Milk dribbles down my chin as I shovel another spoonful of Cinnamon Toast Crunch into my mouth, trying desperately to act like this is a normal family breakfast and not the most awkward moment of my entire life. The kitchen is eerily quiet except for the crunching of cereal and the occasional scrape of a spoon against a bowl.

My mom sits across from me, still wearing yesterday's suit, her eyes bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles. Rose is beside me, her wild auburn hair tamed into a messy bun. She's eating her cereal with surprising delicacy for someone who was just filled to the brim with cum.

"You didn't go to sleep?" I finally ask Mom, breaking the silence that's been stretching between us like an overtightened rubber band.

Mom takes a long sip of her coffee, her third cup since coming downstairs. "I'm too tired to sleep," she mutters, rubbing her temples. "When I hit this level of exhaustion, my brain won't shut off."

I nod, feeling super awkward as I remember how she walked in on Rose and me this morning. My cereal suddenly tastes like cardboard.

Mom's bloodshot eyes drift over to Rose. There's no anger in her expression, not even annoyance, just a flat, genuine curiosity.

"You're not leaking on the chair, right?" she asks Rose, completely straight-faced.

My spoon clatters against the bowl, splashing milk onto the table. "Mom!"

Rose, to her credit, doesn't even flinch. She takes another bite of cereal, chews thoughtfully, and swallows before answering.

"No, I put on pants," she says, gesturing to her sweatpants. “I'm considerate like that."

Mom nods like this is a perfectly reasonable exchange to be having over breakfast. "Thanks."

The front door swings open, and Lilly steps in, her skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat. Her auburn hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail, and her athletic wear clings to her toned body. She pulls out her earbuds, putting them in their case.

"Oh, hey," she says, slightly breathless from her run. Her eyes scan the kitchen, taking in our odd breakfast scene.

My heart does a little flip at the sight of her. She looks even more delicious while she’s sweating.

Lilly's gaze lands on my mother, and her posture straightens immediately. She crosses the kitchen with purposeful strides, extending her hand.

"You must be Ms. Miller," she says, her voice shifting to that polite, professional tone I've come to recognize. "I'm Lilly Harris. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Rose lets out a dramatic sigh beside me, like she's just remembered a crucial social obligation.

"I'm Rose, by the way," she adds belatedly, raising her hand in a half-hearted wave. "We met earlier, but... differently."

Mom takes Lilly's outstretched hand with a firm grip, her exhausted eyes suddenly sharpening with interest.

"Are you also fucking my son?" she asks bluntly.

I choke on my cereal, milk spraying across the table as I cough violently. "Mom! Jesus Christ!"

Lilly's composure cracks for a second as she shoots Rose a furious glare, clearly blaming her for this awkward situation. Rose shrugs and continues eating her cereal, seemingly unbothered by the chaos she's helped create.

Lilly turns back to my mother, straightening her shoulders as she meets Mom's tired gaze directly.

"Yes, I am," she says with surprising dignity. "But I want to assure you that both Rose and I have IUDs, and we're taking every precaution. More importantly, we both care deeply for Seth." Her voice softens slightly. "We would never take advantage of him."

Mom studies Lilly's face for a moment, then nods once, apparently satisfied with this answer. "Smart. Birth control is essential at your age. College is expensive enough without adding babies to the mix."

I sink lower in my chair, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. This can't possibly be happening. My mother is discussing my sex life with my girlfriends over breakfast cereal.

Mom's attention suddenly shifts to me, her sleepy eyes narrowing slightly as she studies my face. Something in her expression changes, softens around the edges.

"Seth," she says, her voice dropping to a gentler tone I rarely hear, "they're not... coercing you into anything, are they?"

The question hangs in the air like a physical thing. Rose stiffens beside me, her spoon freezing halfway to her mouth. Lilly's breathing becomes audibly shallow.

"God, no!" I blurt out, my face burning hotter than the surface of the sun. "It's completely mutual. One hundred percent consensual. More than consensual."

Mom holds my gaze for a long moment, searching for something. Whatever she finds seems to satisfy her because her shoulders relax slightly.

"Alright," she nods, wrapping her hands around her coffee mug. "Just making sure. I know men have it tough.”

I want to sink through the floor. Of all the conversations I never wanted to have with my mother, this ranks somewhere between "explaining who Mr. Hands is" and "discussing One Guy One Jar."

"We would never pressure Seth into anything," Lilly says firmly, still standing with perfect posture despite the awkwardness saturating the room. "We respect his boundaries completely."

Rose snorts into her cereal. "Yeah, except when he likes having them pushed," she mutters, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Rose!" Lilly and I snap in unison.

Mom raises an eyebrow but mercifully doesn't pursue that particular thread of conversation. Instead, she drains the last of her coffee and stands up, swaying slightly from exhaustion.

"I'm going to try to sleep for a few hours," she announces, placing her mug in the sink. "Try to keep the noise down."

"Mom, wait!" I call after her. "Let's wake up, Chris, he'd love to see you before you crash."

She pauses at the kitchen doorway, one hand braced against the frame. For a moment, I think she might agree, but then she shakes her head, her shoulders slumping with fatigue.

"No, I'm sorry," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I really need to try and sleep while I can." She gestures vaguely toward the table. "Can you take care of my bowl for me?"

Before I can respond, she's already walking away, her footsteps heavy on the stairs. No hug, no real acknowledgment that she hasn't seen her youngest son in probably weeks. Just... nothing.

The kitchen falls silent as we listen to her bedroom door click shut upstairs. I stare at her abandoned cereal bowl.

‘I feel like that bowl.’

I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts. Lilly stands beside me, her eyes soft with understanding as she looks at my mother's abandoned bowl. Without a word, she wraps her arms around me, pressing her body against mine in a hug that feels more intimate than any of our sexual encounters.

"You don't need her," Lilly whispers against my ear, her breath warm and comforting. "We're here now, Seth. Let us be your family. We won't walk away, even when things are difficult. I promise."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs. I didn't realize how badly I needed to hear that until this moment. My throat tightens as I lean into her embrace, allowing myself to be held.

"She's right," Rose says, suddenly serious as she sets down her spoon. She slides her chair closer, wrapping her arms around both of us. "We're not going anywhere. Ever."