And I just know that the father is probably asking about Lincoln's mom and his siblings and then telling him to take care of himself before he disappears for a few years again.
I'll give Lincoln's father this: even though Lincoln's making more money, he never asked for a cent, according to Lincoln.
Anyway, it's time to prepare for the lantern release, something that I have never experienced.
-??-
Chapter 25
By the bridge over the water, everyone gathers from Helion and a few more people, of course. There must be about a thousand people here.
New Year's Eve is frigid, the kind of cold that bites right through my coat, the sharp air whipping off the water like icy knives slicing at my cheeks and sneaking under my collar. But damn, it's beautiful, the lanterns glowing like fireflies against the dark, twinkling lights strung along the bridge and the park beyond, casting this ethereal shimmer over everything, making the chill almost worth it.
Tom and Sarah call over Lincoln. It doesn't escape my notice that Sarah doesn't smile when she sees me.
"Gabrielle! Good to see you, honey," Tom says, lifting an arm to drag me in for a hug, and smiling, I return it.
Tom seems like a genuinely nice dude.
Sarah just stares at me. Ain't no way I'm saying hi to this bitch.
The CEO doesn't notice that I'm there. He's too busy giving a toast as everyone stands there with their lanterns lit. Even though we're by the bridge looking over the water, it's also kindof tied in with a park, and in the middle of it, there are thousands upon thousands of people watching a really gigantic screen where the ball drops in Times Square.
Helion's group is a bit broken away from everybody else's, but we can all see the screen from here.
Tobias Voss speaks loudly over the gigantic crowd of people, addressing the part of the crowd that belongs to Helion.
"These past few years have been amazing," he booms, his voice carrying like he's got a megaphone built into his chest.
"We've achieved things at Helion that I couldn't have dreamed of when we started… pushing boundaries in tech that change lives, innovating in ways that redefine what's possible. And looking ahead? The future is brighter than these lanterns. We're building something revolutionary, and I'm thrilled to see how you've all taken on my vision, made it your own, and driven us forward. To you, my incredible team, thank you for making this magic happen."
Tom and Lincoln and some of the other coworkers, alongside Sarah, are deep in conversation.
At first, I feel left out, then I feel a warm arm around me, dragging me into his left side. I look over at him, and he smiles down at me.
"Are you okay?" he asks so gently I want to melt into him.
"Yeah," I smile. "Are you?" I wink at him.
"Yeah, I just noticed you're very quiet."
“I mean… I don't like Sarah, so I don't really have anything to talk to her about, and she's talking with Tom and everybody else, so… and I don't know your co-workers.”
“Well, you're going to get to know them. I'm sorry. If it were up to me, Sarah wouldn't be here. I want you to enjoy this.”
And when he talks to me like that, I feel like hereallysees me and that I'm the only person in the world.
The countdown starts, and everyone joins in.
Lincoln squeezes me tighter to his side, his right arm reaching over to take mine as we count down together with the crowd.
“10, 9, 8…,” the voices chant in unison.
Sarah stands on Lincoln's right while I'm held against his left.
When it finally hits one, we release our lanterns, Link unhooking his from his coat, and the beautiful lanterns float up into the sky with their lights. Everybody cheers, some people throwing hats into the air.
I scream loudly, smiling from ear to ear.
