Mira prepared the tea carefully.
She lined the cups neatly on the low table, just the way her father had taught her—steady hands, calm mind.
The doorbell rang exactly on time.
"That must be Linda," Mira said.
She was wrong.
Katherine burst in first, arms wide. "I HAVE ARRIVED."
Linda followed behind her, carrying a bag of snacks and shaking her head. "She rang the bell three times."
"I was excited," Katherine defended herself.
Mira smiled and let them in.
---
They spread books across the table.
Within ten minutes, Katherine was lying on the floor dramatically.
"I can't do this anymore," she groaned. "Math is trying to end me."
Linda calmly slid her notes toward her. "Page three. You skipped a step."
Katherine sat up instantly. "Oh."
Mira laughed softly.
---
As evening settled in, conversation drifted.
"Your house is huge," Katherine said, looking around. "It feels like a movie set."
"It's not really mine," Mira replied honestly.
Linda glanced at her but didn't ask.
Instead, she said, "Your tea is good."
"My father taught me," Mira said without thinking.
The room went quiet.
Then Katherine spoke gently, without her usual exaggeration. "He sounds like a good man."
Mira nodded. "He was."
That was all she said.
That was enough.
---
At the doorway later, Katherine hugged her tightly.
"You're stuck with us now," she said. "No escaping."
Linda smiled. "Text us if you ever need anything."
Mira watched them leave, warmth filling her chest.
---
From the hallway, Dominic observed quietly.
He hadn't interrupted.
He had simply watched Mira laugh in a way he'd never seen before.
"You did well," Aaron said softly.
Dominic nodded.
---
Later that night, Mira checked her phone.
Katherine: TODAY WAS PERFECT
Linda: Same time next week?
Mira: I'd like that.
She placed the phone down and touched the bracelet on her wrist.
For the first time since her father died, her heart felt… lighter.