Persephone slipped into her bedroom while her father and sister ate, letting the familiar pull of the space take her before she'd fully caught her breath from the day's overwhelming reunion.
She found Penelope near the crystal spring, the rest of the family scattered in various quiet pockets of the golden afternoon — Erik with Aurora, Kai and Ben mid-conversation near the tree line, Aunt Mary and Aunt Lucy tending the garden together.
"Penny!"
Penelope looked up, immediately reading the barely contained excitement written across her cousin's face. "What is it?"
"They're here." Persephone's voice cracked slightly around the words, joy and disbelief still fresh enough to overwhelm her composure. "My dad, Dahlia, Victor. They made it. They just finished eating, and I couldn't wait another second to tell you."
Penelope's breath caught, something bright and immediate flooding her chest. "They're actually here?"
