Leslie and I had a unique relationship, and I was upfront about Frankie from the start. She seemed to understand, and over our three years together, she grew close to him. Everything was going smoothly until we started discussing moving in together.

One night, while looking at real estate listings, I joked about how Frankie would be our practice child. We dreamed of a home with space for a pool, future children, and our creative studios. Leslie laughed at first but then made a serious comment about Frankie not coming with us. I was shocked and dismissed it as a joke, but her serious expression said otherwise.

Despite the closeness Leslie and Frankie had developed, her sudden stance on not wanting Frankie to move in with us left me bewildered and hurt. Our dream of a shared future now seemed uncertain and fraught with unexpected challenges.