Andy loves Elena.

Not her daughter, though.

*

Andy takes great pride in the fact that she and Elena are close.

After a long day's work, she would slump on the kitchen counter with a loud groan, and Elena would ruffle her hair and ask if she wanted anything to eat, and then they'll eat together while Andy rants about this customer, or one of her students' parents, or the problems in the animal shelter.

Or about Rhysand. "Is he not going to invite me?" Andy pouts, picking at her food. "Like, I get that he's the one being awarded, and it's a Sterling, a work thing—but don't people there bring dates? Is that not a thing now? Does he not want me there?"

The old woman reaches over and dabs her napkin on Andy's lips, clicking her tongue. "Maybe Mr. Hart—"

Andy gives her a pointed look.

"Rhys," she corrects herself, clearing her throat, "just forgot, sweetheart. You know he loves you very much. He'll ask you, I'm sure of it."

Sighing, she leans back against her chair and mutters, "Whatever."

Well, Rhysand does ask her. Later, against the wall, after two rounds.

Her husband presses his front against her back, panting, and Andy also catches her breath, head slumping on the wall, legs feeling shaky.

Rhysand presses a sweet kiss on her shoulder, breathing heavily. "Fucking hell," he whispers.

Andy grins, eyes closed. She's always so dazed after sex, basking in her post-orgasm dizziness. "Yeah."

"Did you buy your dress?" he murmurs in her hair, caging her in with his arms.

Andy's smile fades. "Huh?"

"Your dress and shoes and whatever else this Saturday, did you buy them," Rhysand mutters.

Andy gasps. She turns around, accidentally knocking him on his forehead in which Rhysand grunts in surprise, and jumps on his body, legs around his waist. Her husband catches her in time, hands on her thighs. "Babe! Really?"

He's confused, blinking. "What?"

Andy's mouth spreads to a happy grin, heart soaring. "Am I coming with you? On Saturday?"

Rhysand blinks again. "I didn't know you weren't. Didn't you go shopping? You told me you were and I told you to buy your dress and shit."

"I thought you were just talking about a regular dress!" Andy laughs, leaning forward to hug him. "I didn't know you wanted me there."

"Of course I want you there, sunshine," Rhysand says, sighing like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I always ask you to come with me to my dinners. You're the one who's busy."

Andy giggles. "That's different. This is an awarding ceremony, and you didn't even ask!"

"Sorry," he murmurs, turning his head to kiss her cheek. "Will you come with me to my awarding shit this Saturday, baby?"

"Yes," Andy breathes, hands finding his face, thumbs stroking his cheeks, absolutely mesmerized and gone and weak. "Yes, my love."

So Andy skips to the kitchen for breakfast with the happiest grin on her face while Rhysand's in the shower, and almost squeals, running up to Elena, "Rhys asked me last night!"

Her friend laughs loudly, wrapping her arms around Andy as she jumps them around. "That's great, Andy. I told you so."

Andy pulls back, eyes shining. "Sorry. Good morning."

"Good morning," Elena says back, chuckling. "Come sit, I made egg and avocado toast."

"Yum." Andy rubs her hands together and sits down, tossing her bag on the counter and reaching for her coffee. "Thank you so much. You know, I was wondering, where did you learn how to cook? Like, you know so many delicious recipes, it's so fascinating. And I always talk about myself and I never ask about you."

Elena's smile is kind, and she faces her after bringing over two plates. "Actually, Andy. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Andy sits up straight and blinks at her innocently. "What's up?"

For the first time since they knew each other, Elena seems...embarrassed. She clears her throat, rubbing her palms on her apron, and says, "My daughter just lost her job and her apartment a few days ago, and she's staying with me for the meantime."

"You have a daughter!" Andy says delightedly, smiling.

Elena forces a little smile and nods. "Yes. And while she looks for another job, I was...well, I was wondering if she could help around here, make some extra money to help with rent."

"Okay," Andy says, not even blinking. "Sure."

Elena's eyes widen, staring at her. "Sure...you'll ask her to come in for an interview and a background check and all the things Mr. Hart—Rhys asked me, Dean, Ben, and Viv, right?"

Andy scrunches her nose and waves her hand dismissively. "I meant, 'sure, she can start today if she wants.' I can ask Dean to pick her up."

Her friend blinks again. "Andy."

"And..." Andy purses her lips and reaches over to take Elena's hand. "I don't know if this is me overstepping, or being offensive, but if you both need a place to stay for a while...without worrying about the rent—"

"Oh, no." Elena shakes her head vigorously, squeezing Andy's fingers. Her voice is firm when she tells her, "I am beyond and extremely grateful already to you and Rhysand. I promise that we're okay where we are."

Andy nods, biting her lip. "Okay. Just...tell me whatever you need, okay?"

Elena looks close to tears. She rounds the kitchen counter and hugs her warmly, and Andy smiles, hugging her back. "You're an angel, Andy," she whispers.

"You're not so bad an angel yourself!" she chirps back.

Rhysand's steps are loud as he comes down the staircase, hair damp from his shower. He blinks at the sight. "What's going on?"

Andy lets him know. Rhysand agrees easily, too, but he says, "I'm just going to do a quick background check before she gets here tomorrow."

Andy glares at him. "Really. She's Elena's daughter!"

"It's fine, Mrs. Harton—Andy," Elena says, shaking her head. "It's for your security. I completely understand."

"I apologize, Elena," Rhysand mutters. "And thank you for understanding. I'm sure she's as kind and hardworking as you are."

Eve was. First ten minutes of meeting her.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Harton," she gushes, shaking his hand enthusiastically. She's young, Andy thinks. Mid-twenties, brunette, looks like her mom except for the nose ring. She's clad in all leather and metal—and from her background, Andy and Rhysand know her last job was working as a bartender and a waitress. "I'll just be helping around the laundry, the dishes, pretty used to those, by the way." She laughs, tucking her hair behind her ear, eyes still on Rhysand's. "Just for a few days, then I'll be out of your hair."

Rhysand gives her a nod. "Your mother will show you around, she knows how things work here." He takes Andy's hand and interlaces their fingers together. "This is my wife, Andrea, but she likes to be called Andy."

It's the first time Eve looks at her, and she doesn't lose her smile. She offers her hand. "Mrs. Hart—sorry, Andy. Hello, and thank you for having me. I won't be a nuisance, you won't even know I'm here."

Another laugh, another look at Rhysand. Andy smiles at her and shakes her hand. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you."

Elena grabs her arm and faces Rhysand and Andy, flustered. "Thank you both. I'll be in charge of her."

Eve grins, and then Elena pulls her to the kitchen.

Rhysand looks at Andy with a shrug. "Well. That's that. I trust Elena."

Andy purses her lips and nods, following after him to their car. "Me, too."

*

It's subtle, Andy thinks.

It's so, so subtle.

The way Eve hangs around during dinner just to fill up Rhysand's glass, the way his laundry doesn't get mixed up in colors, the way Andy's clothes are folded like they were just—rushed through, and Rhysand's are folded neatly.

Andy doesn't really mind. So the girl's crushing on her husband, that's fine, who can blame her? Rhysand is gorgeous, he's sexy, he makes Andy's heart race with one look, and she's pretty sure the employees at Sterling enjoy a good eye candy from afar. The thought makes her eye twitch, but what can she do? He's hot. That's it, end of story. But he has a ring on his finger, and Andy, over the course of their married life so far, has always enjoyed the look of disappointment when their eyes flick to the metal on his finger.

So she doesn't mind—it only bothers her a little. Even when Eve insists on serving Rhysand his breakfast. "Good morning, Mr. Harton," she chirps, handing her his plate. And, barely a glance at Andy, "Morning, Andy."

"Morning," Andy mutters, taking her coffee. Elena greets her with a smile, too. Andy greets her back as cheerfully as possible.

Rhysand puts a hand on her knee. "I'll pick you up after work, okay? We'll have dinner together."

Andy nods, pursing her lips. "Ah, I know it's vacuum day today, Elena, but you know the drill: please don't go in our bedroom and Rhys's studio, we'll handle it."

Elena nods. "Of course, Andy."

Andy smiles at her, and she and Rhysand eat their breakfast. Andy catches Eve stealing glances at her husband.

But here's the thing. Andy won't mind the little crush—if it were just that. But it isn't, because it's also resorting to disrespecting Andy in her own home.

And she may be Elena's daughter—God knows how that happened when Elena is kind and warm and Eve was everything but—but Andy won't stand for it.

Especially when she catches her sneaking a peak in their bedroom, hand on the knob.

"What're you doing?" Andy asks from the hallway, leaning against the wall.

Eve shuts the door with a loud snap. Her eyes are wide, and she gulps, turning to face Andy. "Andy. Hi. Um, I was just—I heard something."

It's after noon, and Andy knows that Elena takes her naps at this hour. Eve must have slipped out, curious.

Nosy. Disrespectful.

Andy only returned home from the work because she forgot to bring a file. She's glad she was able to catch this little bitch. "No one's in this home except for you and Elena," Andy says quietly, staring her down. "What would you have heard?"

Eve lets out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, sorry. I was just exploring, and I didn't know this was your bedroom—"

"You can cut the bullshit," Andy says. "Elena showed you around your first day here. You know that's mine and Rhysand's bedroom."

Eve's fake smile fades. She purses her lips. "I was just curious, sorry."

"No, you were being disrespectful," Andy tells her, not breaking her stare. "I'm sure Elena also told you no one is allowed to come in our room. I also reiterated it this morning. And then you go behind our backs and decide to snoop, anyway."

The girl's jaw clenches. "Andy, I—"

"I don't want you in my home anymore," Andy says, narrowing her eyes at her. "I love Elena, Eve. But I won't stand for this, and I'm also not as stupid as you think. Rhysand is very nice to look at, I know. But he's my husband, and this is our home. I don't feel comfortable having you here."

"Andy—"

"It's Mrs. Harton to you," Andy tells her with a smile. "I'll talk to Elena. You can pack your things."

*

Rhysand holds his arm out. "I already talked to Elena about it before you did."

Andy takes his arm, surprised. "You did?"

Her husband scoffs, leading them inside the venue. "Baby, I'm not that blind. I told her to tell her daughter to stop with the looks and the disrespect to you. She kept apologizing to me, and I had to assure her that it wasn't her fault."

Poor Elena. In front of Andy, she also cried and apologized a million times, tried to fire herself, and Andy had to assure her, too. It's not her fault her daughter's very different from her. "I'm sure she scolded Eve already," she tells him quietly. "But the girl wouldn't listen. You must have made her crazy with your sexiness."

Rhysand rolls his eyes. "Shut up."

Andy laughs and presses herself to him, heels clicking along the carpet. Leaning to his ear, she whispers, "You can make me, husband. You have the remote."

His mouth curls upwards in a half-smile, hand in his pocket. "Later. I'll make you squirm."

It sounds like a promise as it is a threat. Andy bites her lip, and Rhysand pulls her along towards his co-workers waving him over.

*

Rhysand follows through with his promise. (Threat.)