The conversation carried on for a while longer, drifting effortlessly from one lighthearted topic to another. Laughter came easily, and before anyone realized it, time had quietly slipped away.
It wasn’t until Dahlia happened to check the time that any of them realized it was already a quarter past midnight.
Reluctantly, the little gathering finally came to an end.
Harper, Maya, and Jaime bid Cecilia goodnight before making their way back toward the estate. As Cecilia prepared to leave, Dahlia offered to walk her to the front entrance.
The two women walked side by side beneath the soft glow of the garden lanterns. The only sounds accompanying them were the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant trickle of the koi pond.
For a long while, silence stretched comfortably between them un
