---- 19 "Garrett, I..." My voice trembled, my heart in complete chaos. The words stuck in my throat. How could I respond to something so unexpected, so earth-shattering? Garrett gently took my hand, his fingers warm and steady against my cold ones. His tone was infinitely tender. "T didn't want to scare you, so I planned to wait until you grew up to confess. But then you left and never came back, making me wait all these years." His thumb traced circles on my palm, a gesture that suddenly felt different from before. "Every day you were gone, I wondered if I'd waited too long. If I'd lost my chance forever." My mind was completely blank, unable to process this revelation. "But... but you're my brother," I whispered, the words ---- feeling strange on my tongue. "Not by blood," he said quietly. "Never by blood, Sage. " lasked quietly, my voice barely audible, "But Garrett, Mom and Dad won't approve of this... will they?" Garrett smiled, and for the first time, I noticed how his eyes softened when he looked at me. Had they always done that? "Before you came back, I already told them about my feelings for you. They're very supportive." My eyes widened in shock. "You told them?" "Actually, when we were little and they saw how much I spoiled you, they mentioned that they hoped someday we might become mates. They said it would make them happy to see us together." Istill couldn't believe it. The foundation of everything I thought I knew was crumbling. "Tneed to hear this from them," I said firmly. ---- Garrett nodded without hesitation. "Of course." He simply took me home to ask our parents directly. When we walked into the living room hand in hand, Mom looked up from her knitting with a knowing smile. "Mom, Dad," I began hesitantly, "Garrett told me something today that I need to confirm." Dad set down his newspaper, his expression gentle but unsurprised. "About his feelings for you?" Mom asked kindly. Inodded, unable to speak. "Oh, sweetheart," Mom said, standing to embrace me. "We've been waiting for this conversation for years." "Really?" I whispered against her shoulder. Dad joined us, his voice warm. "Sage, your brother has been so good to you since childhood. The way he looks at you, the way he protects you... we'd feel most