The Cliffs

  The weekend was winding down, and everyone had gathered in the formal dining room. Conversations buzzed as plates clattered and glasses clinked softly. Ami, slightly delayed by a work call, finally entered, her attention immediately snapping to her wayward son.

  “Kimi,” she called out, exasperation in her tone as she settled beside Sadra. “Finally decided to join the real world, have you? Honestly, what kind of man drags his girlfriend through his mess? Go on another one of your ridiculous adventures, and I’ll advise Little Kate to break up with you! She deserves someone who knows what ‘pampering her’ means!”

  Her words hit Kimi with noticeable weight. He tightened his hold on Katherine’s hand, his thumb grazing over her knuckles as if searching for forgiveness there. Guilt shadowed his face as he admitted, “Mom, you’re absolutely right. Recovering lost ground on my work came at Katherine’s expense. It isn’t fair to her.” He lowered his eyes to their entwined hands, then met his mother’s gaze. “After I finish up my current cases, I’ll delegate and scale back. From now on, Katherine comes first. I want to give her everything she deserves.”

  A faint smile curved Katherine’s lips. “Aunt Ami, Kimi’s worth a few bumps in the road. We’re still learning to balance each other’s worlds. But he’s shown me how much he respects and values me.” She paused, letting her words sink in, and added, “I’m glad I went with my gut and let him in.”

  Ami’s frown faded. “Little Kate, it’s good to see both of you putting in the effort. That’s what makes a relationship last, two people meeting each other halfway.”

  Sana observed the exchange and shot Seven a sidelong glance. Her thoughts stirred, and before she knew it, she was voicing them. “Sweets… in our relationship, I can’t help but feel I’m always on the receiving end. And you’re always giving.”

  Her confession seemed to catch Seven off guard. He paused, setting down his fork, and his fingers brushed tenderly against her arm. “Sana, you’ve already given me the most precious gift I could ever ask for.”

  A faint furrow appeared between her brows, puzzled. “I…What did I give you?”

  Seven’s lips curved into a grin as he playfully tapped her nose. “Looks like you have a short memory; you’ve already given me your heart.”

  The realization dawned, and color rose to Sana’s cheeks. She covered her mouth but couldn’t stifle a laugh. The warmth between them seemed to ripple through the room, drawing quiet smiles.

  Then, she sheepishly asked, “So, is it because my heart is with you that you have to give your heart to me?”

  Seven’s gaze softened even more, and he squeezed her hand gently. “Mmhmm, our hearts belong to each other.”

  The endearing moment between them created an aura of intimacy; they appeared lost in their own world.

  Sadra leaned over to Ami and murmured, “Looks like they’ve drifted off into their love galaxy, and the rest of us are just distant constellations, huh?"

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  Ami chuckled. “Say, Saddy... between them, who do you reckon is the spellbinder and who’s being spellbound?”

  Indeed, it was hard to say!

  Laughter rippled around the table, breaking the romantic spell, leaving the couple blushing.

  Harper winked at Sana and sighed dreamily. “I’m so envious of you, Sana. I don’t know if I’ll ever meet my Prince Charming.”

  Sana’s gaze flicked to Kian, and they exchanged a quick, knowing glance before teasing her bestie. “Harps, my Spidey sense tells me he’s probably just waiting for his big entrance. Maybe he’s fashionably late, but trust me, he’s on his way.”

  Kian’s expression shifted as Sana’s words sparked a memory. “Speaking of,” he began, turning toward Ami, “Mom, did you know there’s a dome-shaped room near the circular stairs between the west and north wings?”

  Ami’s brows lifted in surprise. “A dome-shaped room? I don’t recall that at all,” she admitted, curious.

  Harper giggled. “That explains why it was a blank slate! Well, Kian and I worked on it together. We transformed it into a kind of indoor adventure zone.” Excitement danced in her voice. “The entire floor is covered with thick, inflatable padding, so it’s safe for the kids to tumble around. We added rope handles and rock-climbing studs along the walls, too. But don’t worry, they’re designed for little hands and feet.”

  Ami’s eyes lit up as she pictured the space. “So, it’s like a bouncy castle if they fall?”

  “Exactly!” Harper beamed. “They can bounce around and even try a little climbing. The padding’s strong enough to break falls, almost like the safety nets for jumpers. It’ll be super fun.”

  Kian nodded. “The moment Harper described it, I knew we had to make it happen. The kids are going to have a blast in there.”

  Ami was thrilled. “Oh, that’s wonderful! You’ve thought of everything. I can’t wait to see their faces when they find it.”

  With the conversation steering back to the children, Kian continued, “By the way, Harper’s also finished setting up all the rooms for James and the kids. They could move in as early as tomorrow.”

  Ami clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s perfect! I hope my grandbabies love it.”

  Harper smirked, eager to share more. “I wanted their room to feel magical, but I had to scale back some of my ideas. I initially envisioned galaxy lights for the entire ceiling, but it was too time-consuming. The galaxy lights are in the upper bunk bed to capture the Superman theme, while the lower bunk has a Batman signal light. And I added invisible grilles shaped like spiderwebs around the openings, so they’re childproofed but still a nod to Spider-Man.”

  Ami’s smile widened, her delight bubbling over. “Oh, I can’t wait for them to come over, Harper!” Then, she angled to her eldest and remarked, “I’ve interviewed several nannies, so Esme just needs to choose. Kas, why don’t you give her a call?”

  Kasra’s call was quickly connected, and Esme’s grateful voice floated through the speaker. “Mrs. Shahi, you can decide on our behalf. I trust your judgment.”

  Ami clasped her hands together. “Excellent! We’ll go with the one who can start ASAP.”

  With the nanny matter settled, Kasra outlined other arrangements. “Esme, James should be discharged on Wednesday. Whichever day you’re comfortable, we can send a crew to your house to transport all the necessities after you drop the boys at daycare. Our housekeeping staff would also head to your place for a thorough cleaning before covering all the furniture. We’ll do a deep clean again just before James is fully recovered and ready to move back. How’s that sound?”

  There was a pause, and then Esme replied, her voice choked with emotion. “Thank you, Chief. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  Ending the call, Kasra turned to Seven, his tone all business. “Sev, since your suits have arrived, you can head over to Data Dynamics for the introductions and tour.”

  Seven inclined his head, impressed that it only took a day for his suits to arrive. “Sounds good.”

  Then, recalling something else, Kasra added, “Oh! Your Sport is ready, too. I’ve arranged to have it delivered there as well. It’ll be parked in your designated spot.”

  “Thanks, Kas.”

  Kasra glanced around the table and reminded, “And one more thing: starting tomorrow, Seven will be known as ‘Kieran Kavanagh.’”

  Seven nodded, jaw set. If this was the path forward, he’d walk it without hesitation.