The house was alive with laughter, the backyard filled with the smell of grilled food and the warm glow of string lights hanging from the porch. It had been a long time since they had all gathered like this—without missions, without chaos, without the weight of the past pressing down on them.
Rea stepped outside, rolling her shoulders after the long mission. Christy was right beside her, stretching her arms with a loud groan.
"I swear, if I have to sit through another debriefing, I'm going to stab someone," Christy muttered.
Rea smirked. "Isn't that your solution to everything?"
Before Christy could respond, a loud voice cut through the air.
"Auntie Christy! I have come to bless you with my presence!"
Rea sighed as Jnr—Aster—ran toward them at full speed, arms flailing dramatically. He skidded to a stop right in front of Christy, grinning up at her with that mischievous glint in his eyes.
Christy narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"
Jnr clutched his chest. "Wow. Is that how you greet your favorite nephew?"
"You're not my nephew."
"But I could be." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Adopt me."
Rea smacked the back of his head. "I did adopt you. One parent is enough."
Jnr rubbed his head, pouting. "Rude." Then he turned back to Christy. "Fine, if you won't adopt me, at least answer this: if I were to hypothetically steal all of Uncle Eric's food, would you back me up in court?"
Christy snorted. "Depends. How good is your lawyer?"
Jnr pointed at Rea. "Her."
Rea sighed. "You're going to jail."
Jnr gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Betrayal! You wound me, Mother!"
Before Rea could respond, the sound of more voices reached them.
On the porch, Celeste and Andrew were sitting together, talking softly, while Elena and Jaxon stood by the grill, checking on the food. Their son, Jason, was running around with Greg, both of them clearly up to no good.
Rina sat at the picnic table, chatting with Mina and Raine, occasionally sipping from her drink.
Eric, however, looked less amused. He was standing near the cooler, arms crossed as he glared at Christy.
"Are we just going to pretend you weren't yelling at me five minutes ago?" Eric asked.
Christy rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You were yelling at me."
"You lost my jacket, Christy."
Christy waved a dismissive hand. "It's just a jacket."
"It was my favorite jacket."
Jnr leaned toward Rea. "Are they always like this?"
Rea sighed. "Always."
Jnr grinned. "I love this family."
Just then, Jaxon's voice rang out from the grill. "Food's ready!"
That was all Jnr needed to hear before he sprinted toward the table, nearly knocking over a chair in his rush. "If anyone touches my plate, we're fighting!"
Christy watched him go, shaking her head. "Where did you even find this kid?"
Rea smiled, watching Jnr shove an entire burger into his mouth before attempting to argue with Greg about who could eat faster.
"He found me," she said simply.
Jnr, still chewing on his burger like a starving wolf, looked up at Greg with narrowed eyes. "Alright, little man, let's settle this once and for all. Who can eat the fastest?"
Greg, Eric and Christy's son, smirked. "You're on."
Christy groaned. "Oh, for the love of—please don't choke. I do not want to explain to the doctors that my son and Rea's kid died in a food duel."
Jnr dramatically cracked his knuckles. "Mother, if I go down, tell my story."
Rea took a sip of her drink. "I'll tell them you were an idiot."
Jnr gasped. "This is abuse."
Meanwhile, Jaxon stood by the grill, shaking his head. "I swear, this family gets weirder every year."
Elena, his wife, smirked. "You married into it. No backing out now."
Jason, their son, was sitting next to Raine, completely unfazed by the chaos. "I think Uncle Jnr might actually die this time," he muttered.
Raine rolled her eyes. "He says that every week, and yet he still lives."
The food duel had officially begun. Jnr and Greg were stuffing their faces at lightning speed while Mina watched in horror.
Mina covered her eyes. "This is disgusting."
Rina, sipping her drink beside her, smirked. "This is entertainment."
Celeste and Andrew, who had been chatting quietly, finally turned their attention to the madness. Celeste sighed. "Do we ever have a normal family gathering?"
Andrew chuckled. "Not in fifteen years."
Jnr, now halfway through his fifth burger, suddenly groaned and dropped his food. "Okay, okay, I tap out!"
Greg stood up, raising his arms in victory. "I win! Bow before me, peasant!"
Jnr dramatically fell onto the table. "I see the light… tell Christy she was my favorite."
Christy blinked. "You've known me longer than your actual mother."
Jnr opened one eye. "Exactly."
Rea threw a napkin at his face. "You're walking home."
Jnr sat up immediately. "I love you, Mom."
Laughter echoed through the backyard as everyone finally started eating like normal people. Eric, still grumbling about his missing jacket, sat down beside Christy and muttered, "You owe me a new one."
Christy smirked. "Fine, I'll get you a pink one with sparkles."
Eric glared at her. "I hate you."
She winked. "No, you don't."
Jaxon, watching the two, sighed. "You two are worse than the kids."
Elena chuckled. "You say that like you're not just as bad."
Jaxon raised a brow. "I am the responsible one."
Jason looked up. "Dad, last week you tried to fight the washing machine."
Jaxon scowled. "It ate my sock."
More laughter filled the air as the sun set, casting a golden glow over them. It had been years of loss, war, and pain, but somehow, they were all still standing. Together.
Rea, watching everyone around her, felt a rare sense of peace settle in her chest. She had lost so much, but she had also gained a family—one she would protect with everything she had.
Jnr, still recovering from his food coma, leaned against her shoulder. "Hey, Mom?"
She looked down at him. "Yeah?"
He grinned sleepily. "This is nice."
Rea smiled softly. "Yeah. It is."