Shelley stood in the middle of her living room and exhaled slowly, taking in the miracle before her: a clean house. Actually clean. Toys in bins. Floors swept. No sticky handprints on the walls. The kids were all at school or daycare, and for the first time in what felt like years, she had silence.

  Her phone buzzed on the coffee table.

  **Unknown Number:** *Update on Gingersnap case. First attempt unsuccessful. Subject fled scene. Second attempt in progress. Will keep you informed. - Fox, Child Support Enforcement*

  Shelley stared at the message, her stomach doing a weird flip. Part relief, part anxiety, part something else she didn't want to name.

  She needed to talk to someone.

  Without thinking, she grabbed her phone and walked next door to Tanya's pce. She knocked twice, waited, heard nothing. The door was unlocked—it usually was—so she pushed it open and stepped inside.

  "Tanya?" she called out. "You home?"

  Silence. Then, faintly, from the back of the apartment—a moan. A man's voice, low and urgent. The rhythmic creak of a bed frame.

  Shelley froze, her face flushing. "Oh shit, I'm sorry—" She turned to leave.

  "Shells?"

  Tanya appeared in the hallway, completely naked, her skin still flushed and glistening. She didn't look embarrassed—she never did—just mildly surprised.

  "Girl, what's up?" Tanya walked toward her casually, like nudity was just another outfit. "Everything okay?"

  "I—yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt—" Shelley held up her phone like a shield. "I just got this message and I wanted to show you, but you're busy, so—"

  "Let me see." Tanya took the phone, scrolling through the text. Her expression shifted—focused, calcuting. "So they're still trying to catch him. Good."

  "Good?" Shelley's voice wavered. "I don't know, Tee. Maybe this is a mistake. What if it's not even his? What if I'm just—"

  Tanya stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Shelley, pulling her into a hug. Shelley stiffened for a second—Tanya was naked and warm and very, very close—but then she rexed into it.

  "Don't worry, girl," Tanya murmured against her ear. "You need this. You deserve this."

  Shelley pulled back slightly, looking into her friend's eyes. "But what if—"

  Tanya kissed her. Soft at first, then deeper, her hands sliding up to cup Shelley's face. Shelley kissed her back—they'd hooked up before, more than once—and felt some of the tension drain from her body.

  When they broke apart, Tanya's hands had started to wander, sliding down Shelley's sides, fingers tracing the hem of her shirt.

  "Tee..." Shelley's voice was breathless. "I thought you were with someone."

  "I am." Tanya grinned. "Bill's still back there."

  "Bill?" Shelley blinked, recognition dawning. Bill—the guy Tanya hooked up with sometimes. The one who was good with his hands and better with his—

  "That's the one." Tanya's hands moved to the button of Shelley's jeans. "He said to ask if you want to share."

  Shelley's heart pounded. Her mind raced—the message about Genji, the stress of 12 kids and one on the way, the uncertainty of everything. She thought about the tight knot of anxiety that had been sitting in her chest for weeks now.

  Maybe a good toe-curling orgasm would help her rex.

  "I don't know..." she said, but even as the words left her mouth, she could feel herself leaning into Tanya's touch.

  "Come on, Shells." Tanya leaned in, her lips brushing Shelley's neck. "It's not like you haven't had him before. We both have." She pulled back, meeting Shelley's eyes, a knowing smile on her face. "And you know he's good."

  Shelley exhaled slowly. Tanya was right. Bill *was* good. And God, she was stressed. When was the st time she'd done something just for herself? Just to feel good?

  "You're sure he's okay with it?"

  "Girl, he is a man." Tanya grinned. "Stop overthinking everything. Let us take care of you."

  Shelley bit her lip, then felt herself smile. "Okay. Yeah. Fuck it."

  Tanya's grin widened. She took Shelley's hand, warm and certain. "That's my girl."

  Tanya smiled and led her down the hallway toward the bedroom, where Bill was waiting.

  The door clicked shut behind them.