Riley chuckled as he stepped out of the carriage, helping Eve down gently. "Did you all miss me that much?"
"No," one wife said with mock seriousness. "We missed the peace and quiet."
The group burst into laughter again, warm and familiar.
Eve was pulled into a dozen hugs at once, kissed on the cheeks, her hair ruffled, her shoulders squeezed.
There was no resentment—only joy. She had earned her place, and they were happy to have her.
"You look different," one wife said softly as they sat together in the garden later that evening. "Brighter. Stronger."
"I feel different," Eve admitted, her hand resting over her heart. "He gave me everything. And I gave it all back."
The other wives nodded in understanding.
It wasn't always easy, loving the same man.
But when that man was Riley—when he gave his heart so completely to each of them—it wasn't a burden. It was a blessing.
And Eve, once just a hopeful girl waiting in the background, was now a shining part of that blessing.
