SHAWN ENDED UP taking them to Svorski's later that evening for a snacking session. Or more so, as an attempt to redeem himself to the girls.

The kids were quite busy savoring their treats. Maya had a piece of chocolate cake, and Riley had gotten a muffin. Meanwhile, Katherine had gotten her brownies and cookie dough combination.

Still true to her roots, of course.

It didn't take long before Shawn decided to tackle the underlying tension head-on.

"December 8th," he said, breaking the silence and glancing at Riley.

She looked up, quirking a brow. "What?"

"Your birthday?"

This lessened the awkwardness of the room but Maya still wasn't budging. "That doesn't just fix everything. I know her birthday, but I don't abandon my friends to chase after my career."

Kat's eyes widened at the boldness of her tone. "Whoa."

Shawn, however, looked just as unimpressed. "You think that's fair?"

"I do," Maya nodded.

"Then this is fair too; What time was she born? How much did she weigh? How tall was she?"

The girls exchanged alarmed glances, sensing a deeper game at play. "Uh-oh..."

"6:00 in the morning, seven pounds, four ounces, 21 inches. I was there all night. I was the first person to hold you after your parents. You looked like this," he explains, scrunching up his face in a comical baby expression.

Maya stole a glance at Riley. "She still does."

Riley, in turn, scrunched her face to mimic Shawn's expression, a hint of amusement in her movement.

Then with a turn, he grinned at Kat. "And you, were born on Valentine's Day, which I heard you hated, weighed 5.25 pounds, and was 36 inches. I was the fifth person to hold you."

"Who was the first four?"

"Your mom, dad, Kim, then the person who inspired her middle name."

Riley and Maya's eyes widened as they instantly slid over to Kat's. "You—have a middle name?"

She chuckled uneasily. "And here I thought that middle name was a joke."

"It's on your birth certificate."

"You never know! Dad could've easily edited that thing to torture me or something!"

As one could tell, she really hoped her last name was anything but real in the records. But Riley and Maya were eager to know why.

"Kat you have to tell us what it is, we should know!" Maya urged seamlessly.

She sighed, closing her eyes as if bracing herself. "Alright, fine," Kat said. "I was named after none other than...my godfather himself."

The girls' eyes widened further, their mouths dropping an inch. "You're kidding."

"Yup. Her full name is Katherine Corey, with an E, Decker," Shawn revealed, his tone obnoxious and playful, which wasn't helping Kat's case at all.

Riley, on one hand, was in pure shock. "And you never told us you had a middle name—and that it was my father's?"

"Riles, that man already holds me to a high standard for being my godfather, you really think I'm gonna have pride in the fact that he's also my middle name?"

"You should ask her what Kim's middle name is," Shawn chuckled.

"No!" Riley sputtered out.

"It's Topanga," Kat revealed.

"No way!" Maya's voice rose in surprise.

Kat nodded, shaking her head with an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, we're named after our godparents. All thanks to my weirdo of a father." She looks over at Shawn then. "But, I'm wondering, how do you remember our birthdays so well?"

His lips pursed for a beat. "Well, obviously your birthday is on a holiday, and I guess I remember that day because...your mom told me that she thought you being born on that day was like a sign from the universe that you were going to be born with a lot of love."

And just hearing about her mother, Kat's face flickered with a hint of sadness, a mix of nostalgia and bittersweet.

"And because I remember Josh being mad that you practically stole his birthday and now had to share it with you," Shawn added.

They shared a chuckle, and Kat shook her head. "Yup, that sounds like him."

He turned his gaze back to Riley. "And yours was the day I left New York City."

Maya raised a brow. "City wasn't big enough for you and Riley's parents?"

Shawn sighed. "When people get married and start families, sometimes their old friends who didn't keep up start to feel a bit out of place."

Hearing this, Riley insisted, "Please don't make me or Kat the reason that you don't stick around us."

"No, I'm the reason. It's on me. Both of your parents are the best people I've ever met in my life."

"Then you should really love them. Because I love them. I mean, they're exactly like their parents," Maya chimed back into the conversation.

Then it hits Kat as Maya says that. It hits her as she watches Shawn's expression falter. It seemed like he tried not to give out his tell, but he did. "He—does love us, Riley."

"What?" the brunette asked.

"He loves our parents and we come from them, so in a way he does loves us. But because he loves us so much, he can't even look at us at all."

"I'm right here," Shawn tried to point out.

In a flash, Kat turns and studies him intensely. "Look at me, Uncle Shawn."

"I am looking at you."

"Not good enough. You're flickering your eyes away from me every two seconds, and I can tell you're very uneasy by my small order."

Shawn stared at her, discomfort suddenly forming in his features. "It's a miracle you inherited your mom's hair and her brains," he said, but added, letting his gaze linger, "But your nose, smile, and personality...they're all your father."

Kat managed a weak smile in return. "I'm going to say something, and you have to promise you won't think I'm scary."

Shawn takes her warning with a grain of salt. "I hardly think a 12-year-old girl can say anything that would scare me."

But he was about to be proven wrong. "Does every time you see me or Riley, remind you of what you don't have?"

And just that question alone provokes Shawn to say, "Annnd we're going home now."

⤵︎

WHEN SHAWN AND the kids finally arrived home, Kat and Riley wasted no time. They dragged their dads to the bay window, where the trio often found their solace.

Shawn glanced at his best friends, confused. "What do they want from us?"

Cory shrugged. "This is the trio's spot."

Shawn looked around the place, taking in its environment. "They just sit here?"

"For hours," Maverick confirmed. "They sit and pour their hearts out."

Just then, Kat swung open the door with a determined look. "Come on, tell him how you feel right now. It'll make you feel better. I would know." Without waiting for a response, she shut the door firmly behind them.

The room fell into an oddly serene silence. But it only takes mere seconds before Shawn found himself caught in an emotional crossfire.

"We've missed you, Shawn," Cory spoke.

"I missed you both more," Shawn admits.

"That's not possible. I miss you every cold night, which has been all month," Maverick added, his tone surprisingly vulnerable.

Again, Shawn glanced around the room in disbelief. "Boy, this window's powerful," he said, trying to process the unexpected emotional outpouring. "Y'all have lost it," he added, half-jokingly, as he made a move towards the window, looking for an escape from this emotional whirlwind.

"Oh, yeah, good luck. Like that's gonna work," Cory scoffed, watching Shawn's attempt to escape. But just as Shawn was about to push through the bay window, Maya appeared, stopping him in his tracks.

He moves back inside, leaving Maya to slide the window back closed.

Shawn turned back to Maverick and Cory. "Yeah yeah, they might be as good as us."

Riley and Kat, arms linked, entered the room again, leaving Shawn to stand up and address them. "Look, you two, I know when I'm being set up. I know when I'm caught in the middle of somebody's scheme."

The two girls look at him, unimpressed as Cory and Maverick join his side. "Yeah, we were the king of schemes," Maverick assured.

But the look on the girls' faces told the three men that their facade wasn't convincing anyone. Defeated, Cory and Maverick sat down with a sigh.

"We were kings," Cory murmured, almost nostalgically.

Kat arched a brow. "Yeah...sure."

Cory threw a glance at his goddaughter before surveying Riley's room. "Look at us, Shawnie."

"What's the scam, little ones?" Shawn asks.

Riley stood tall next to Kat. "Why did you really move out of the city?"

And with the question being out into the air, the two girls turned to leave, but Shawn called out, "Are you doing this to keep me and the guys together? 'Cause we're fine. We don't need this."

"Oh, we know that," Kat replied, before sharing a smirk with the brunette beside her. "Me and Riley just have our eyes on a much bigger prize than that."

As the girls left the room, the guys sat in a thoughtful silence. It wasn't Shawn finally broke the quiet. "Guys, don't take this the wrong way, but your daughters are strange little birds."

But Maverick however, finally asked the question in the air. "Shawn, why did you really move out of New York?"

Shawn lets out a deep sigh, his face softening as he prepared to reveal the truth. "Well, Cory was preoccupied with Topanga and his bird."

"I was not preoccupied," Cory protested.

"How long have I been away?"

"Three weeks."

"13 years," Shawn deadpanned. "Cory, life changed when you and Maverick had the kids. I-I don't know how to be the cool Uncle."

Suddenly, the door swings open, and in stroll Josh and Kim, with Auggie perched on Josh's shoulders like a tiny, excited king.

"Oh, well, we interrupt these three grown men in a girl's bedroom window for this special announcement," Josh announced, enthusiastically.

"Mom says to come down to open presents," Auggie announced.

"We now return to three grown men in a girl's bedroom window." Josh starts to sing then, "They're three grown men, in a girl's bedroom window, and nobody thinks that's weird....A-wink," he ends with a theatrical wink.

Kim chuckles and shakes her head, clearly amused by the situation. "This is so weird."

"And I would never watch that show," Auggie adds, earning a high-five from Kim.

With that, Josh, Kim, and Auggie exit, leaving Shawn, Cory, and Maverick to exchange bewildered looks.

Shawn gestures toward the door. "See? Cool Uncle's already taken."

And just as Shawn finishes speaking, the window slides open, and in comes Farkle Minkus peeking in with his signature swagger. "Ladies," he greets. But upon seeing Shawn, his expression shifts to one of confusion. "Oh...Excuse me, do I have the right house?"

Shawn studies him intently before he realizes. "Minkus?"

Farkle nods. "Yes."

Now with widened eyes, Shawn looked over to his pals. "Guys, what's this here?"

Cory chuckles, clearly enjoying Shawn's reaction. "Shawn, this is Farkle Minkus."

"Get out of here!" Shawn exclaimed.

"I'm Stuart Minkus' son," Farkle reveals nonchalantly.

"Minkus reproduced?!"

Maverick laughs. "Yeah, what did you think? He was cloned in a lab or something?"

But Shawn's shocked face didn't waver. "Look at him..."

And when Maverick and Cory do, they exchange glances, clearly torn between amusement and curiosity.

"Huh..." Cory trailed off. "Farkle, have you ever actually seen your birth certificate?"

The boy in question, now was perplexed by the question. "Huh...If you'll excuse me, I have some questions I need to take care of," he says before slipping away and leaving.

This bizarre interaction leaves Shawn even more disoriented than he thought the night would make him.

"Wow. I mean, even Minkus?" Shawn mutters to himself, still processing the day's oddities. He turns to Cory and Maverick with a contemplative look. "Hey, guys?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like to have children?"

Maverick exchanges a glance with Cory before replying, "Honestly, Shawn...It's the most challenging and rewarding experience I've ever had. There's nothing like watching them grow up and being a part of their lives."

Taking in that reply, Shawn sighs heavily, a touch of melancholy in his eyes. "The girls were right. I moved out of the city because every time I came back, it reminded me of what I didn't have."

Maverick places a supportive hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Well, it's never too late to change that. Go out there, find someone, and start a family if that's what you want."

But before Shawn can respond, the door swings open once more, and Riley and Kat enter with determined expressions. They walk up to their fathers and take their hands.

"Thank you. You have served your purpose," Riley declared.

"Wait. What are you two doing?" Maverick sought to know.

Kat in the meantime, grabs Maya from outside and shoves her back into the room. "Wait. What are you doing?" the blonde asks, peering between her and Shawn with surprise.

Kat sighed. "Ask him about his parents."

And soon enough, she rejoins Riley, leaving the fathers in a state of puzzlement.

"Kat..." Cory trails off.

She twists herself around to Maya and Shawn, a tender grin on her face. "Well, would you look at that? They really are us."

As she turned back to them, Maverick grinned with her. "This was all your idea, wasn't it?"

Kat shrugged. "I am the mastermind here anyways." She wrapped her arm around her Dad. "But it seems like I got that from my father after all."

Maverick's grin broadens at the compliment. Meanwhile, Shawn, still trying to make sense of it all, interrupts their moment. "Uh, guys? What's going on?"

Maya, now seated besides him also begs to know, "Girls, what are you two trying to do here?"

Cory shrugged. "You got this, buddy."

Riley echoes him in return, "You got this, buddy."

With that, Riley, Kat, and their fathers leave the room, leaving Shawn and Maya alone.

Maya stares at the man beside her warily before sitting up straight. "Okay, fine. So, what about your parents?"

Shawn adjusts himself in his spot, preparing to share. "Alright, fine. My dad was in and out of my life. He wasn't really around much."

Maya's lips tighten. "I got half a mom."

"Well, my mom took off when I was a kid."

"My dad has another family," Maya adds, her eyes reflecting her own pain.

Shawn shook his head at the thought. "I would never let anybody grow up like that.

"You wouldn't?"

"No."

"Oh," Maya replied, a bit surprised as she looked away. But she had to make sure he wasn't lying. "You wouldn't?"

"No," Shawn said more sternly. And that's when he realized why she asked twice. "Oh..."

⤵︎

     BACK IN THE living room, there Jen stood before the Christmas tree, admiring its towering presence that was filled with a mix of ornaments and lights.

She's almost lost in aw at the festive display, up until a familiar presence pulls her from her  thoughts as they accompany her side.

She doesn't look at them right away but she still talks. "Damn, this Christmas tree is so...tall."

Maverick finds himself chuckling softly, a nostalgic grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, just as tall as the one you tried to shove me into when we were kids."

Jen snorted in remembrance. "You're the one who told me my hair looked like a bird's nest."

"You deserved it."

She nudges him playfully. "No, I did not, Bigfoot," Jen snarled, trying to hold back a smile.

Witnessing his effect, Maverick couldn't help in chuckling as he rubbed his arm from her punch. "But you so did, at the time."

Jen shook her head, but watching him provokes her to follow suit. It seems like even after all this time, he still had his way of making her laugh, even if she didn't want to. That never changed at all.

After their little moment, Maverick glances down, feeling bittersweet. "So, I guess we still do have our banter," he says, a mix of amusement and nostalgia in his tone.

She grins delicately. "Seems so," Jen nodded. "You know, I've missed that."

"You have?"

"Of course," Jen says, her voice softening. "You were my childhood friend, Mav."

"And love," he sheepishly pointed out.

Jen raised a brow. "Hmm, I was wondering which of us would bring that up. I'm surprised it was you."

Maverick tilts his head, a touch of confusion on his face. "Why's that?"

She sighed. "I mean, after we said hi this afternoon, you've been avoiding me like a plague, even though I thought we were cool."

Maverick finds his eyes shooting down again, this time in guilt, knowing she wasn't wrong. "I'm sorry."

Jen shook her head. "Hey, I'm not mad. You know I understand. Seeing old flames can be...overwhelming."

"But you don't seem overwhelmed."

And he was right. But that still didn't mean he was completely right about her.

She takes a moment to study him, truly. The boy she once knew was gone, but not entirely. He just grew up and became more mature for his age. But despite the years, he still remained familiar in a way that comforts her. Because in her heart and mind, she really hoped that he never stopped being the person she loved long ago.

"Because it's you," she said. "It might have been years since I've seen you but from what I can tell, you're still the same Maverick I've known and loved, and I think that's the only thing that matters to me."

Maverick's heart skips a beat as a tender smile forms on his lips. "I hope so."

And to assure him, she hestinatly stepped closer, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know so."

He gives her a faint smile in return. And as her hand falls back to her side, she watches as Maverick hesitates, searching for the right words. "Hey I...if it's not too much to ask, I wanted to know when are you free next?"

Jen's face lights up slightly. "Why are you asking, Detective?"

Maverick tilts his head, a sheepish smile on his face at the new nickname. "You know why I'm asking."

"Oh, but you know I'm a woman who needs verbal confirmation."

He rolls his eyes, his grin widening but still keeping its sheepishness. "Well, like you said, we haven't seen each other in years. I want to catch up, and see who you've become...See if the Jen I knew is still there too."

Her grin grows bigger than before. But to keep him on his toes, she lightly punches his arm, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "I'll tell you eventually, Decker...Don't you worry."

⤵︎

LATER THAT EVENING, the family was cozied up on the couch as the trio of girls—Kat, Maya, and Kim—sat together in the bay window. The soft cushions cradled them, but it was the small gift in Kat's hand that had her distracted.

She was holding it as though it might disappear if she looked away too long, her fingers tracing the edges of the candy-cane wrapping paper as if to confirm that it was real.

Lucas had dropped it by earlier, just a few hours ago, leaving her a little stunned. And for a moment, she almost wondered if she was being pranked.

Riley, seated on her left, peered over with genuine intrigue. "What do you think it is?" she asked.

Kat leaned back, pressing her lips together as she glanced at the present again. "I have very low expectations, considering this is Lucas we're talking about."

Kim, sitting to her right, scoffed, giving Kat a playful shove. "Katherine, how many times do I have to tell you? It's not a prank gift."

"Yeah, well, I'm still recovering from that time someone's dad thought giving me pencils was a thoughtful gift," she shot a look at Riley, who couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

Riley grinned sheepishly. "Don't blame me. Blame the worst gift-giver ever."

Kat let out a short laugh, but her gaze fell back on the box. It was funny—she'd spent so many years keeping people at arm's length. And yet, here she was, staring at a gift from someone who, despite her best efforts, was starting to mean more to her than she liked to admit.

Just then, Jen walked by, curious about the girls, her eyes naturally falling on the gift Kat was holding. "What's that?" she asked.

Kim, ever the instigator, shot Kat a teasing grin. "A gift from her crush," she said.

Kat's face immediately turned an interesting shade of pink. "He's not my crush," she muttered, suddenly feeling flustered.

Riley grinned like a Cheshire cat. "He's totally her crush. It's so obvious, Aunt Jen."

Jen's lips curled into a pout, eyes widening with delight. "Aww, how cute! How long have you two known each other?"

"Since this year," Kat answered quickly, the words coming out in a rush, hoping to downplay the situation.

But before she could deflect any further, Maya chimed in from the side with her usual smirk. "You wanna know how they met?"

"Oh, no," Kat groaned, already anticipating the story that would follow.

Riley leaned in, practically bouncing in her seat. "She practically fell onto his lap on the subway!"

Jen's face softened. "Ohh? Isn't that so sweet? Seems like somebody's invisible string pulled them right into someone's arms, didn't they?"

Kat blinked, her mind briefly halting. "What?"

Jen hesitated for a moment, as though testing whether or not the girls would understand, before continuing. "Well, there's this old Japanese myth about soulmates," she began, her tone almost dreamlike. "It's said that soulmates are bound by a red string tied around their pinkies, and no matter where they are in the world, no matter what time or distance separates them, they will always find their way to each other."

The group fell into a quiet moment as the idea floated in the air between them, some of the girls intrigued, others skeptical, but Kat... she didn't know what to make of it. The concept felt sort-of unrealistic, but something about the idea—made her feel something from within.

"That's... interesting," Kat murmured, her voice softer than before.

Jen chuckled lightly, her eyes warm as she looked at Kat, almost as if she could see the wheels turning in her head. "Yeah? Well, who knows? Maybe that was life's way of pulling you into the arms of your soulmate?"

Kat raised a brow. "Don't you think I'm too young to have found my soulmate?"

Jen smiled, her gaze drifting toward Mav, who was sitting nearby. "No," she said, shaking her head. "From what I've learned, love doesn't care about time, sweetie. It shows up when it's ready, regardless of when we think we're ready."

Kat stared at her, that same feeling flickering bubbling inside her. And for once, she didn't try to hide it behind a snarky comment. She simply let it sit with her for a moment.

"Anyways, I got you something too." Jen reached into her bag, pulling out a small, neatly wrapped box, and handed it over to Kat. "Someone told me you don't always like the mushy stuff, but you're now apart of my family now, kid."

Kat blinked, surprised by the gesture, but then cracked a small smile. "How'd you even know what to get me?"

Jen returned the gesture. "From your godmother."

Kat's heart warmed at the mention of her godmother. "Thank you," she said, her voice almost breaking in its sincerity.

Jen shrugged. "You're welcome, kid." She tousled Kat's hair lightly, making the girl laugh.

And for the first time in a long time, Kat let herself believe that maybe, just maybe, love didn't care about time. It was something that could show up when you least expected it.

⤵︎

     "SO LISTEN," SHAWN declared, shrugging into his jacket, already halfway out the door. "I've got an assignment next weekend in upstate New York." He threw a glance over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips. "It's beautiful up there."

"We're gonna miss you, Shawn," Cory admitted, sincerity in his voice.

"Well, maybe not. 'Cause I was thinking..." Shawn's gaze turns to the kids, patting Riley's back. "Maybe you guys might wanna come?"

"All of us?" Auggie asks, walking up to him.

Shawn grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Riley hesitated for a beat, lost in thought. "You know..."

"Here it comes," Cory commented amid her thinking.

"I never go anywhere without my best friends."

And hearing that, Maya and Kat exchanged knowing smiles.

"We wouldn't want it any other way, Riles," Kat smiled while sitting on the edge of the couch with Riley.

Topanga, watching the moment unfold, nodded approvingly. "And that's not a bad way to grow up."

Riley turned to Maya with a hopeful glint. "So...Maybe you would like to invite Maya?"

Shawn feigned deep contemplation. "Oh, you mean her?" He smirked before softening. "Oh, what do you say, kid? You wanna come?"

Maya ducked her head, a rare sheepish smile forming. "Yeah...that would be very nice."

Kim chuckled as her eyes wandered to Josh. "Oh, and on my behalf, I guess you can come if you want to, Headache."

He mirrored her playful tone with a smirk on his lips. "Okay, Trouble...Whatever you say."

Kat groaned, dragging out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Oh...god."

lani's talking!

first update of this book this YEAR y'all

katherine decker is BACK (hopefully)

also if there's any grammatical errors, pls just ignore them I just wanted to get this chapter out of the way 😭😭

but as always, thank you all for the support you've given me with this story, it really means a lot. and I will see you all next chapter!

byeeee <333