Although the Blanks were family, they might as well have come from different planets compared to Daria and her immediate circle. So when Leslie arrived in church dressed like a boy, Daria knew any whispers or reputational fallout would remain safely contained within the Blanks’ orbit.

Daria and Leslie were close in age and had attended White Eagle Academy together, yet their paths rarely crossed outside of forced family gatherings. Daria had always found Leslie’s fierce commitment to female empowerment jarring, almost militant. Leslie spoke openly about smashing the patriarchy, spoke of equality in casual conversation, and treated marriage as little more than a gilded cage designed to limit women’s ambitions. To Leslie, equality meant rejecting every traditional expectation placed on women: cooking, submission, and even the quiet performance of femininity. Daria, by contrast, dreamed of a different future. She looked forward to becoming a wife and mother with genuine longing. She loved the idea of building a warm home, hosting holidays, raising children who felt secure and loved.

She saw beauty in the old rhythms: a husband who provided, a wife who nurtured, roles that complemented rather than competed. Where Leslie saw oppression, Daria saw harmony. Where Leslie demanded to be seen as equal in every arena, Daria wanted to be cherished in the ones that mattered most to her.

“What on earth is up with Leslie? Is she finally coming out,” Madison whispered to Daria.

“I doubt it,” Daria replied quietly. “Daria,” her mother said, softly touching her back. “Go ahead and find your seat. I need to speak to your grandfather for a minute.”

“Yes, Mom,” Daria replied. She and Madison slipped away down the aisle toward their usual pew. Once seated, Daria let her mind drift. Exhaustion tugged at her eyelids. She had barely slept, having snuck out to meet Frankie.

To stretch the night longer with Zion, Madison had convinced M.J. to borrow Frankie’s electric scooter and give Daria a quiet ride home.

The plan had been reckless: tires humming over dark streets, heart hammering every time a car’s headlights swept past, but Madison had sworn she would cover for Daria the next time their positions flipped.

So Daria had agreed. She had slipped through her bedroom window just before dawn, shoes in hand, and collapsed into bed without waking anyone.