You wander the world with a vision of what life could be
But then the years come and teach you to just wait and see
Forces may try to pull us apart
But nothing can phase me if you're in my heart

Crossing our fingers, singing a song
We're making it up as we go along
Through the highs and lows
We'll be right, we'll be wrong
We're making it up as we go along

And there will be days
We won't know which way to go
But we'll take it higher
You're all I desire
When the going gets tough
When push comes to shove
We're making it up
'Cause we got love

We got love
Oh, we got love
We got love
Baby, we got...
Will&Nico

It was one of those lazy Sunday afternoons in Westview where nothing seemed to make sense, and everything felt just a bit too surreal. The house was its usual chaotic mess, with toys scattered across the floor, the faint sound of kids bickering echoing from upstairs.

Nico was sprawled out on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. He'd given up trying to clean up the disaster zone of a living room, defeated by the two new additions to their lives: Maria and Lee.

Across from Nico, Will sat hunched over, his legs propped up on the coffee table. His work suit from earlier that day was long gone, replaced by the same half-drunk beer bottle he'd been holding for what felt like hours. His head tilted slightly to the side, the TV blaring some ridiculous sitcom that Nico wasn't even sure they were supposed to be watching.

Nico sighed and turned up the volume a little, as if the TV could drown out the chaotic noise of their lives.

"TV's overrated," Will remarked and raised the beer bottle to his lips, tilting it with a half-empty glug. "This, on the other hand..." Nico pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a quiet groan.

"Will, you can't keep doing this. We have—" Before Nico could finish, the sound of tiny feet thundering down the stairs interrupted him. The twins, Maria and Lee, stormed into the living room, arms flailing as they shrieked in laughter.

"Gotcha, Maria!" Lee shouted, chasing after his sister. "No fair, Lee! You cheated!" Maria yelled, lunging at him with a doll in hand, only to miss and crash into the coffee table.

Will barely moved, still staring at the TV, as if they weren't even there. Nico rubbed his temples. "Will, could you at least—" Will raised his hand, lazily flicking it toward the kids without looking. "Let them be, Nico. They're just kids. Chaos is their thing."

Nico watched in disbelief as Maria pulled down the family photo from the wall, while Lee attempted to scale the back of the couch like a monkey. "They're our kids, Will. This isn't normal."

Will finally turned to look at him, his eyes slightly glazed. "Normal? What's normal, Nico? Somehow everything feels more like... well, I don't know what."

The front door creaked open, and Minos stepped into the living room, cigarette in hand, looking entirely too smug for someone who'd had to deal with this chaos every other day.

"Minos," Nico greeted with a tight smile.

Minos flicked his cigarette into the ashtray and glanced at the destruction around them. "Just checking in. Kids still running the asylum?"

Nico gestured toward the kids. "As if they ever stopped."

Minos nodded toward the twins. "Want me to take them out to the park for a bit? Let you and Will have some... alone time?"

Nico blinked, his mind catching up to Minos's words.

Will, who had been sitting so still, finally stirred at the sound of Minos's voice. He looked up, his eyebrows furrowed, as if trying to piece together what was happening. "No," Will said, though his voice was a little hesitant. "That won't be necessary."

Minos gave him a curious look, his smile turning sharper. "You sure? You guys look like you need a break."

"No Minos. We can handle it," Will said, frowning.

Minos blinked confused. He turned towards Nico. "Do you want me to take it up from the top?"

"What?" Will's scowled as he slowly stood up.

"D...Do you want me to do it again, or...?"

"Do what again?" Will asked, inching closer to Minos.

Nico, who could feel the tension creeping up his spine, quickly stepped in. "It's fine, Minos. Really. You can handle the kids."

Minos tilted his head, smirking. "Sure, Nico. I'll handle them." He turned toward the twins and called out, "Kids, let's hit the park!" Maria and Lee stopped mid-fight, glancing up at Minos like he'd just offered them candy.

"Park?" Lee asked, his face lighting up. Minos gave a knowing grin. "Yep. Playground. The whole shebang."

Maria hesitated for a moment before scampering after Minos, who ushered them out the door.

Nico turned back to Will, who was now watching the door with a dazed expression. He plopped back down on the couch, his head tilting as though he was lost in thought.

Nico sat down beside him, a nervous knot forming in his stomach. "Will? You okay?"

Will took a deep breath and stared at the TV, though the picture flickering on the screen didn't seem to register in his mind. "I don't know, Nico. I... I feel like I'm losing something. Something important."

Nico frowned, his heart sinking. "Losing what?"

Will hesitated before answering. "I don't remember anything before Westview. I can't even remember who I am."

Nico's breath hitched. "What do you mean you don't remember?" Will turned to face him, his eyes searching for answers that weren't there.

"I've asked around. Neighbors, coworkers, everyone. They get scared when I ask them about my past. They... they don't tell me anything. They just act like I'm crazy and change the subject."

Nico swallowed hard, the tension thickening. "No one avoids you, Will. You're just—"

"They do," Will interrupted, his voice sharp. "They avoid me, Nico. Like... I'm not supposed to know."

Nico couldn't find the words. His mind raced. Will's gaze bore into him.

"It's like I don't belong here. Like I'm not supposed to be in this life."

"No, no," Nico said quickly, his voice breaking. "You're my husband. The father of our kids. That's enough, right?"

Will stared at him, his expression unreadable. "But what if it's not?"

Nico felt a lump in his throat as tears stung his eyes. "Of course it's enough. It has to be."

Will dropped his head into his hands, his body trembling slightly. "I don't know who I am anymore." Nico reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're Will. My husband. The father of Lee and Maria. That's all that matters, right?"

Will's head snapped up, his expression anguished. "Is it?" Before Nico could respond, there was a knock at the door.

Will looked at him, his eyes narrow with suspicion. "It's not me," Nico said quickly. "I swear."

Will sighed and got up to open the door. A woman stood outside. Dark hair, olive-toned skin, beady eyes, wearing something that didn't belong here. Her grin was unsettling as she stepped into their home.

"How's it going, brother?" she asked, her voice dripping with something Will couldn't place.

Nico's breath caught. "Bianca?"

The woman's grin only widened. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"