Two weeks had passed since the incident that led to Abby breaking her arm, and the moment Mackenzie had eagerly anticipated was finally at hand: she was about to have her cast removed. "I bet you're excited to be free of that cast, huh, sis?" Mason remarked. "You have no idea how much I’ve looked forward to this day," Mackenzie replied. "How did things go with Olivia last night?" she asked. "It went really well. I actually think the incident with Abby’s arm might have brought them closer together," Mason responded. "You say that as if she were the one who broke Abby’s arm," Mackenzie pointed out. "That wasn’t my intention," Mason confessed. "I know," Mackenzie said with a playful eye roll.

Before they headed to the doctor's office, Mackenzie walked over to the mailbox to check for any mail. As she sorted through the contents, she noticed a small envelope addressed to her. Intrigued, she opened it to find an anonymous love letter inside. "Another one?" she pondered, but decided it would be best not to dwell on these mysterious notes just yet; getting her cast off was her top priority. She placed the mail on the kitchen table and then headed out to the car for her doctor's appointment. 

“Is everything okay, Mackenzie? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Mason asked. “I’m fine; let’s just get to the doctor’s so I can finally get this cast off,” replied Mackenzie.

Upon arriving at the doctor’s office, they approached the front desk to check in for their appointment. 

“Hello, we have an appointment for Mackenzie Barnes,” Melissa said. 

“Of course,” the receptionist replied. “Please have a seat over there; the doctor will be with you shortly.” 

As they waited, Mason took the opportunity to address his sister’s concerns. “Is there something bothering you that you’d like to talk about?” he asked. “You’ve seemed off all week.” 

“I’m just anxious to finally get this cast off, that’s all,” Mackenzie responded. 

“No, I believe it’s something more than that,” Mason insisted. “Something spooked you before we left—I could see it on your face.” 

“I promise I’ll explain everything once we get home, but right now, I want to focus on getting this cast off,” Mackenzie assured him. 

Just then, the doctor emerged to inform them that he was ready to see them. 

“Mackenzie, the doctor will see you now,” the receptionist announced, and they all made their way to the examination room. 

“I know you’re eager to have your cast removed, but first we need to run a few tests to ensure it’s ready to come off, okay?” the doctor said.

Once the testing was complete, the doctor confirmed that Mackenzie’s cast was finally ready to be removed. Overjoyed at the prospect of walking again, she sprang up from her chair. Upon returning home, Mackenzie invited Mason to meet her at the treehouse, where she planned to share everything that had been happening. 

At the treehouse, Mackenzie handed Mason the mysterious love note she had received earlier that day. “Is this why you’ve been acting so nervous? A love note?” Mason asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“It’s not just one; I’ve been receiving multiple love notes,” Mackenzie replied, her expression serious. 

“How long has this been going on?” Mason inquired, clearly intrigued. 

“It started about a week ago,” Mackenzie answered. 

“What?! Mackenzie, why didn’t you say anything?” Mason exclaimed. 

“Because I didn’t think much of it at the time, and we had more pressing matters to deal with,” Mackenzie explained. 

“And you have no idea who’s behind these?” Mason asked. 

“They’re completely anonymous,” Mackenzie said.

“How are we supposed to determine who wrote these?” Mason asked.

“We?” Mackenzie replied, her tone skeptical.

“Of course! Did you honestly think I would let you handle this on your own? We’re a team, after all,” Mason declared with confidence.

“You’re right. I apologize,” Mackenzie conceded.

“Has that broken leg made you a bit rusty?” Mason teased, a playful glint in his eye.

“Very funny,” Mackenzie retorted with a smirk. “Honestly, I have no idea how we’re going to figure out who wrote these.”

Mason paused thoughtfully. “Hmm, I think we should consult an expert. Let’s go see Lucas Ambros,” he suggested.

“Wait, who?” Mackenzie asked, looking puzzled as they made their way to Lucas’s house. “Mason, hold on! Who is Lucas?” she called after him.

When they finally arrived at Lucas’s house, they were greeted by one of his twin brothers. “Are we speaking to Lucas or Nicholas?” Mason inquired.

"This is Nicholas. If you’re looking for Lucas, he’s currently grounded in his room due to his actions towards Abby. He isn't allowed to have any friends over, but I suppose we can make an exception just this once," Nicholas said. "Come on, I’ll show you to his room." With that, he led the twins to where Lucas was waiting.

"Lucas, you have visitors," Nicholas announced. 

"Hey, guys! Who’s the chick?" Lucas asked casually.

"Call me ‘chick’ again, and Abby won’t be the only one nursing a broken arm, got it?" Mackenzie retorted sharply.

"I'd take her seriously—when she makes a threat, she means it," Mason advised. "Anyway, we’re here because we need your help. Someone’s been sending anonymous love notes to my sister, and we were hoping you could help us figure out who it might be," Mason explained. 

"Let me see the note," Lucas said.

“I must say, the author of this is clearly an amateur,” Lucas remarked. 

“Right, because you’re such a seasoned expert yourself,” Mason replied sarcastically. 

“Aren't you the one who suggested we consult a professional about this issue?” Mackenzie interjected. 

“If you’ll allow me to continue,” Lucas said, “the writing is quite sloppy, and I would never resort to using puns in notes.” 

“Just like we wouldn't catch you pushing little girls off swing sets?” Mason countered. 

“Fair point,” Lucas admitted. “Nevertheless, the person you’re looking for appears to be male but has feminine handwriting,” he noted. 

“Any ideas on how to catch this individual?” Mason asked. 

“Normally, I would suggest responding to them and asking to meet, but since the origin of these notes is uncertain, that might prove difficult,” Lucas replied. 

"I believe I've discovered a method to trace the origins of these notes," Mason said thoughtfully. "What time does the mailman usually arrive?" he asked. 

"I think it's around 3:00," Mackenzie replied.

"Well, it's currently 2:00," Mason observed. "Come on, let’s head home."

At that moment, Lucas interjected, "Wait a moment, everyone. People often leave notes anonymously because they may be too afraid to express their true feelings in person," he explained. "The individual writing these notes could simply be shy and hesitant to reveal their identity due to a fear of rejection."

"Keep that in mind when you confront them about these notes," Lucas added.

"Understood, thanks, Lucas," Mackenzie said. "Now, let’s head back home so we can catch the mailman," Mason suggested.

The twins then made their way home, eager to intercept the mailman. After about an hour, he finally arrived. 

"Hi, Sam, I was wondering if you had any mail for me," Mackenzie said.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Sam replied. "I have a letter for you right here."

“Thank you, Sam. Could you please tell us where you found this?” Mackenzie inquired. “I picked it up from a house just down the street,” Sam responded. “The address is 2337 Samford Street.” 

“Thanks, Sam,” Mason said, and the twins quickly made their way to the address he mentioned. Upon arriving, they were taken aback. “This can’t be right,” Mason exclaimed. “This is Alicia’s house!” They knocked on the door, and Alicia answered with a cheerful, “Hey, guys! What’s going on?” 

Mackenzie hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’m not quite sure how to explain this, but I’ve been receiving anonymous love notes that appear to be coming from your address.” 

“I can assure you, I’m not the one sending them,” Alicia replied. 

“Is your brother home by any chance?” Mackenzie asked. 

“Why? Do you suspect he’s the one sending you these notes?” Alicia questioned. 

“That would be the only reasonable explanation, considering they’re coming from your address,” Mason replied. After a few moments, Alicia finally invited them in. “Why don’t you come inside?” she said, and the twins stepped into the house. “I think Jimmy is in his room,” Alicia added.

“Jimmy, Mason, and Mackenzie are here to see you,” Alicia announced. 

“Hey, guys! What’s going on?” Jimmy asked.

Mackenzie replied, “I’ve been receiving anonymous love notes sent from this address. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Alright, yes, I have been sending those love notes, but they’re not technically from me,” Jimmy confessed.

“I don’t understand. If the notes are coming from this address and they’re not from you, then who are they from?” Mason inquired.

“It’s okay, Ritchie, you can come out,” said Jimmy. “Everyone, this is my friend Ritchie. The love notes are actually from him.”

Mason and Mackenzie exchanged bewildered glances. 

“I suppose I owe you all an explanation,” Jimmy said. “About a week ago, Ritchie and I were hanging out when he confided in me that he had a crush on you, Mackenzie, but he was too nervous to say anything for fear of being rejected.”

“Lucas mentioned that this might be why he chose to remain anonymous in the notes,” Mason added.

"I suggested that he write you a love letter to convey his true feelings," Jimmy said. "He agreed to this idea, but insisted on keeping his identity a secret. I cautioned him against this choice, especially since he would be sending it to a detective; ultimately, the truth would come to light. Nevertheless, he remained determined. As time went on, his anxiety grew because he hadn't received a response from you, so we began drafting more notes. I warned him that sending additional messages would only intensify your suspicions and prompt an investigation into their origins. I told him it would inevitably lead you to this moment,” Jimmy continued. 

After hearing Jimmy's explanation, Mackenzie felt conflicted and uncertain about how to move forward. She knew she couldn’t pursue a relationship with him, yet she was unsure how to break the news gently without causing him pain. “Excuse me, I need to speak with my brother in private,” Mackenzie said. 

“Is everything okay, sis?” Mason asked. 

“Honestly, no. I have no idea what I should do. Obviously, I can't be with him, but if I tell him I'm not interested, I'll only be confirming his fears of rejection,” Mackenzie explained.

"I'm sorry, Sis, but honestly, I don't know how to help you in this situation. You might need to confront the truth and be honest with him instead of trying to spare his feelings. I understand it's tough, but it seems like the only way," Mason replied. Mackenzie let out a deep sigh. "I think you're right," she admitted. They then returned inside so Mackenzie could share the news with Ritchie. 

"Hey, Ritchie. I want to start by expressing my gratitude for the thoughtfulness behind your gestures. Although I may not be helping by unintentionally reinforcing your fears of rejection, I am truly flattered that you thought of me. Your notes were incredibly sweet and thoughtful—thank you." 

While Ritchie felt disheartened at the prospect of being turned down, he understood Mackenzie’s feelings and recognized the position he had inadvertently put her in with his actions. 

Jimmy then turned to Ritchie and said, "I'm sorry, man, but I did warn you that this might happen. Even I knew she was out of your league." 

"Yeah, I know, but I still had to take a chance," Ritchie replied. 

"It’s about time we head home," Mason said, and the twins left Alicia’s house to go back. Once they arrived home, Mason took a moment to tell his sister how proud he was of her honesty. 

"Hey, I just wanted to say I'm proud of you for having the courage to be honest with Ritchie about your true feelings. I know that wasn't easy," Mason said.

"Thanks, Mason," Mackenzie replied. "Do you want to watch a movie?" 

"Sure," Mason agreed.

"I still feel a bit guilty for Ritchie," Mackenzie said. "He went through so much trouble to create those notes just for me, and I had to turn him down." 

"I understand," Mason replied. "But you did what was necessary. At least you can consider yourself lucky you weren't thrown off a swing set," he joked. 

"Yeah, I suppose that's true," Mackenzie agreed. The twins then settled in to enjoy a movie, finally having a moment to relax.