**A Family of Hearts**
Divorce had flattened Emily like a steamroller. Shed adored her husband and never saw the betrayal comingleast of all with her best friend. In a single day, shed lost two people shed trusted with her heart. Her faith in men crumbled. Before, when shed heard the phrase all men cheat, shed scoffed: Not my William. Now, bitterness gnawed at her, and she vowed never to open her soul to anyone again.
Emily raised her daughter, Charlotte, alone. Her ex paid child support on time and visited occasionally, but fatherhood had never been his priority. She accepted her fatea lifetime of solitudeand even found a grim satisfaction in it. Life without a man was simpler. But destiny loves ruining plans.
At a colleagues birthday in a cosy London café, Emily met Danielthe birthday girls brother. He, too, was divorced, and to her surprise, his son, Oliver, lived with him full-time. His ex-wife, wrapped up in a new romance, hadnt objected. A teenager was justin the way.
That evening rekindled something in Emilya flutter in her chest, long forgotten. Daniel felt it too. Both scarred by divorce, they feared new emotions, but the spark between them was undeniable.
Daniel got Emilys number from his sister and, mustering courage, called. Avoiding the word date (too juvenile at their age), he suggested meeting for a chat. They chose a snug pub, talking until closing time without noticing the hours slip away. There was another meet-up, then another
One evening, Charlotte stayed with her dad, and Emily invited Daniel over. After that night, neither wanted to part. Their love, tender and weathered, felt like redemption. But there was a hurdle: their children.
Both had teenagers. Oliver, a year older than Charlotte, was his opposite in every wayinterests, friends, temperament. At first, Emily and Daniel met discreetly, sometimes with the kids, but Charlotte and Oliver werent just indifferentthey barely hid their dislike.
After eighteen months, Daniel cracked. He proposed. He loved Emily so fiercely it made him feel like a boy again, but he wanted a proper family, not the hollow shell of his first marriage. Secret meet-ups werent enough. Stunned, Emily said yes. She, too, dreamed of falling asleep beside him, sharing breakfasts, watching films curled up on the sofa.
They planned meticulously. Their tiny London flats wouldnt doteenagers of opposite genders needed separate rooms. Selling their places and dipping into Daniels savings, they bought a spacious house in the suburbs. Now came the hard part: telling the kids.
They broached it separately. I dont want to live with Daniel and Oliver! Charlotte snapped. Why cant you just carry on as you were? Whats the point? Emilys heart ached. Because of her, Charlotte would have to adjust to strangers. But Emily refused to sacrifice her happiness until her daughter left home, only to face emptiness. Other mothers had done that, then expected gratitude. Not her. Gently but firmly, she replied, Its happening. But youll always be my priority.
Charlotte sulked but didnt argue. Her dad, newly remarried, barely called anymore. After a long talk, she relentedso long as her mother didnt abandon her.
Oliver was just as resistant. Why should I live with some girl and her mum? he grumbled. Because I love Emily, Daniel said simply. Fine, Ill move in with Mum, Oliver shot back. Go ahead, Daniel replied. But running when things get tough wont solve anything. Besides, her studios tiny. Here, weve got a garden. I was thinking of putting up a football goal. Oliver finally caved. Dont expect me to treat her like a sister. Just be civil, Daniel said.
Charlotte declared shed ignore Oliver entirely. The wedding was smalljust family. At the restaurant, both teens wore scowls, making their disdain clear.
A week later, they moved in. Their bedrooms reflected their personalitiespolar opposites. Charlotte, an early bird, wandered the house at dawn while the others slept. Oliver, a night owl, gamed till sunrise and slept past noon. She hated fish; he ate it daily. She loved K-pop and anime; he blasted punk rock and binge-watched action films. Their interactions always ended in bickering.
But Charlotte grew unexpectedly fond of Daniel. Her dad had faded from her life, and she missed male attention. Daniel, though strict, doted on hersometimes more than Oliver. Shes a girl, hed say. Oliver, meanwhile, warmed to Emily. His mum had been distant, and now, absorbed in her new relationship, she barely remembered him. Emily listened without judgment, and Oliver began confiding in her.
Emily and Daniel hoped the kids would bond, but six months in, nothing changed. They came home separately, hung with different crowds, retreated to their rooms. The parents resigned themselves: no friendship needed, just basic respect.
Then, one afternoon, everything shifted. A persistent admirer had been hounding Charlottea boy from another class. Shed rejected him repeatedly, but he wouldnt take no. Strange notes in her locker, relentless texts. Shed told him to back off, but he didnt listen.
After drama club, Charlotte lingered at school. As she left, the boy blocked her path. Come for a walk, he said, stepping closer. We could grab a coffee. Leave me alone! Im not interested! she snapped. Why not? he pressed, annoyed. Youre annoying, thats why! He grabbed her arm. Youre coming with me. She struggled, but he was stronger.
Oliver, chatting with friends nearby, saw it happen. He lunged, punching the boy before escorting Charlotte homea silent walk, thick with unspoken understanding.
