Noah clarifies, replacing his glasses, "I'm just saying the current situation isn't sustainable. Something has to change."
Jack sinks back into the armchair, his earlier anger deflating into exhaustion. "This is insane. You realize that, right? What you're proposing goes against everything society considers normal or acceptable."
"So did interracial marriage once," Noah points out. "So did same-sex marriage. Society's definition of acceptable relationships has evolved before. It can evolve again."
"That's different," Jack argues weakly.
"How?" I press. "Because it makes you uncomfortable? Because you can't wrap your head around the idea that maybe, just maybe, there's more than one way to love someone?"
Jack doesn't answer. He stares at his beer bottle like it holds the secrets of the universe.
Noah leans forward, his elbows on his knees. "What would this even look like? Logistically, I mean. We all just show up at her apartment whenever we want? Take turns? Schedule time slots?"
"I don't know," I admit. "I haven't figured out all the details. But we're intelligent adults. We can work it out together."
"And what about the professional implications?" Jack asks. "We all work at the same school. People already gossip about Mia. If they find out about this arrangement, it'll destroy all of us. Especially her."
The silence stretches. I can see both men wrestling with the idea, their expressions cycling through doubt, fear, and something that might be hope.
Finally, Noah speaks. "What if we present this to Mia and she says no? What if she thinks we're insane?"
"Then we respect her decision," I say simply. "But at least we gave her the option. At least we tried to find a solution that doesn't require her to choose."
Jack stands and walks to the window, staring out at the darkening street. "I never thought I'd be having this conversation. Never imagined I'd even consider something like this."
"Neither did I," Noah admits.
"And if we do this," Jack says slowly, still facing the window, "if we actually propose this arrangement to her and she agrees, what then? We just pretend everything is normal at school? Act like we're not all sleeping with the same woman?"
"We maintain professional boundaries at work," I suggest. "Same as we're supposed to be doing now. The difference is we're not competing or lying to each other."
Jack turns to face us, his expression unreadable. "You really think this could work?"
"I think it's worth trying," I say honestly. “It’s better than what we're putting her through."
Jack's shoulders sag slightly, the fight draining out of him. "This is the most insane thing I've ever considered. You both know that, right?"
"Acknowledged," I say with a slight smile.
"And if it blows up in our faces, we're all screwed."
"Also acknowledged."
Jack looks between Noah and me, something shifting in his expression. "But if it works, if we can actually make this arrangement function, Mia gets to keep all of us. No guilt. No choosing."
"Exactly," I confirm.
Another long silence falls. I can practically see the gears turning in Jack's head as he weighs the risks against the potential rewards.
"Okay," he finally says, the word barely above a whisper. "Okay. We ask her."
Relief floods through me so intensely my knees almost buckle. "You're serious?"
"I'm serious." Jack meets my eyes, then Noah's. "But we do this right. We sit down with her, explain what we're proposing, and make it clear she has complete autonomy. No pressure. No guilt. If she says no, we respect that."
"Agreed," Noah says immediately.
"Agreed," I echo.