Stan chuckles, elbowing Lix. “God, listen to our girl. She could make a grocery list sound sexy.”
Lix breathes out loudly, almost like a laugh, as he nudges Stan back. “Behave.”
“For you?” Stan makes a smooching noise. “Anything, babe.”
The party continues on. Sterling never strays far from Elle, their proximity almost as constant as Damon’s is to Kaye. Though, she often leaves his side, much to his chagrin. She’s usually following after Elle.
Idris and Stan both command the space, pulling the group into overlapping conversations. I stand beside Lix while he explains a dry noodle dish called pancit, pronounced paan-suht. He tells me I “nailed it” the third time I repeat the word. The dish tastes so delicious that I go back for thirds.
Lix explains that some Filipinos believe that eating noodles on their birthdays contribute to their longevity. I find that to be a fascinating superstition.
At the corner of my eye, I notice Darius growing tenser as time passes. His gaze keeps returning to the driveway beyond the gardens. Idris seems to see it too and stays within reach.
Then moments later, with many dishes downed, the sound of cars approaching can be heard.
Gravel answers beneath the tires. Voices thin out as heads turn toward the side entrance.
Footsteps follow, several sets at once.
Set enters with his staff flanking him, smiling broadly at thegathering. His sharp teeth show as his eyes move over us, his hands spreading in practiced presentation, as though this were a stage he’s stepped onto rather than a garden.
Behind him, his staff carry the gift Idris mentioned.
It’s a chess table made entirely of clear crystal, its surface catching and bending the sunset’s light. His staff move it carefully, exchanging silent gestures before selecting the precise spot where the garden meets the mansion’s double doors.
The matching crystal chess pieces follow, each one placed with intent, gleaming in glass forms. Two stone stools are set last, one at either end, aligned with exact symmetry.
Set watches the process with open satisfaction, his smile never wavering as he steps forward to admire the result.
Around us, curiosity stirs, but my stomach tightens. I don’t attribute it to the food. Everything they’ve served me since staying at this estate has agreed with me.
It’s Set’s presence that makes bile climb up my throat. His smile doesn’t sit right, nor does the way he dismisses his staff once they finish, sending them away.
Set greets his sons after, drawing them in with brief words and measured attention before turning to Elle. He offers her his congratulations with a flourish, explaining that while he understands chess may not be to her taste, it has always been dear to him. He speaks of memory and strategy, of long games played and lessons learned, of moments he clearly considers formative.
Elle listens politely, nodding at the appropriate intervals as he continues.
I don’t follow much of it, but since he’s handed over his gift, the rest are presenting theirs as well.
Kaye skips over to Elle, with Damon at her side. She clears her throat, seeming earnest. “Alright, so,” she starts to say, glancing atDamon, then back at Elle. “This one’s…big.”
Damon hands Elle a slim folder. Kaye watches her open it, barely containing herself.
“It’s a deed!” Kaye blurts. “For a community center you can build close by. Somewhere you can do some more much neededgood. For Darkhaven. To fix it, or I don’t know, at least make it less of a hellscape.”
Elle stares down at the papers, appearing stunned to silence. Her hands tremble as she looks up, eyes brimming with tears.
Sterling steps in beside her. “And whatever you want to build there, Elle,” he says, “I’ll pay for it.”
She’s still searching for words when he reaches for her wrist, sliding a jade bracelet into place without spectacle. She doesn’t seem to notice, but I do. The shimmering green draws my eye, reminding me of my mother’s irises.
Stan leans close to my ear. “Silver thinks he’s so slick,” he murmurs, amusement threading his voice.
Before Elle can recover fully, Stan kisses my cheek and takes Lix by the hand, tugging him along.
“Our turn!” Stan says to Elle. “Since we interrupted your honeymoon, we thought we’d make it up to you.” He gestures between himself, Lix, and me. “Disney cruise. Tickets. The works. On us.”
Sterling frowns. “A fucking Disney cruise?”
