"You are who now?" Tina repeated, her voice barely a thread in the hushed stillness of the bedroom. She stared at Selina, her hand hovering over the key still protruding from the deadbolt, as though waiting for the walls to burst out laughing at some cruel, absurd joke.

Selina took a gentle step forward, closing the distance between them, and laid her warm hands over Tina’s trembling fingers. "I know how impossible it sounds. Please, Tina. Sit down with me."

Tina let out a shaky breath, offering no resistance as Selina guided her toward the edge of the plush bed. Her gaze remained fixed on Selina’s face, searching desperately for...