Updated Apr 8, 2026 • ~3 min read
Chapter 17: Cat Ears
Jace
Halloween party at school. All parents invited.
Jace volunteers because Harper begged him. NOT because Sienna will be there.
(That’s what he tells himself.)
The gym is decorated with fake cobwebs and plastic skeletons. Kids run around in costumes—witches, superheroes, zombies. Harper is dressed as a mad scientist, complete with lab coat and goggles.
And Sienna is at the craft table, helping kids make paper bats.
She’s wearing a black dress and cat ears. Simple. Adorable. DEVASTATING.
Their eyes meet across the room.
She looks away first.
“Dad!” Harper tugs his sleeve. “Can you help Miss Martinez set up the game booth?”
“I’m sure she has other volunteers—”
“Please? She said she needed someone tall!”
Before he can protest, Harper drags him to the booth where Sienna is struggling with a banner.
“Miss Martinez! Dad’s here to help!”
Sienna’s smile is polite. Professional. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwell.”
“Happy to help.”
Harper runs off, and they’re alone. Sort of. Surrounded by screaming children, but alone.
“How have you been?” he asks, holding one end of the banner while she tapes the other.
“Good. You?”
“Fine.”
Lies. They’re both lying.
“Harper seems better,” Sienna says. “Her grades are improving.”
“Yeah. We’ve been spending more time together. Talking more.”
“That’s good.”
Their fingers brush as they both reach for the tape.
SPARK.
They both freeze.
“Sorry,” she whispers.
“Don’t be.”
A parent walks past, and they step apart quickly.
Too quickly.
Later, Sienna ends up in the supply closet, grabbing more construction paper.
Jace follows. He shouldn’t. But he does.
“What are you doing?” she hisses when he closes the door.
“I don’t know. I just—I miss you.”
“Jace, we can’t—”
“I know. I’m not asking for anything. I just needed to say it.”
They’re standing too close in the tiny space. He can smell her perfume—something vanilla and warm.
“I miss you too,” she admits.
“This is torture.”
“I know.”
“You wore that dress to torture me.”
“It’s a school-appropriate dress!”
“Nothing about you is appropriate for my thoughts.”
Her eyes darken. “Jace—”
“DAD!” Harper’s voice calls from outside. “Where are you?!”
Reality crashes back.
Sienna opens the closet door, checks that the coast is clear, slips out.
Jace waits thirty seconds. Follows.
And tries very hard to convince himself that he can survive five more months of this.
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