, have a nice day."
"Sunny."
Her name stopped her mid-step.
Alejandra closed the distance between them.
"Yes?" Sunny replied carefully.
Alejandra exhaled slowly, like she was steadying herself.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?"
Sunny blinked. "Eh?"
Alejandra laughed nervously — something Sunny had rarely seen from her.
"No… you misunderstand. Marina is celebrating her birthday. She insisted on taking everyone out for dinner. I was wondering if you could join us."
Sunny's fingers tightened around the cart handle.
"I don't think I'm welcomed."
"Are you kidding?" Alejandra's voice softened. "You would make her day special."
Sunny inhaled a shaky breath.
"When is it?"
"Tonight." A pause.
"Alright… I'll be there."
Relief flickered across Alejandra's face. "Great. I'll text you the location."
"Alright, Chef— I mean… see you tonight."
Alejandra watched her walk away and didn't look away until she disappeared down the aisle.
Sunny finished shopping and kept shopping. And kept shopping.
By the time she was done, she was dragging extra carts behind her like she was stocking a warehouse instead of feeding a household.
She hauled everything to the counter.
The cashier scanned the last visible item from another customer and smiled brightly.
She turned to Sunny. "You are good to go."
Sunny frowned. "You haven't scanned my items yet."
The cashier tilted her head. "A lady in a leather jacket paid for your groceries."
Sunny froze. "Why would she do that?" she murmured.
The cashier leaned forward slightly.
"You mean a lot to her… for her to pay for you."
Sunny forced a small laugh. "You're overthinking things. I'm lucky I met her today."
The cashier's smile faded. "Nah-uh, girl. This has nothing to do with luck."
A nearby customer turned around. "What the fuck did you do to be involved with the Castellos?"
Sunny blinked at the sudden attention. "I worked for her. At her restaurant."
"You're working for Alejandra Castello? Wow. You must be dumb or stupid."
"Nah girl," the cashier corrected quickly. "She said worked. Past tense."
The air shifted.
"Careful, girl," the cashier continued, lowering her voice.
"If it involves Alejandra Castello, then it's not luck. It's some kind of scary shit if you ask me. Look at it this way… You haven't seen her for a while and then she appears from the shadows and pays for your groceries."
"What if she has someone watching your moves?" another customer added.
"If I was in your shoes, I would've fled the country by now," the first one said.
"Where the hell do you think you'll go?" the cashier scoffed. "She would find her anyway."
"That's true… maybe change her name and stuff?"
Sunny forced a polite smile.
"Thank you all for your concern but if i were in danger you guys would be the first i'll call."
"That's sweet but be careful now. "
"I'll head out now." Sunny said with a smile.
She pushed the carts outside, her heartbeat louder than the whispers behind her.
The cool air hit her face.
She couldn't believe that just seeing Alejandra at a grocery store had turned her into the center of attention.
Was it really that strange? Or was it something else?
Sunny loaded the bags into the Uber one by one. And as she sat down in the backseat, she couldn't tell what unsettled her more—The dinner invitation.
Or the fact that Alejandra had paid without saying a word.
That evening, the house felt unusually heavy.
Not chaotic. Not loud.
Just heavy — like the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Ariana sat in the living room, the court letter resting on the glass table in front of her.
She had read it so many times the words were beginning to blur together.
Petition. Custody. Temporary visitation. Investigation.
Each one felt like a threat carved into paper.
The front door opened softly.
"Aria?" Sunny's voice called gently from the foyer.
Ariana didn't move at first.
Sunny stepped into the living room and immediately noticed the change.
Ariana wasn't crying — that would have been easier to handle.
She looked… hollow.
Sunny sat beside her. "What happened?"
Ariana slowly slid the envelope across the table toward her.
Sunny frowned and picked it up.
The silence stretched as she read.
Then—
"You've got to be kidding me."
Her voice sharpened with disbelief.
"She filed for custody?" Sunny looked up. "After everything?"
Ariana nodded once.
"She's requesting immediate hearing. Temporary visitation until the court concludes its investigation."
Sunny dropped the paper back onto the table as if it burned her.
"She tried to have Zara taken. Someone almost kidnapped her, Ariana."
"I know."
"And now she wants the court to hand her over like a weekend bag?"
Ariana's composure cracked slightly.
"She's claiming we're manipulating Zara. That we're isolating her from her biological mother. That I'm violent."
Sunny blinked. "Violent?"
Ariana let out a humorless laugh. "Apparently defending my home makes me unstable."
Sunny's jaw tightened. "She's twisting the narrative."
"She's good at it," Ariana whispered. "She's always been good at it. So i've been told."
Sunny studied her friend's trembling hands.
"You're scared."
Ariana swallowed. "I am terrified."
The honesty hung between them.
"She finally feels safe here," Ariana continued. "She finally started believing she deserves love. And now… this."
Sunny leaned forward. "Roberto?"
"He's furious," Ariana said. "He says we'll fight. That no judge would send her back to an abusive home."
"But?" Sunny pressed gently.
"But what if it's not that simple?" Ariana's voice broke.
"What if the court wants supervised visitation? What if they insist Zara spends time with her 'mother' while the case is ongoing?"
Sunny exhaled slowly.
"She can't force affection," Sunny said. "And she definitely can't erase trauma."
Ariana's eyes filled.
"She barely speaks anymore, Sunny. She won't leave the house without shaking. She won't see Sofia because she thinks she'll get her hurt again."
Sunny softened at that.
"That poor baby."
Ariana pressed her palms to her face.
"I feel like I'm losing her in slow motion. She's retreating into herself. And now I have to prepare her for courtrooms? Interviews? Questions about her mother?"
Sunny placed a firm hand over Ariana's.
"Listen to me. Fear doesn't mean you're losing."
Ariana looked up.
"You've given that child something she never had — safety. Stability. Witnesses."
"Witnesses?" Ariana repeated.
"Yes. Roberto. The staffs. The doctor who saw her scars. The school. Sofia. Me. Abuela. Melissa. Antonio. Everyone is your witness" Sunny's voice strengthened. "She doesn't stand alone in this."
Ariana's breathing steadied slightly.
"But what if the court believes biology over truth?"
Sunny shook her head.
"Then we make the truth louder."
Silence settled for a moment.
"Does Zara know?" Sunny asked.
Ariana nodded faintly. "She overheard Roberto on the phone with his lawyer."
"And?"
"She didn't cry," Ariana said softly. "She just went quiet. Like she was preparing herself to be taken."
Sunny's eyes flashed. "That won't happen."
Ariana's voice trembled.
"I prayed against this, Sunny. I prayed she would disappear quietly. I prayed she would let Zara heal."
"And you think this letter means you've lost?"
Ariana stared at the document again.
"It means the fight is official."
Sunny squeezed her hand tighter.
"Good."
Ariana looked at her in confusion.
"Good?" she repeated.
"Yes," Sunny said firmly. "Because now it's not screaming at gates or sending strangers to grab children. Now it's a courtroom. And in a courtroom, evidence matters."
Ariana's lips parted slightly.
"And she doesn't have any," Sunny continued. "But you do." The thought lingered.
For the first time that evening, Ariana's shoulders eased just a little.
"She promised this wasn't over," Ariana whispered.
Sunny gave her a steady look.
"Then let her come," she said. "Because this time, she won't be fighting a frightened child."
She paused. "She'll be fighting a mother."
Ariana's eyes shimmered and for the first time since opening the letter, she didn't feel entirely alone in the storm that was coming.