She laughs softly through the tears. Sterling’s at her side, quietly kissing them away.
“I remember when you were little, Calix. You could barely keep your balance, but you were so determined to run. Since then, I’ve watched you grow up so fast into this amazing man.”
My chest tenses at her speech. Then Elle turns to me, my breath catching from her unexpectedly direct attention.
“Em, thank you. For giving my brother purpose. For giving him the chance to take part in your world, your brilliance, and your experiment.”
The reminder of my failed experiment strikes me. My pulse stutters, heat rushing abruptly into my chest and throat. I feel itin my hands next, a faint tremor that feels like my fingertips are freezing.
“I know,” Elle continues, meeting my shaken gaze, “that what you’re working on will change the world. No matter what.” She takes a deep breath. “And your existence alone has changed all of ours.”
For a moment, sound recedes. I’m acutely aware of my breathing, of the pressure behind my sternum, of the way my body reacts before my mind can supply structure.
Idris is at my side. Stan stands in front, and Lix draws closer. They’re whispering to me, and there’s a rim of glass pressed onto my bottom lip. I drink the water, letting it cool the heat in my chest.
I can hear Elle apologizing, but Idris reassures her that I most likely need something to drink and didn’t expect such kind words during a day that should belong completely to Elle.
She shyly says she understands, and when I’m leaning the side of my head on Lix’s shoulder, I find relief in breathing right.
I apologize in turn for ruining the moment, but Elle brushes it off with her bright smile that rivals Kaye’s cheerful grin. “That’s Elle for you,” Kaye says. “She’s got a way with words that make you feel like you’re not the bad guy.”
Elle’s gaze goes toward Darius and Idris. “I’m also glad the Adels could join us.”
Idris nods and smiles at her thoughtful thanks. “Our father, Set, will be by a little later,” he says. “Some of the roads have unfortunately frozen over. He was determined to come regardless.” After a heartbeat, he adds, “He’s bringing quite a gift.”
That last detail draws a ripple of interest from the group. Stan speculates, while Kaye frowns in thought beside her husband, who doesn’t seem moved by the notion at all, along with Sterling.
There’s still tightness forming in my sternum. My breathing has to recalibrate around it, simply from hearing Set will soon arrive.
Time moves forward as everyone turns their attention back to the table. Plates are filled. Fingers reach across one another, apologies murmured and waved away. The cold keeps us clustered close, steam rising faintly from cups of cocoa Kaye serves in one corner of the table.
Stan reappears at my side, fork loaded with a piece of the purple cake. “Trust me,” he says with a smirk. “If I love ube, you’ll love it too, gorgeous. We’re soulmates with the same taste.”
I eye the bite-sized piece, angling my head.
“Youhaveto try it,” he says, his enthusiasm barely contained. Before I can respond, he guides the bite toward my mouth.
The ube cake melts on my tongue. There’s a nutty depth beneath the sweet cream, and I find myself taking a second breath before I swallow, registering the texture as much as the flavor.
Stan watches my face expectantly. I nod slowly, pouting in thought while appreciating this new taste.
He smiles, shaking his head slightly. “There it is,” he says. “The little things you do, gorgeous. Fucking lethal.”
“I’m merely reacting to sugar,” I reply. “A cake’s food chemistry will often result in a rewarding experience.”
“Sure,” Stan says, grinning. “Tell that to the way you just looked at me.”
Lix steps up to us, finishing his own bite. “It really is good, though,” he says. “Nostalgic for me too.”
“Can you tell me more about ube? Am I saying that right?” I ask.
“It’s pronounced oo-beh,” Lix supplies.
I try out the pronunciation. “Ube?”
He smiles while Stan raises his brows, who quips, “Look at you go, Em. Gonna conquer the culinary world too? Heard they give out blue ribbons instead of PhDs in that field.”
“Actually, there are doctorate programs in the culinary industry,” Isay. “Particularly in food science. In this case, there’s chemistry at work. Flavor-wise, the ube’s nutty sweetness integrates well with the cream, and the cake’s structure comes from aeration in the batter and protein coagulation during baking, which traps moisture and keeps the crumb soft.”
