The Collection of Hearts

Andrew settled into the worn leather armchair across from his sister Madison, the familiar creak of the furniture mingling with the soft patter of rain against the window. She cradled her mug of tea with both hands, watching him with undisguised curiosity.

"So you just... what, collect them?" Madison asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Andrew shook his head. "It's not collecting. It's saving. There's a difference."

"Okay, okay." She leaned forward. "So tell me. How did this even start? How did you meet each of them?"

He exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting toward the window. "Kelly was first. About three years after... after my own wedding didn't happen." He swallowed, but the old bitterness had faded to a dull ache. "She was this professional runner, training for the Olympics. Her fiancé was her coach. Turns out he was sleeping with one of her teammates. I possessed her the night before the wedding, and when I felt how broken she was inside..." He paused. "I couldn't just leave her like that. The bond formed before I even understood what it was."

Madison's expression softened. "And she didn't freak out when she realized what happened?"

"Kelly said she'd never felt so cared for in her life. She said whatever magic happened between us, it felt like coming home." He shrugged. "She's the one who started the groupchat, actually."

"Wait, really?"

Andrew smiled slightly. "She said she wanted to make sure I remembered to eat between saving other women. She's practical like that."

Madison laughed. "Okay, I kind of love her already. Who was next?"

"Erica. She was a bartender in the city. Her fiancé was a regular who'd been leading a double life for two years. Had a whole other apartment, another woman, the works." Andrew shook his head. "Erica found out when the other woman showed up at the bar claiming to be his wife. She was devastated. I happened to be there that night, saw the whole thing fall apart." He paused. "When I possessed her, I felt this... fire in her. She was angry, not broken. The bond locked that passion onto me instead of wasting it on revenge."

"Sounds like her."

"She's the one who taught me that saving someone doesn't always mean fixing what's broken. Sometimes it means giving them somewhere to put all that energy."

Madison nodded slowly. "What about Samantha? The musician, right?"

"Classical violinist. Her fiancé was the first chair cellist in her orchestra. He'd been sleeping with the conductor's wife." Andrew's lips quirked. "The drama in the classical music world is insane. Anyway, I possessed her the night before the wedding and felt how much she loved the music more than she'd ever loved him. The bond just... amplified what was already there. She plays for me now, private concerts in the living room."

"That's actually really romantic," Madison admitted.

"She'd disagree. She says I'm just her favorite audience."

"Okay, what about Chloe? The gamer girl?"

Andrew chuckled. "Chloe was something else. Retro gamer, obsessed with anything from the 80s and 90s. Her fiancé met her at a convention, but he was only there because his actual girlfriend—yes, he had one—couldn't make it that weekend. He was basically using Chloe as a placeholder for three months." His jaw tightened briefly. "When I possessed her, I felt how she'd built her whole world around someone who saw her as nothing more than a backup. The bond rewrote that. Now she builds her world around someone who actually shows up."

"She seems sweet. Really quiet, though."

"She is. But get her talking about old video games and she won't stop for hours. It's adorable."

Madison grinned. "Hannah next? The florist?"

"Hannah was... difficult." Andrew's voice grew quieter. "She owned her own flower shop, did all the arrangements for her wedding herself. Spent months growing the specific blooms she wanted. Her fiancé told her the morning of the rehearsal dinner that he'd been sleeping with his ex for the entire engagement. He said he only went through with it because he thought Hannah would be good for his image. His business image." Andrew's hands curled into fists briefly. "When I possessed her, I felt all that love she'd poured into those flowers. Every single stem. The bond took all that devotion and gave it somewhere to land. Someone who deserved it."

"That's awful," Madison murmured. "I'm glad you were there."

"Me too." He paused. "She still grows flowers for me. Different arrangement every week. Says watching them bloom reminds her that beautiful things can come from ruined soil."

Madison blinked rapidly. "Okay, that one got me a little." She cleared her throat. "Hailey? The therapist?"

Andrew laughed softly. "That one's ironic, isn't it? A therapist who couldn't see the signs. Her fiancé was a narcissist, textbook case. Love-bombed her, isolated her from friends, then started cheating when she got too 'boring' for him. She found texts on his phone the night before the wedding." He shook his head. "When I possessed her, I felt all that professional knowledge warring with her personal devastation. She knew exactly what he was, but she couldn't stop loving him. The bond... it didn't erase that love. It just transferred it to someone who could actually be healthy for her."

"She's helped a lot of the others, hasn't she? I've noticed she's kind of the unofficial counselor of the group."

"She says it's her way of processing. Helping others process."

"That tracks." Madison took a sip of her tea. "Rebecca? The history teacher?"

"Rebecca was teaching at a university. Her fiancé was a colleague in the history department. He was sleeping with a grad student. Classic cliche, except Rebecca found out when the student submitted a paper that included very detailed descriptions of their affair as a primary source." Andrew snorted. "She was humiliated. Her colleagues knew. Her students knew. When I possessed her, I felt how much she valued her dignity, her reputation. The bond anchored all that self-respect to our connection instead of letting it collapse entirely."

"That's horrifyingly creative of the student, honestly."

"Rebecca has a dark sense of humor about it now. She says it made for an excellent lecture on historical evidence and bias."

Madison snorted. "I bet. What about Mia?"

"Mia the painter. Her fiancé was her agent. He'd been embezzling from her for years and sleeping with his assistant on the side. She found out when the IRS audited her and discovered half her income had never made it to her accounts." Andrew's voice went flat. "When I possessed her, I felt how she'd poured her soul into her art and trusted him with everything. The bond gave her back that trust. She paints me now. Says I'm the only subject that doesn't make her want to hide the finished work."

"I've seen some of her work in the hallway. It's beautiful."

"She's talented. Just needed someone who wouldn't steal from her."

Madison nodded thoughtfully. "Grace? The model?"

"Grace was a high-fashion model. Her fiancé was a photographer who'd launched her career. Turns out he'd also launched the careers of about six other women the exact same way—and expected them all to be grateful in very specific ways." Andrew's expression darkened. "Grace found a folder on his computer. Pictures of all of them. Dates. Ratings. He treated women like collectibles." He paused. "When I possessed her, I felt how much she wanted to be seen as a person, not a prop. The bond locked onto that need. I see her now. All of her."

"She's the tall one, right? The one who's always posting those dramatic photos?"

"That's Grace. She says modeling is different now. She's performing for herself, not for the male gaze. And before you ask—yes, she's still absolutely stunning."

Madison rolled her eyes. "Wasn't going to ask." She paused. "Lillian? The occultist? I feel like that one must have been... different."

Andrew's face shifted into something more complex. "Lillian was unique. She came from a family that practiced old traditions, knew about the supernatural. Her fiancé was from a similar background, supposed to be a matched union between families. Except he was using their combined resources to hunt other practitioners. Including members of her own family." Andrew shook his head slowly. "She knew about possession. Knew what I was doing before I even finished. When I possessed her, she felt the bond forming and... welcomed it. Said our souls had probably known each other in other lifetimes anyway."

Madison stared at him. "So she was okay with it? Just like that?"

"She was more than okay. She said she'd been waiting for someone with real power, real love, to find her. Someone who wouldn't use her or her family. The bond just made it official." Andrew smiled slightly. "She's the one who helped me understand what the soul-binding actually is. Some old magic, she says. Predates most modern religions. It's not ownership, it's... partnership. A true joining."

"That's... actually really beautiful."

"Lillian would say it was inevitable."

"Okay, Cassie next? The mechanic?"

"Cassie was working in her family's auto shop. Her fiancé was a customer who swept her off her feet with classic car talk. Turns out he already had a wife and kids two towns over. Cassie found out when the wife showed up at the shop asking about repairs on 'their' minivan." Andrew grinned slightly. "Cassie has a temper. She was about to do something that would have ended in property damage and probably jail time. When I possessed her, I felt all that rage and protective instinct. The bond gave her somewhere to put it. Now she channels it into fixing things instead of breaking them."

"I can absolutely see her doing that. She fixed my car last month and was very intense about it."

"She's intense about everything. But in a good way."

Madison nodded. "Veronica? I have to admit, I'm curious about that one."

"Veronica was a stripper. Her fiancé was a regular who convinced her he was in love with her, that he wanted to 'save' her from that life. Classic white knight nonsense. Turns out he was engaged to someone else the whole time, and he was using Veronica for free entertainment while his fiancée paid for everything." Andrew's lip curled. "When I possessed her, I felt how much she hated being looked down on, being seen as something to save or exploit. The bond gave her someone who actually respected her. She still dances, by the way. Just because she wants to now, not because she's hoping someone will love her for it."

"She's the one who did that pole fitness competition, right? I saw it on TV."

"That's Veronica. She says she finally feels like her body belongs to her."

Madison smiled. "Good for her. What about Emily? The baker?"

"Emily owned a bakery. Made everything from scratch, including her own wedding cake. Three tiers, each layer a different flavor that her fiancé claimed to love." Andrew's voice grew quieter. "He didn't show up to the wedding. He went to Vegas with his ex instead. Emily found out via a mass text he sent to everyone invited, saying the wedding was off because he'd made a mistake." He paused. "When I possessed her the night before—the night before she knew—I felt how much she'd already been hurt by his casual cruelty. The way he dismissed her passions, made her feel small. The bond took all that love she'd baked into every layer and gave it somewhere to go. Someone who would actually show up."

"Oh god." Madison pressed a hand to her chest. "That's devastating."

"She's better now. She makes me a new recipe every month. Tests them on me before adding them to the menu." Andrew smiled. "She says I'm her favorite taste-tester."

"I've had her croissants. You're a lucky man."

"I know."

Madison collected herself. "Nicole? The cosplayer?"

"Nicole made her own wedding dress. Spent six months on the embroidery, historical patterns, everything by hand. Her fiancé told her two days before that she was 'too much'—too intense, too invested, too weird. That he needed someone more normal." Andrew's hands tightened on the armrest. "He said this while his 'normal' girlfriend was waiting in his car outside. A woman he'd been seeing for eight months. When I possessed her, I felt how much Nicole loved creating, how much of herself she put into everything. The bond took all that creative passion and gave her someone who would never call her too much."

"I love her costumes. The attention to detail is insane."

"She's working on a matching set for us. Couple cosplay. She's very excited about it."

Madison grinned. "That's adorable. Maya? The pet shelter volunteer?"

"Maya was something special. She'd met her fiancé when he adopted a dog from her shelter. He seemed perfect—animal lover, kind, patient. Except he wasn't any of those things. He'd been using the dog to meet women. The dog wasn't even his; he'd return each one after he'd secured a new relationship. Maya found out when she saw him at the shelter with another woman, returning the dog he'd adopted with her, picking out a new one for his new target." Andrew's voice cracked slightly. "When I possessed her, I felt her heartbreak for the dogs more than for herself. She loved those animals more than she'd ever loved him. The bond gave her someone who would never treat living things as props."

"That's... I don't even have words for that."

"Maya doesn't either. She just channels it into the shelter now. We volunteer together most weekends."

Madison wiped at her eyes. "Bianca? The nature photographer?"

"Bianca traveled for work, photographing remote landscapes. Her fiancé seemed supportive, said he understood her career. Turns out he was only supportive because her absences gave him time with his other girlfriend—the one who lived in their spare room, supposedly as a tenant." Andrew snorted. "Bianca came home early from a shoot to surprise him and found them together in their bed. When I possessed her, I felt how much she'd sacrificed for what she thought was love. The bond gave her someone who would never ask her to choose between her passion and her partnership."

"She takes the most incredible photos. I've seen them all over the house."

"She says I'm her favorite subject now. Something about how she can actually see my soul through the lens."

Madison smiled. "That's lovely. Zoe? The nurse?"

"Zoe worked night shifts at the hospital. Her fiancé complained constantly about her schedule, said he never saw her. The irony was that when she switched to days for him, she discovered he'd been using her night shifts to carry on an affair with a coworker. He'd been sleeping with someone else in their bed while Zoe was saving lives." Andrew's jaw tightened. "When I possessed her, I felt how much guilt she carried—guilt for working too much, guilt for not being enough. The bond replaced all that guilt with the knowledge that she was already more than enough."

"Nurses are something else. I don't know how she does it."

"She says loving me is easy compared to a twelve-hour shift in the ER. I choose to take that as a compliment."

Madison laughed. "You should. Lila? Emily's apprentice?"

"Lila was Emily's student at the bakery. Young, impressionable, completely swept up by a man who seemed sophisticated and worldly. He was a food blogger who promised to feature the bakery, feature her work. Instead, he took credit for her recipes and used her connections to launch his own brand. He was also married, which she found out when his wife commented on one of his posts about 'their' bakery." Andrew shook his head. "When I possessed her, I felt how used she felt, how small. The bond gave her someone who would build her up instead of stealing her work."

"She's so talented. I had some of her pastries at the last gathering."

"She's going to be better than Emily someday. They both know it."

Madison nodded slowly. "And the last one? Heather?"

"Heather was a maid for a wealthy family. Her fiancé was the family's son. He pursued her for months, promised to leave his wealthy lifestyle behind for her, made her feel like a fairy tale was coming true." Andrew's voice went quiet. "His family found out about the engagement and threatened to disown him. He called off the wedding the night before, saying he couldn't lose his inheritance. He chose money over her in an instant. When I possessed her, I felt how much she'd believed in him, in their future. The bond gave her someone who would never choose anything over her."

Madison was silent for a long moment. "Nineteen women. Nineteen stories."

"Nineteen women who deserved better." Andrew met her eyes. "I know what it feels like to be left at the altar. To give everything to someone who treats it like nothing. I can't fix what happened to me. But I can make sure it doesn't happen to them."

"And the soul-binding?"

"Is a side effect I didn't ask for but don't regret." Andrew leaned back. "They know what it is. They know I love them—each of them, genuinely. The bond just ensures that love goes both ways forever. No take-backs, no changing minds, no walking away when something easier comes along."

Madison studied him for a long moment. "You really do love them."

"Every single one."

"And they all... share you? None of them mind?"

Andrew laughed softly. "They have a groupchat, Madison. They coordinate. They joke about it. They support each other. They're not competing because there's nothing to compete for—they already have me. The bond doesn't create jealousy. It creates security."

"That's..." Madison shook her head slowly. "That's actually kind of beautiful. In a weird, magic way."

"Love usually is."

She finished her tea in silence, processing everything. Finally, she set the mug down and looked at her brother with something like wonder.

"For what it's worth," she said quietly, "I think you're doing something good. In a completely insane way, but still good."

Andrew smiled. "That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Don't let it go to your head." Madison stood, stretching. "Now come on. Kelly texted me that she's making dinner and you're expected. Apparently there's a group vote tonight about what movie to watch."

"A group vote? How many of them are there?"

"Enough that you're going to lose." She grinned. "Welcome to your life, little brother."