The soft glow of morning sunlight filtered through the blinds as I slowly stirred from sleep. My body felt heavy, like I was wrapped in a cloud of comfort, but the faint ache in my leg reminded me of the boot I had to wear. I blinked a few times, trying to fully wake up as the sounds of soft laughter and clinking from the kitchen reached my ears.

James' voice echoed through the hallway. "You sure about this, Arthur? You're trusting me in the kitchen again after the disaster last night?"

Arthur's laugh followed, full of amusement. "You're not allowed to touch the flour this time, Jamie."

Sitting up on the couch I slightly winced, the boot was painfully digging into my thigh but I didn't want to worry them more. "Hey, sorellina, you awake?" Theo's voice broke through my thoughts as he walked into the living room. ''mhm, I'm okay'' I gave him a small smile trying to cover up the pain I had felt a few seconds ago. He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes ''you can always tell us when you're hurting, you know that right? I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Theo seemed to let it go for now, though the look on his face told me he wasn't entirely convinced. Without another word, he crossed the room and effortlessly scooped me up into his arms.

"Theo!" I protested weakly, though I didn't fight him.

"Relax," he said, adjusting me so I was more comfortable. "You're lighter than you think. Just let me help."

I wrapped my legs around his middle, my arms curling loosely around his neck like a koala, I rested my head in the crook of his neck.

Before Theo could open the door, James stormed through the door, he was covered in flour again, white dust clinging to his hair and clothes like he'd just stepped out of a bakery explosion. I let out a small chuckle hiding my face into Theo's chest.

"Guess what, everyone?" he announced, as if the world was about to hear the best news ever. "I might just be the world's best pancake maker!" Theo shook his head, his lips quirking into a small smile as he glanced down at me. "Yeah, after last night's cookie disaster," Arthur added dryly, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed.

Luca walked into the kitchen with a neat suit. His eyes widened slightly as he took in the mess James had created. Without a word, he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a slow, controlled exhale, as if he were summoning all his patience

. ''James, come here buddy'' he said as he grabbed a towel from the rack. He grabbed a towel from the rack and began wiping James' flour-covered face with the precision of someone cleaning up after a toddler. James squirmed, making exaggerated faces of protest, Luca didn't seem impressed at this.

Arthur rolled his eyes "Let's just hope the pancakes are edible. If not, I'm ordering takeout." James made a mocking hurt face holding his hands up in surrender.

"I'll settle for something less messy," I muttered, glancing at James who was already grabbing plates. Theo finally set me down on one of the barstools, his hand lingering on my shoulder for a moment as if to make sure I was steady. Luca moved to the counter, grabbing a bowl and some yogurt along with a handful of raspberries. He placed them in front of me with a small smile.

"Here you go, piccola," he said, his voice softening as he handed me a spoon. "Thanks," I murmured, returning his smile.

As if on cue, Ace walked into the kitchen, his flannel pajama pants and gray hoodie making him look like he'd just rolled out of bed. Without saying a word, he walked over to James, smacked the back of his head lightly, and then grabbed a stack of pancakes for himself.

"Hey! Those are mine!" James protested, waving his spatula in mock outrage.

Ace raised an eyebrow, his expression unimpressed. "You made enough for an army. Calm down, Jamie."

''They are still mine'' Luca exhaled dramatically, I watched them, a smile tugging at my lips.

The sound of clattering dishes filled the air as everyone dug into breakfast. Luca's neatly arranged yogurt bowl sat untouched beside me as he took a phone call, pacing near the window. I wanted to know what he did for his work, it seemed interesting. Ace suddenly spoke up. "We're going out later."

''Out where?'' I asked a bit nervously. "Just a drive. You need fresh air, and James needs to burn off all that energy before he destroys another kitchen."

James gasped again, louder this time. "You wound me, brother! I am a culinary artist!"

Ace ignored him, turning his attention back to me. "We'll take it easy. No stairs, no running, and definitely no flour fights." His tone was concerned but it sounded playfull at the same time.

As the morning wore on, the kitchen slowly emptied. Luca left for his meeting, James retreated to clean himself up finally, and Ace disappeared to who-knows-where. That left me alone with Theo and Arthur, who seemed content to lounge around for a while longer.

Arthur's gaze settled on me, his expression thoughtful. "You doing okay, cece?" he asked, his voice quiet.

I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I think I'm starting to get used to all of this."

Theo smiled at that, his hand ruffling my hair affectionately. "Good. Because you're stuck with us now."

I laughed softly, the sound surprising even me. "I think I'm okay with that."