Tanya pushed through the door without knocking - she never did - carrying a six-pack in one hand. The sound hit her immediately: kids screaming in the backyard, something crashing, high-pitched ughter that could turn into crying at any second. Cssic Shelley chaos.

  "Girl, I brought reinforcements!" Tanya called out, holding up the beer.

  Shelley appeared from the kitchen, looking exhausted. Hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing shorts and a tank top that had seen better days. Still cute, though. She always was.

  "Thank God," Shelley said, reaching for a can. "It's been a day."

  They settled on the couch - the same worn couch where they'd spent countless nights talking, drinking, sometimes more. Tanya sat close, their thighs touching, easy and familiar. She cracked open her beer and took a long pull.

  "So," Tanya said, getting right to it. "You hear anything yet?"

  Shelley's face tightened slightly. "About what?"

  "About Genji. The papers." Tanya had called in a favor, got updates. She needed to know this was moving forward.

  "Oh. Yeah." Shelley looked down at her beer. "I guess they're working on it."

  "Good. That's good." Tanya reached over, brushed a loose strand of hair behind Shelley's ear. Soft. She'd always had soft hair. "You okay? You seem off."

  Shelley sighed. "I don't know, Tee. I just... I'm not sure if this is right. Like, what if it's not even his? I was with—"

  "Stop." Tanya's voice was firm but gentle. She let her hand trail down from Shelley's hair to her shoulder, thumb rubbing small circles. "You're overthinking this. If it's his, he needs to pay. If it's not, he takes the test and walks away. Either way, you tried. You deserve that much."

  "But—"

  "But nothing." Tanya shifted closer, her hand moving to rest on Shelley's thigh. "You've been doing this alone for too long. Twelve kids, Shells. *Twelve.* And now thirteen? You need help. He's got money. He can afford it."

  Shelley bit her lip, that little tell that meant she was wavering. Tanya knew that look. Knew exactly what it meant.

  She let her hand slide higher, casual but deliberate. "You're always taking care of everyone else. Let someone take care of you for once."

  Shelley's breath hitched slightly. "Tee..."

  "What?" Tanya leaned in, her lips close to Shelley's ear. "I'm just saying, you deserve better than this." Her hand moved again, fingers tracing the edge of Shelley's shorts.

  Shelley didn't stop her. She never did.

  Tanya's hand slipped beneath the waistband, and she felt Shelley's body respond immediately - the sharp intake of breath, the slight shift of her hips. Good. This was familiar territory, comfortable and charged at the same time.

  "See?" Tanya murmured, her fingers moving slowly. "You just need to rex. Let me help you. Let him help you. It's gonna be fine."

  Shelley's head tipped back against the couch, her eyes fluttering closed. "God, Tee—"

  The door banged open.

  "MAMA!"

  Tanya yanked her hand out of Shelley's panties so fast she nearly knocked over her beer. Shelley jerked upright, face flushed, eyes wide.

  A kid - maybe eight, skinny, with wild curly hair - stood in the doorway, scowling. "Randy took my ball and he won't give it back!"

  Shelley blinked, trying to shift gears from pleasure to mom-mode. "What? Randy— Okay, okay. Where is he?"

  "In the backyard! He's being a jerk!"

  Shelley stood up, adjusting her shorts, still looking dazed. "Alright, I'll handle it. Just— give me a second."

  The kid ran back outside, already yelling Randy's name.

  Tanya sat back, taking a slow sip of her beer, watching Shelley pull herself together. When Shelley gnced back at her, Tanya just smiled.

  "You good?"

  Shelley let out a shaky ugh. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

  "Then go handle Randy." Tanya gestured toward the backyard. "I'll be here when you get back."

  Shelley hesitated, then nodded and headed outside. Through the window, Tanya could see her wading into the chaos - kids swarming, voices overpping, toys scattered everywhere.

  Tanya leaned back against the couch, beer in hand.

  *See?* she thought. *This is exactly why you need that money, Shells.*

  She'd make sure Shelley followed through. One way or another.