Chapter Thirty-Two: Call It What It Is

This is Mira’s story—part fiction, part reflection, wholly honest.
(Each chapter will end with a note from her writing, signed as your trusted friend.)

Mira’s Story: Call It What It Is
When everything gets spoken out loud.

The house was quieter than it had been all day, but not silent. Dishes clinked softly in the sink. Music hummed low from the kitchen speaker. On the back porch, Paige sat with a mug of cider in her lap, watching steam rise and fall like breath. Daniel was inside, putting the baby down.

Pepper stepped outside without a word and dropped onto the step next to her without ceremony. No greeting.

For a minute, they sat in the quiet.

Then:

“Why’d you cheat on him?”

Paige blinked. “Oh… wow.”

Pepper shrugged. “Sorry. I wasn’t gonna say anything. My mom would probably tell me not to. But, it just seems weird. Like everyone pretends it didn’t happen, but you can feel it in the room.”

There was no accusation. Just observation. Like she was pointing out the color of the sky.

Paige stared out at the yard. “That’s a hell of an opener.”

“But it did happen, and I bet it hurt him. And Ellie. And Cal. I guess I just don’t get it”

Paige was quiet for a moment. “Neither did I. Not then.”

“Did you love him?”

“I did.”

She paused. “I just didn’t know how to stay.”

Pepper fiddled with the seam of her sleeve. “My dad didn’t stay either. Different reasons, probably. But it’s still…”

She looked up. “Can I say a bad word?”

“Shitty?”

Pepper’s eyes widened a little. Then she nodded. “Yeah. That one.”

Paige sighed. “Adults can be shitty sometimes.”

Paige looked down at her mug. “Sometimes you realize too late all the things no one taught you. How to be still. How to show up. How to not run when things get uncomfortable. I’m sorry you know what it’s like to be on the other side of that.”

Pepper shrugged. “I’m okay. I have my mom. And now Rowan. He shows up.”

She paused, then added, ” He’s kinda… alright.”

Paige smiled. “Yeah. He always was.”

“So why not just… love him better?”

Paige’s mouth twitched. “You think it’s that simple?”

“I think not loving someone right is a choice. Even if it’s not on purpose.”

That one hit. Paige closed her eyes for a second.

“Sorry if that was a lot,” Pepper said. “I just wanted to understand why someone doesn’t stay.”

“No, it’s not too much,” Paige said. “It’s fair. Most people tiptoe around it. You didn’t.”

Pepper gave a little shrug-smile. “My mom says honesty is my superpower, but that it should come with a filter.”

“She’s not wrong.”

They both smirked.

Pepper stood and stretched. “I’m gonna see if there’s more pie. You want some?”

Paige blinked. “Is that a peace offering?”

“Nah,” Pepper said. “You just looked like someone who needs dessert.”

---

In the kitchen, Mira helped Ellie tuck leftovers into containers. The girl moved quickly, like someone used to filling in gaps before anyone asked her to. Mira noticed, how her hands knew where everything went, how she scanned the room like it was her job to make sure nothing spilled over.

“You okay?” Mira asked, voice low, just for them.

Ellie gave a half-shrug. “It was a lot of people. But not in a bad way.”

“You were amazing.”

Ellie rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

They continued to pack in silence, the kind that didn’t need to be filled.

Then Ellie said, “Pepper’s cool. Like… cooler than I expected. I always wanted a sister.”

Mira smiled. “She thinks the same about you. She doesn’t say that about many people.”

Ellie let out a soft snort. “She’s already been in my room. Twice. Asked if she could borrow my hoodie and then said never mind, I’ll just steal it later.”

“Sounds about right… and exactly like what a little sister would do.”

“She’s kind of exhausting. And loud. And nosy.” Ellie’s mouth twitched. “But also… she’s funny. And she gets it, I think. Like me.”

Mira nodded slowly. “Yeah. She sees things most people miss.”

Ellie hesitated, then glanced over. “So do you.”

There it was, that moment of being seen when it wasn’t expected.

Mira touched her arm gently. “You don’t have to hold it all, you know. You’re allowed to let someone else carry it sometimes. I think your dad is learning that, too.”

Ellie didn’t say anything, but her eyes softened. A thank-you without the words.

---

After everyone had left or passed out, Mira stayed to help finish cleaning.

Pepper was asleep in the guest room, curled like a comma under a weighted blanket. The kids were down. The house was quiet again.

Mira and Rowan stood at the sink, taking turns washing and drying the dishes that didn’t fit into the dishwasher. Their hips bumped gently. Elbows brushed.

“I don’t think I’ve ever dried this many dishes in my life,” Mira said, laughing.

“You’re welcome. It’s a test,” Rowan replied.

“Oh? For what?”

“For seeing if we make a good team under pressure.”

She smiled, then turned toward him as he set down the last dish.

He dried his hands. “I’ve been thinking about something. A lot, actually.”

Mira raised an eyebrow. “This isn’t a dish-related revelation, is it?”

“Nope. This is the define-the-relationship talk.” He grinned. “Retro, I know.”

She snorted. “Rowan. We just spent Thanksgiving together. Our kids made up a handshake. You kiss me before coffee. I think we’re a bit past ‘What are we?’”

He stepped closer. “Yeah, but… I want to say it. You deserve someone who’s sure. Who says the thing out loud.”

Her smile softened. “Okay. Say it.”

“I love you. I’m in this. Fully. No gray area. This is it for me.”

Mira smiled, eyes warm. “Is this you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

He grinned. “Only if you want to go steady.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean I get your letterman jacket, or what?”

“Absolutely not. But I can probably find a flannel that smells like me and commitment.”

Mira laughed, then stepped in closer. “That works.”

He brushed a hand along her cheek, quieter now. “You’re not just someone I love. You’re the person I can see building a life with.”

Mira felt the breath rush out of her, not from shock, but from the way his words landed like a warm weight.

“Okay,” she said, voice caught somewhere between a laugh and a tear.

Then, quieter, “I want that too.”

He reached for her hand and pressed it to his chest. “So, we’ll call it what it is.”

He grinned, his eyes sparking and showing his dimple. “Boyfriend and girlfriend. And we’ll keep building. Together.”

“Together,” she echoed. “Your heart’s beating really fast.”

He smirked. “And you’ve been holding your breath.”

She blinked and took a deep breath. “Fair. But if one of us passes out from emotional intimacy, it’s probably going to be me.”

He kissed her forehead. “Good thing I know CPR.”

“Saved by my hot CPR-certified boyfriend,” she said, smiling.

Then added, “But you’re doing the dishes alone at Christmas.”

---

Letters from The Clever Confidante: “What It’s Really Like to Be Loved Well“
It’s quiet and It stays

For most of my life, I thought love would feel like adrenaline.

Like butterflies. Like fireworks. Like waiting.
Like trying to prove I was worthy of being chosen.

And for a long time, I chased that chaos.
Confused nervous system activation for chemistry.
Mistook longing for depth.
Learned to survive off scraps of attention that felt intense, but not consistent.

But this love, it feels different.
It feels real.
It’s the kind that stays.
That shows up.
That doesn’t flinch when you cry or speak softly or take up space.
It’s not anything at all like adrenaline.
It’s arrival.

It feels like a deep breath.
Like a hand on your back when no one’s looking.
Like someone learning your daughter’s favorite breakfast and your favorite silence.
Like slow mornings and safe pauses and being seen in unexpected moments.

It feels like being trusted with truth.
Like being named a partner.
Not just a feeling, but a choice.

There’s a version of me that used to fear this kind of stillness.
That thought stability meant settling.
That something steady couldn’t also feel electric.

But it turns out, safety can spark too.
It doesn’t have to be loud to change you.
Sometimes it’s a series of small moments
that slowly stitch themselves into your nervous system
until one day, you look around and realize:
This is what it’s like to be loved well.

No guessing.
No fixing.
No shape-shifting.

Just presence.
Just being chosen,
not for what you offer,
but for who you are.

If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this:
You won’t have to earn it forever.
One day, someone will meet you where you are.
And when they do, it will feel like the most natural thing in the world.

Because you’ll finally be home in yourself.
And they’ll know how to love you there.

Always,
Your Trusted Friend ❤️

If you’ve ever mistaken adrenaline for love, or wondered whether steady could still feel electric—
Tell me what this chapter stirred in you.
(Leave a comment. Whisper it to your past self. Or forward it to someone learning how to stay.)

☁️ New here? You can start Mira’s Story from the beginning with Chapter Zero.

➡️✨ Continue Mira’s Story with Chapter Thirty-Three: The Breach

✨ Want more love notes like this? Subscribe, stay close, and let’s keep growing in the quiet spaces together.

P.S. You’re not hard to love. And you never were.