"I'm planning to," I say. "Why?"
He sits beside me, leaving space between us. "Dad always says no."
"To CAMICon specifically?"
Henry shrugs. "To stuff like that. He says it's not worth the logistics."
I study him for a moment. His posture is careful, controlled—so much like Arthur's it makes my chest ache a little.
"What part of CAMICon interests you most?" I ask.
His face brightens instantly. "The New Age of Legends panel. They're announcing the expansion pack. And doing a live demo."
I can't help smiling. "I love Legends. I'm planning to go to that panel too."
Henry stares at me like I've suddenly started speaking his language. "You play?"
"Level 84 mage," I confirm. "I specialize in elemental hybrids."
"No way." His entire body shifts toward me, skepticism forgotten. "What's your username? We could party up!"
We're deep in conversation about spawn points and rare item drops when Arthur appears at the garden entrance. He pauses, watching us, his expression unreadable.
Henry notices him first and falls silent mid-sentence. His posture straightens automatically.
"Henry has homework," Arthur says, not unkindly but definitively.
Henry nods, already standing. "We'll talk more later?" he asks me, hopeful.
"Definitely," I promise.
When Henry disappears inside, Arthur remains at the entrance, observing me. I wonder what he sees—his new wife, sitting in his garden, planning to take his son to an event he wouldn't approve.
He turns and goes back inside.
***
Quinn finds me in my room that evening, knocking once before entering with her tablet.
She sits on the edge of my bed uninvited, which I find I don't mind. There's something refreshingly direct about Quinn's presence that makes formality seem unnecessary.
"Can I ask you something?" she says, setting her tablet aside.
I nod.
"Why did you marry him?"
No judgment. Just curiosity.
The question isn't rude coming from her, just straightforward. Still, I feel my face warm.
"It's complicated," I start.
Quinn snorts. "It usually is. But there's always a core reason. The real one, underneath all the practical justifications."
I think about Arthur's steadiness. His certainty.
"He makes me feel safe," I admit finally. "Not because he's rich or powerful. Because he's... solid. When everything else started spinning out of control, he was the one fixed point."
