Karl sat on the living room couch with his knees tucked up to his chest, eyes wide and blank like he’d just seen a ghost or worse, a failed audition. Milo and Adrian were on either side of him, glancing at each other with increasing concern. Adrian, who rarely showed much emotion, had his brows slightly furrowed, while Milo leaned forward and whispered gently, "Karl... you okay?"
Karl didn’t answer. He was staring into space, his mouth slightly parted, and if it weren’t for the occasional blink, they might’ve thought he’d frozen completely.
Then they heard footsteps.
Ruby entered the living room with her usual graceful calm, her red eyes unreadable but steady. Julian followed behind her, quieter than usual, his fingers fidgeting at the hem of his sleeve. It was enough for the others to sense something was coming.
Karl stiffened instantly.
"What happened, wife?" he asked carefully, his voice high-pitched and wavering. He glanced at Julian, then back at Ruby, his throat bobbing in a nervous swallow.
Ruby looked at them all, then took a deep breath. "I want to talk with all of you."
Something in her voice made even Adrian sit up straighter. Milo’s eyes widened.
Karl’s lip quivered. "W-Wife...?" he croaked.
"Please sit," she said firmly.
Ruby remained standing as the four of them settled in a small circle. The air was heavy with anticipation. Then, calmly, clearly, she spoke—
"I want to talk about divorce and about..."
Boom. The world tilted.
Karl’s eyes shot wide. "WHAT?!" he shrieked. "WIFE! I don’t want to divorce you!!!"
Before anyone could process what was happening, he burst into dramatic, messy sobs. "Noooo! Nooo! I don’t want to go!! You’re my only home! You’re my oxygen! You’re the only person who lets me eat snacks before dinner!!"
His loud, broken voice echoed off the walls, and Milo quickly covered his ears with both hands. Adrian looked like he wanted to vanish into the couch. Even Julian jumped in his seat, startled by the wailing.
"Wife, please!!!" Karl slid dramatically off the couch and wrapped his arms around her waist, sobbing like a child who’d dropped his lollipop in a sewer.
"Don’t throw me out! I’ll starve on the streets!" he cried, clinging dramatically. "You’re the only one who ever buys me things I actually like... who spoils me! How am I supposed to survive without you?!"
Ruby stood there helplessly, sighing as she reached down to pat his head, fingers moving gently through his hair.
"Karl... calm down." Her voice was soft now. "Please. At least listen to me first, alright?"
Karl sniffled, wiping his face against her robe like a very pitiful cat. "Okay..." he mumbled, still hiccupping.
She gently peeled him off and turned to face the others. "I’m not talking about divorce," she said at last.
Everyone exhaled so loudly it sounded like a breeze swept through the room.
Ruby let out a quiet chuckle at their stunned expressions. "But," she added, her smile fading into something more serious, "we do need to talk. About us. About communication. About this marriage."
Adrian blinked. Milo tilted his head. Karl sat back up, tears still drying on his cheeks.
"We’ve been living together, but... we don’t talk enough," Ruby said, folding her arms lightly. "Not about important things. Not about how we feel. And I don’t want that anymore."
She looked around the room at each of them, pausing to meet their eyes. "I want this marriage to work. Not just survive. But work. I want all of us to be happy."
Karl’s lip quivered again — this time from relief. "So... so you do love me?"
Ruby gave him a tired smile. "Yes, Karl. I like all of you."
Milo beamed. "Even me, wife?"
She walked over and kissed the top of his head. "Especially you, Milo."
Then her eyes turned to Adrian. He was staring at the floor, looking a little distant, his hands clasped together tightly.
"And you," she said, her voice gentler. "Adrian, I know you’ve been keeping things to yourself. But you’re not alone anymore. Even you deserve to be loved."
Adrian slowly lifted his eyes, and there was something there—something quiet, deep, and vulnerable.
"...Really?" he whispered.
She nodded. "Really."
His dark eyes softened. Just a little.
"And I want us all to feel safe here," Ruby continued, "safe enough to make mistakes, safe enough to grow, to talk, to fight if we have to but always come back home."
The room went still again.
Karl wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Does that mean no one’s getting kicked out?"
Ruby rolled her eyes and smiled. "No, Karl. You’re safe. But you are doing the dishes tonight."
"YESSS!!" Karl threw his hands up. "That’s way better than a divorce!"
Julian finally let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and gave Ruby a grateful glance. Adrian leaned back against the couch, his stiff shoulders loosening a little, and even Milo let out a long sigh of relief, gently patting his chest like his heart had been racing the entire time.
Ruby, however, remained standing.
She crossed her arms, her gaze firm. "But we need to talk seriously. About how things will work between us..."
Karl blinked, then slowly sat back down. "Oh... right. The harem thing."
Adrian’s brows furrowed slightly, and Julian’s expression turned thoughtful. Milo tilted his head, curious.
"This isn’t about romance or attention or who gets the most time," Ruby said, voice steady. "I don’t want anyone feeling left out. I’ve seen what happens when people assume love will figure itself out. It doesn’t. It takes effort. From everyone."
Karl sat up straighter. "You mean like... rules? Like who gets to hug you on which day? Or who gets the bigger blanket on cold nights?"
Milo frowned. "I never got the big blanket."
Ruby sighed. "No, Karl. No weird blanket rules."
Julian gave a soft chuckle under his breath.
She continued, "What I mean is—communication. If something bothers you, say it. If you’re feeling neglected, speak up. We’re not competing here. I want this to feel real. Equal. Not like some hierarchy."
Adrian’s deep voice finally broke through the silence. "And if someone starts falling behind? Emotionally?"
"Then we wait for them," Ruby said, looking directly at him. "No pressure. No deadlines. Just patience."
"And if I want to be dramatic about my emotions?" Karl asked, hand raised like a child in class.
"Then go cry in the bathroom," Ruby deadpanned.
To be continued... 🪄