Pāhonoa te oro

I used to believe in mates. That was the stupidest thing about me. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, fingers tightening around the edge of my desk. Soft features. Too soft, they used to say. Easy to control. Easy to break. My last relationship proved them right. A sharp knock broke through my thoughts. “Matt.” My shoulders stiffened. “What?” The door opened anyway. Of course it did. My mother never waited for permission. Lillian stepped in, perfectly composed as always, like she h