OSCAILTE

She can’t help but wonder: why won’t they just go home?

Brynmar - Summer 2026

Brynmar is the kind of small town you can drive through in seven minutes, five if you’re motivated. There’s not much to see, and Brynmar is perfectly fine with that. The houses are cute, the kind of cute that doesn’t ask for attention but still gets it.

Her:The American Dawn

Father and son Goth settle into a very serious afternoon of reading at the library. Same posture. Same grip on the book. Same expression. Same focus. Copy-and-paste.

At the Curious House, the family carries on in their daily routines. Toddler walks outside, toddler walks inside. Outside. Inside. Every. Single. Day.

A rain puddle settles on the roof, forming an almost perfect heart. A reassuring sign that all is well in that household.

Because Jared is stuck working at one of his part-time jobs, Connor returns his niece to where she rightfully belongs — with her mother. Claire graciously invites Connor to lunch, relieved her daughter returned fully intact.

Connor sees it’s sushi for lunch and leaves immediately. No argument. No discussion. No goodbyes. Just a quiet, non-dramatic exit. Some people have standards. He was some people.

Morgana sits down to a beautiful plate of dumplings delivered piping hot from her favorite restaurant. She's been dreaming of this meal all day.

Virginia chooses this exact moment to scream with the passion of a baby who believes she should have her mother’s full attention at all times. Virginia’s demands are simple: be held immediately or else! Morgana takes another bite, refusing to rush her meal. She is determined to finish lunch. Virginia is determined she will not.

Virginia issues one final warning. Morgana wisely complies, responding to the wee tyrant who believes she exists primarily for holding, admiration, and the strict enforcement of uninterrupted audience attention, with zero tolerance for disengagement.

Virginia tries to grab Morgan's face with a determined baby grip. Who knew tiny humans came with such impressive strength?

After a while, Morgana sets her down and heads to the computer to get some work done.

Not much later, Mr. Wolff arrives home and makes a beeline for the baby's room. He scoops his daughter up, plays with her…

kisses her..

and blows raspberries on her tummy with the enthusiasm of making up for lost time. Lost time being the five hours he'd been at work.

He even offers her a bottle — which she absolutely did not ask for. She takes a few polite sips before refusing,

so he rocks her gently, staring down into her perfect little face.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opens. Thornton freezes. Morgana, not realizing he was home — and holding their baby, no less — stands awkwardly in the room.

Thornton mumbles something about hearing the baby cry while putting Virginia oh so carefully in the crib. Morgana, behind him, does a tiny happy dance she hopes he doesn’t see. She is thrilled — thrilled, that he’s taking an interest in the baby.

Thornton, hoping to throw Morgana off the scent of doting father, pulls her into a tender hug. Both of their eyes closed in a moment of shared happiness.

Later, Mrs. Wolff naps on the bed in Virginia’s room while the baby lies in her crib, eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling and taking in the world with that calm, unblinking baby stare. She was definitely going to like it here.

Skip Broke also wants answers. He tries asking roommate Kirstin Law, but she ignores him as per usual. So, Skip marches over to investigate the visitor himself.

Without any introduction, he barges straight into his sister’s conversation.

“Hey mister, are you a doctor?” Skip blurts out, absolutely certain he’s onto something.

Why does Skip think Morgan is a doctor? Maybe it’s the hour. Because doctors make house calls? “Yeah, you, mister. Are you a doctor?” he repeats, doubling down like this is an interrogation.

Morgan blinks at him, confused. “No, I’m not a doctor. I’m a Scorpio, kid.”

And with that, Morgan suddenly decides he needs to leave — immediately. “Gotta run, Ruby,” he says, already halfway to the door.

Then, out of nowhere, Morgan gets the full‑body heebie‑jeebies, his nose wrinkling in disgust as if he smelled a foul odor.

Skip, relentless, chases after him. “Hey mister, wait!”

Something about Kirstin Law hits him the exact opposite of right, despite the fact he has never interacted with her in his life. His face twists, his shoulders tense, fighting the urge to shudder. He makes the thumbs down sign. A gesture he deploys whenever his soul whispers, this is wrong — wrong, dirty, and wrong.

Morgan bolts down the stairs with Skip in hot pursuit.

“Hey mister, wanna play tag?” Skip calls, as if this is the natural next step in a conversation.

But, committed to escape, Morgan is. Escape, he must.

He summons his car, which thankfully appears, and he dives inside like a man on fire.

He drives off with relief, successfully escaping both Kirstin Law’s bad aura and Ruby’s pesk of a little brother. Doctor? Please. He was so much better than a doctor.