MasukAfter coding, we moved on to the art project.The prompt appeared on the screen: DRAW A WORLD TOO SMALL OR TOO FAR AWAY TO VISIT TODAY. THINK ABOUT SHAPE, COLOR, LIGHT, AND MOVEMENT.Underneath were examples of a galaxy, the ocean floor, a mountain peak, the surface of a leaf, and grains of sand under a microscope.Max immediately grabbed a sheet of black paper.Issa chose the thickest white paper, inspected the corners, then exchanged it because she said the left side of the first one “looked tired.”I handed them watercolor pencils, pastels, markers, and regular pencils. “Not on the couch,” I said.No one had accused anyone of anything.Issa started by making thin lines with a gray pencil. She drew a low horizon, then built two mountains in the distance. One was taller, its peak imperfect. In the foreground, she made rows of pine trees in different sizes, not the childish triangle shapes, but small trunks, thin branches, and shadows that grew darker closer to the foreground.I stopp
After coding, we moved on to the art project.The prompt appeared on the screen: DRAW A WORLD TOO SMALL OR TOO FAR AWAY TO VISIT TODAY. THINK ABOUT SHAPE, COLOR, LIGHT, AND MOVEMENT.Underneath were examples of a galaxy, the ocean floor, a mountain peak, the surface of a leaf, and grains of sand under a microscope.Max immediately grabbed a sheet of black paper.Issa chose the thickest white paper, inspected the corners, then exchanged it because she said the left side of the first one “looked tired.”I handed them watercolor pencils, pastels, markers, and regular pencils. “Not on the couch,” I said.No one had accused anyone of anything.Issa started by making thin lines with a gray pencil. She drew a low horizon, then built two mountains in the distance. One was taller, its peak imperfect. In the foreground, she made rows of pine trees in different sizes, not the childish triangle shapes, but small trunks, thin branches, and shadows that grew darker closer to the foreground.I stopp
School decided that an attempted kidnapping, an emergency relocation, and temporarily living in a secret mansion were not valid reasons to miss a day of education.I found out when the preschool portal chimed on the tablet.INDEPENDENT LEARNING DAYUnderneath was a cheerful message from their teacher, complete with a sun emoji that felt slightly aggressive.(Because school is closed today, we’ve prepared a few light activities to help the children maintain their routine. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Have fun!)The light activities consisted of nine pages of math, two art projects, one coding module, a reading log, and an eleven-minute video about forest ecosystems.I sat on the family-room carpet with the tablet in my lap, surrounded by pencil cases, thick drawing paper, crayons, markers, number cards, magnetic tiles, and a small fox-shaped coding robot Elena had just taken out of the education closet.Of course this house had an education closet.Zach’s mansion had a bunker, an ind
“I said, if we live in a castle, I need a breakfast throne.”“This isn’t a castle,” Issa’s voice shot back, sharp, still rough with sleep but somehow fully powered for judgment. “It’s an almost castle. And a breakfast throne is for the queen.”“You’re not a queen.”“I have a queen personality.”“You have messy hair.”“I have volume.”I didn’t open my eyes.I needed three seconds to understand several things.One, it was morning and I was still alive.Two, my body was warm in a way that was far too comfortable.Three, someone’s breath was hitting the back of my neck.Four, the bed beneath me was not mine.Damn it.I slowly opened my eyes and immediately saw charcoal linen, the edge of a dinosaur pillow, Issa’s unicorn lying flat on its back like a tiny victim of a very long night, and the heavy curtains covering the glass wall still fully closed. Behind them were probably pine trees, morning fog, and all the expensive aesthetics that made rich people feel like they had discovered natur
Max ran to the bed, patted the mattress twice, then climbed up with all the grace of a small potato. He stood in the middle and opened his arms.“This is big enough for a whole country!”Issa, still in Zach’s arms, studied the bed seriously. “A small country.”“A country is still a country.”“I want the side close to Uncle Shiny.”“You’re always close to him.”“Because he’s warm.”“I’m warm too.”“You’re sweaty.”“I’m an athlete.”“You’re four.”“I’m still an athlete!”I walked past them and opened the walk-in closet.The lights came on automatically.Rows of shirts, suits, coats, and casual clothes were organized by color. Everything was dark, neutral, or some combination a man would choose when he wanted to look expensive without admitting he’d spent ten minutes thinking about his outfit.I glanced into the bathroom and found only one toothbrush and one towel hanging neatly. After making sure there was nothing else I should not be noticing, I returned to the bedroom and looked aroun
The first problem appeared at 8:42 p.m.I knew the time because ever since we walked into this house, I’d been checking the security tablet every seven minutes like a completely sane woman who had definitely not just watched a psychopath wear her twin brother’s face.The problem wore dinosaur pajamas and stood in the middle of the family-wing hallway with a pillow tucked under one arm.“I’m not sleeping alone,” Max announced.“Me too.” Behind him, Issa appeared from the lavender room in matching satin pajamas, a tiny bonnet in one hand and her unicorn tucked under her arm.I looked from one to the other.The two bedrooms that had been psychopathically prepared since Medellín stood open behind them. The dinosaur lamp glowed softly in Max’s room. Issa’s canopy fell prettily from the bed frame. There were night-lights, cameras I’d already disabled from the tablet, panic panels, and a connecting door to the small sitting room.Everything was safe.Everything was comfortable.Everything had
The second-floor workspace looks like a bored Pinterest board: neat white desk, bookshelves, two monitors. I’m in a fitted black blazer on top… alpaca-print pajama pants on the bottom.Out in the hallway, just beyond the half-closed door, the sound of running shakes the corridor.“SUPER MAX WILL SA
Five years later.Oregon rain tapped softly against the kitchen’s glass wall. Steady, cold, and mildly annoying.The pan on the stove hissed quietly, the smell of almost-done corn arepas mixing with black coffee and the chorizo I was frying in the skillet next to it. A slow Latin playlist floated f
I sat on a slick wooden bench on a Boston sidewalk, my watch telling me it was well past midnight, and the only things keeping me company were a streetlamp and the constant buzz of phone notifications going off like a curse.My boyfriend was being kissed by an influencer on a five-inch screen.I st
“Come on. We’re going home.”I finally said it again, even though my own voice sounded far away in my ears. Like it belonged to some other woman who just happened to be wearing my face.Max immediately tightened his arms around Zach’s neck.No.Wait.What?Now he was clinging to the man like it was







