The call came just past noon. Shawn's phone buzzed insistently on the counter, and when he picked up, it was Alice on the other end—her voice shaky, strained with emotion.
"Shawn… It's Aaron. He's been in a terrible accident. They say it's bad. Really bad."
Time stopped for a second. Aaron—his best friend since childhood, his brother in all the ways that counted—was clinging to life.
Shawn stood frozen, phone still pressed to his ear even after the call ended. Naledi was taken out to play, and the moment their eyes met, she knew something was wrong.
"What happened?" she asked, coming to him.
"It's Aaron," he said quietly. "He's in critical condition."
Naledi's face softened with concern. "You have to go," she said without hesitation. "I'll stay with the kids."
Shawn didn't argue. Within the hour, he was at the hospital. The sterile antiseptic scent hit him as he walked through the double doors. He spotted Alice first, trying her best to comfort Melissa, who looked completely shattered. Her face was pale, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
They barely spoke, just exchanged a glance of shared sorrow.
Then, after what felt like a lifetime, a doctor emerged. His face was lined with exhaustion and sympathy.
"He's asking for you," the doctor told Shawn. "He's awake—but he doesn't have much time."
Inside the room, Aaron lay frail and bruised, barely able to move. But his eyes still had that familiar spark, even if dulled by pain.
"Hey," Aaron whispered.
Shawn took his hand, fighting back tears. "Hey, man."
Aaron didn't waste time. "Remember what you promised me? Not only my wife but also my Caroline"
Shawn nodded. Of course, he remembered. He'd promised Aaron he'd look after his family if anything ever happened.
"I will," Shawn said, his throat tight. "I promise."
Aaron's hand squeezed his weakly, and with a faint, peaceful smile, he let go.
Melissa collapsed into her mother's arms when the news came. Caroline, wide-eyed and innocent, tugged at her mother's sleeve.
"Why is Daddy sleeping?"
No one could answer her.
The funeral was a blur. Melissa stopped functioning. She barely ate, barely spoke, simply moved through her grief like a ghost. Alice tried to hold things together, but with Caroline constantly sick and Melissa drowning in depression, it was too much.
Shawn stepped in, doing what he could. He understood the pain. He'd lived it before. He consoled Melissa, sat with her in silence, and helped when she cried in the middle of the night.
Naledi, trying to ease Alice's burden, took care of Caroline. At first, it felt right. But soon, it began to wear her down.
Melissa found every excuse to lean on Shawn. Every minor task turned into a reason to call him, visit him, and disrupt the life he shared with Naledi. Flowers stopped coming. Date nights were postponed again and again until they just stopped.
Shawn was always busy, always helping Melissa.
Then, one night, Naledi cooked a meal for everyone. Caroline, overeager and fidgety, choked while eating too fast. Panic spread, but it passed quickly.
But Melissa's reaction was sharp and accusatory. She stood up, shouting, "You tried to poison my daughter!"
That was the last straw.
Naledi snapped. "You need to stop acting like this and stop trying to steal my husband! Maybe focus on your issues for once!"
The room went silent, Caroline began crying, and Melissa left in tears. To everyone else, Naledi looked like the villain.
That night, Shawn slept in the guest room. They fought. Hard.
"You're being too much," he told her coldly. "Melissa just lost her husband."
"She's not the only one who lost someone," Naledi shouted. "I'm losing you!"
But Shawn didn't hear it. Or maybe he chose not to.
He stopped bringing Melissa and Caroline over. Instead, he took Lincoln and Tiana to her house. They spent more and more time there, as if they were a family. Without Naledi.
It broke her.
Max found her crying one afternoon and held her as she finally let it all out.
Then, one day, Melissa came to the house. No one else was home. She came in softly, said she wanted to apologize. But it didn't take long before the smugness slipped in, her tone dripping with superiority and veiled insults.
Naledi saw red.
"You will never have him," she spat. "No matter how hard you try."
Then, without thinking, she slapped Melissa.
That's when the back door opened.
Shawn. Lincoln. Tiana.
All had walked in at that moment.
Tiana screamed and ran to Melissa, crying.
Naledi tried to explain, but before she could finish a sentence, Shawn slapped her. The force of it knocked her to the ground, her lip bleeding.
"Stop acting like a child," he said coldly. "Grow up."
Melissa smirked behind him.
He didn't look back as he left with Melissa.
Later that night, there was a soft knock on Naledi's door. Lincoln walked in with a first aid kit. He quietly patched her lip.
She was still crying when he finished.
He looked at her and said simply, "You need to stop revolving your whole world around Dad. Find yourself again."
And just like that, it broke her.
That's when Naledi realized—she had lost everything.