Episode Title: "Fresh Start, Messy Finish"

Episode Title: "Fresh Start, Messy Finish"

Kate had never imagined her life would turn out like this—married to a much older man, Pete, with two ex-wives and three kids. But here she was, standing in their kitchen, attempting to prove that she could be the responsible stepmother and perfect wife.

The morning had started with chaos. Diane, Pete’s first ex-wife, had barged into the house unannounced, listing off a strict schedule for their twin boys. Meanwhile, Jackie, the eccentric second ex-wife, had left a voice note about some emergency involving a parrot and yoga retreat. Kate had barely processed it all before Pete kissed her on the forehead and rushed out the door.

Left alone with the kids, Kate realized she needed to get breakfast ready. With the twins arguing over who got the last waffle and Hillary, Pete’s teenage daughter, ignoring them all while scrolling through her phone, Kate decided to make something herself. She pulled out a cookbook, determined to prove she could handle this.

Fifteen minutes later, smoke filled the kitchen. The pancakes had burned, and the blender, which she’d used for a smoothie, had exploded berries everywhere. Hillary finally looked up from her phone. “You know we have cereal, right?”

Kate groaned, fanning the smoke away, just as Diane returned, her arms crossed. “What did you do?” she asked in her usual disapproving tone. Before Kate could respond, Jackie called, insisting she needed Kate’s help at her juice bar. “It’s an emergency, Katie! The juicer broke, and I can’t make my organic kale cleanse. People are panicking.”

Kate hesitated. Diane gave her a pointed look. “You can’t just run away from responsibility every time things get tough.”

Kate knew she was right, but she also knew that if she stayed here, Diane would keep criticizing her every move. So she grabbed her bag and bolted.

At the juice bar, Jackie was a whirlwind of chaos. “Kate! Thank God. I need you to serve smoothies. You know, bonding time.” She handed Kate an apron and disappeared.

Kate sighed and stepped behind the counter. Within minutes, she realized she had no idea how to use the register, let alone make a smoothie. She pressed random buttons, hoping for the best. “How hard could it be?” she muttered.

The answer: very.

She overloaded the blender, sending a spray of green sludge across the counter. The machine sputtered and died. Jackie reappeared at that exact moment, gasping in horror. “Kate! That was my backup juicer!”

Kate wiped her forehead, exhausted. “I’m going to be fired from a job I don’t even have.”

Jackie grinned. “Oh, sweetie. You can’t get fired. You work for family!”

By the time Kate got home, she was covered in kale, berry juice, and regret. Pete was waiting for her. “Rough day?”

Kate collapsed onto the couch. “Define ‘rough.’”

He laughed, pulling her into a hug. “Welcome to the family.”

the end goodbye forever

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