Saturday morning came with soft sunlight bleeding through Angel's blinds. The house was unusually quiet. Not cold, not lonely—just quiet. The kind that wraps around you when no one's trying to ask questions or pretend everything is okay.
She had barely gotten out of bed when the gate buzzed.
The new nanny peeked into her room. "Your friends are here, Miss Angel."
Angel blinked. Friends?
Oh right. She had agreed. She almost forgot.
She tossed on a hoodie and loose joggers—nothing fancy—and padded down the stairs. As she approached the living room, she saw Kelly V and Mimi already kicking off their shoes like they owned the place.
"Whoa," Kelly V looked around, impressed. "Your house is mad neat."
Mimi nodded. "Is this a house or a lowkey military museum?"
Angel smirked faintly. "You're lucky my dad's not home. He'd give you a tour and a lecture."
"Oh no," Kelly giggled. "Captain Dewson History Class 101?"
Angel rolled her eyes. "Come on. Let's go upstairs before the nanny tries to feed you something boiled."
They carried their bags up to Angel's room, and within minutes, the place felt lighter. Like the three of them had brought a pocket of their own world into hers.
The afternoon passed with music, snacks, and wild laughter.
Kelly V was showing them a cringey TikTok dance while Mimi recorded, making sarcastic commentary.
Angel—on her bed—watched them from a distance at first, arms folded, pretending to be unimpressed.
But then, Mimi caught her arm. "No, no, no, you're not just going to sit there like the mysterious girl in a K-drama. Come and embarrass yourself like the rest of us."
Angel raised a brow. "I am the mysterious girl in a K-drama."
Kelly V snorted. "Mysterious or not, your foot is next on that floor."
Angel finally cracked a smile and stood. "Fine. But if I fall, I'm suing."
By the end of the dance, they were all collapsed on the floor in giggles. Angel hadn't laughed like that in months.
Later that night, after dinner and a few more episodes of a cheesy teen drama, the girls were all curled under a large blanket on Angel's bed, the lights turned off except for the soft pink glow of the LED strip above her window.
The world outside was silent, but inside Angel's room, the atmosphere had shifted. A quiet stillness. The kind that invites honesty.
"I've never told anyone this," Kelly V said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. "My dad didn't leave us... but sometimes I think it would've been better if he had. He's around... but not really for me or my mom. He only ever cared about my brother."
Angel turned slightly, listening.
"He acts like only boys matter," Kelly continued. "Like only a boy deserves his business, his legacy. My mom... she tries, but she's tired. He barely even looks at her anymore."
Mimi turned her head slowly. "That's rough, Kelly... I'm sorry."
Kelly let out a dry laugh. "I got used to pretending. That's how I survive."
Then Mimi spoke, her voice low, a little shakier than usual.
"You know what's funny?" she said. "My mom thinks I'm cursed."
Angel and Kelly both looked at her.
"She always said I brought bad luck. Because the day I was born... was the same day my dad was sent to prison."
Angel's eyes softened. Mimi had never mentioned this before.
"She looks at me like I ruined everything. Like I'm just a reminder of the worst day of her life. She doesn't say it directly, but... I see it in her eyes. In how cold she is with me. She only cares about my little brother, and I'm just... there."
Angel opened her mouth, but no words came.
"I grew up knowing how to feed myself. How to calm my brother when he cried. How to hide from the shouting. She's alive, yeah. But not really there for me."
They were all silent for a long moment.
Angel's voice broke through it quietly. "I lost my mom, my brother, and the baby she was carrying... all in one accident. And sometimes, I wonder why I was the only one who survived. Like... was I the bad luck too?"
Mimi and Kelly V both reached out and held her hands.
"You weren't the bad luck," Mimi said firmly. "You were the one strong enough to survive."
Kelly nodded. "And you're still standing, Angel. That's not bad luck. That's strength."
"I just don't want to feel alone anymore," Angel whispered.
"Then don't," Kelly V said. "Not with us."
Mimi sat up slightly. "Promise me something."
"What?" Angel asked.
"That from now on, we don't hide anymore. No secrets. If one of us is sad, we say it. If we're scared, we say it. No more fake smiles."
Kelly V nodded. "Deal."
Angel hesitated. Then smiled faintly. "Deal."
They locked pinkies, one by one, a silent contract sealed between the three of them.
And for the first time in a very long time, Angel slept through the night—not because her dreams were quiet, but because her heart finally felt a little less heavy.