"Uh, pretty sure it wasn't like that when we went in." Carol took a step back and craned her neck to get a better look.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence," I suggested, trying to sound casual despite the growing suspicion that my Karma magic might have had something to do with it. After all, karma did have a funny way of making things right in the end.
"Or maybe it's..." Carol trailed off, her eyes widening as she glanced at me. "Did you do something, Emma?"
"Who, me?" I feigned innocence but couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of my mouth. "What could I possibly have done?"
"Emma," Beth said. "You didn't."
The sound of the crashing sign reverberated in my ears as I looked at the wreckage behind us.
"Emma Foxx," Deva said in a tone that would've made my mother proud, "what have you done?"
"Me?" I tried to feign shock, but the smirk I felt creeping onto my face betrayed me. "I haven't done anything, It must be... uh, the wind?"
"Right," Carol said. "And I'm the Queen of England."
"Your Majesty," Beth said, curtsying dramatically while trying not to laugh. "Would you care to join us common folk for a trip back home?"
"Technically, I didn't do anything," I argued. "Karma just did what it's supposed to do, balance things out."
23
EMMA
I draggedmyself through the cool night air up the driveway like a zombie who had just run a marathon. My legs were heavy, and my mind was a foggy mess, thanks to the whirlwind of paranormal shenanigan-solving that had consumed my life recently. The exhaustion was so palpable that even my hair was tired, flopping limply over my forehead. It too had given up.
A text beeped on my phone. I knew it was probably Daniel or Henry again, asking when I would be home again. I’d told them five minutes, five minutes ago, but they seemed to be in a hurry for some reason.
Fumbling with my keys, I nearly cried with my need to be inside. The scent of fresh-cut grass and honeysuckle in the air should have been invigorating, but all I wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep for a week. Or two. Maybe three if I could squeeze it in.
As I finally managed to unlock the door, I stepped inside and was enveloped by the familiar warmth and coziness of my home. Oh, sweet home. The faint aroma of coffee lingered in the air.
"Hey, you," Daniel broke through my reverie, and I looked up to see him bounding toward me like an excited puppy. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace, and I smiled despite my fatigue. "I missed you," he said into my hair, and I sighed contentedly.
"Missed you too," I said, inhaling the comforting scent of his cologne. It was amazing how much better I felt already, just being in his presence. "Man, am I beat."
"Come here but be quiet. You’re just in time." Daniel took my hand and led me toward the sliding glass doors that opened onto our oceanfront patio. We tiptoed outside, then leaned over the deck. The sight that awaited me there was nothing short of breathtaking, and for a moment, I forgot all about my exhaustion.
"Is that...?" I trailed off as I took in the scene unfolding before me. The soft glow of fairy lights draped over the deck cast a magical ambiance, creating an ethereal stage for the scene unfolding before me. Henry stood in the clearing between the house and the ocean, a vision of chivalry in a high-fantasy knight costume.
The armor gleamed in the moonlight, and the ornate sword at his side seemed almost too real for the video game world he and Alice so often immersed themselves in. He'd said he was going to propose in the game. Either he already had, and this was the live action version, or he'd changed his mind.
I smiled at the sheer dedication Henry had put into creating this moment, a proposal as epic as the adventures they shared in pixels and pixels of virtual realms.
Henry's voice rang out, filled with a nervous excitement that mirrored my own. "Alice, my love," he began, drawing the sword with a theatrical flourish. The metal sang through the night air, catching the glint of the moon above. I held my breath, holding onto the moment as if the entire ocean held its collective breath with me.
Alice was dressed in her own fantastical attire, a green renaissance dress with a small sword at her side. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she stood at the other end of the clearing. Her gaze was fixed on Henry, her partner in both gaming and life. As the sword rose, a gasp escaped her lips. Holy crap! The ring was on the blade's tip. How had he managed that?
"My fair maiden," Henry continued, his voice steadying as he knelt before Alice, presenting the ring with a knightly grace. The white gold band sparkled in the gentle light, a tangible promise of their shared journey ahead.
Daniel and I watched, silent witnesses to this union of two souls brought together by more than just pixels and code. Henry's words hung in the air, a declaration of love and commitment that transcended both the virtual and the tangible.
The sword's probably blunt tip found its place in Alice's delicate hands, and the ring, a symbol of their shared adventures, glimmered as if acknowledging the gravity of the moment. Henry's gaze never wavered from Alice's eyes, and in that instant, the world seemed to narrow down to just the two of them.
A soft "yes" escaped Alice's lips, and the night erupted in applause from me and Daniel. A tear escaped the corner of my eye, moved by the beauty of their connection and the effort Henry had put into crafting a proposal as unique as their love.
In that moment, all the challenges and hardships I'd faced recently were worth it. For this was what truly mattered, love, family, and the bonds that held us all.
