The night stretched on, filled with easy laughter and playful banter. The stars above twinkled softly, casting a glow over the backyard as if even the universe was enjoying the moment.
Jnr, now fully recovered from his near-death burger experience, was sprawled on the grass beside Greg and Jason, debating something absurd.
"I'm telling you," Jnr said dramatically, waving his hands, "if I had a jetpack, I could totally outrun a cheetah."
Greg snorted. "Yeah, until you crash into a tree."
Jason smirked. "Or set yourself on fire."
Jnr pointed at him. "See, this is why I like Greg better."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Please, you'd be lost without me."
From her spot by the fire pit, Christy sighed. "This is what happens when you raise delinquents."
Rea smirked. "You should talk. Greg is your kid."
Eric, sitting beside Christy, chuckled. "Which explains why he's competitive."
Greg, overhearing, crossed his arms. "Hey! I get my competitive nature from my father too."
Jaxon raised a brow. "Eric lost a fight to a treadmill once."
Eric scowled. "That treadmill was faulty."
Elena grinned. "It was running, and you weren't."
Laughter erupted, and Eric sighed in defeat, rubbing his face. "Why do I still come to these gatherings?"
Rina smirked. "Because you love us."
Eric groaned. "Unfortunately."
As the teasing continued, Rea sat back, letting the warmth of the fire soak in. It had been years since she had felt this at ease.
Then, quietly, Celeste sat beside her.
For a moment, they just watched the others, their family, enjoying the peace they had fought so hard for.
Celeste finally broke the silence. "You've done well."
Rea glanced at her. "With what?"
Celeste smiled softly. "With Aster."
Rea looked toward Jnr, who was now trying to convince Jason and Greg that he could eat a whole cake in under two minutes.
Her heart clenched. "Sometimes I wonder if I did enough."
Celeste's gaze was warm. "You gave him a life, Rea. A home. You loved him."
Rea swallowed hard. "It wasn't the life I wanted for him."
Celeste sighed. "We rarely get what we want in this world. But we make the best of what we have."
Rea stayed silent for a long moment before nodding. "Yeah."
Jnr suddenly turned to her. "Hey, Mom, how much do you think I could sell Uncle Jaxon's car for?"
Jaxon immediately sat up. "I will throw you in a lake."
Jnr grinned. "Promises, promises."
Rea sighed. "And this is my life."
Celeste laughed softly. "It's a good one."
And for the first time in a long time, Rea believed it.
Chapter 74
The house was quiet, a stark contrast to the loud and chaotic family gathering from earlier. Rea sat on the couch, flipping through some files from her latest mission, while Jnr lounged on the floor, scrolling through his phone.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then, Jnr suddenly sat up, resting his arms on the coffee table. "Hey, Mom?"
Rea hummed in response, still focused on her files.
Jnr hesitated before continuing, "Who was Aster?"
Rea froze.
Her fingers clenched slightly around the papers, and she slowly looked up. Jnr was staring at her with his usual curiosity, but there was something deeper in his gaze—something serious.
"I mean, I see his pictures everywhere," Jnr went on. "In your room, in the study, even in Uncle Eric's house. And people talk about him, but they never really talk about him, you know?" He tilted his head. "What was he like?"
Rea let out a slow breath and set her files aside. "Aster was…" She trailed off, searching for the right words. "He was a pain in the ass."
Jnr blinked, then snorted. "Wow. Great start."
Rea smirked slightly but then shook her head, her expression softening. "But he was also… the funniest, most frustrating, and bravest person I ever knew."
Jnr stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.
Rea leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling as memories flooded in. "He never took anything seriously—except when it mattered. He had this stupid smirk, like he always knew something you didn't. And he never shut up."
Jnr chuckled. "Sounds familiar."
Rea arched a brow. "Oh, trust me, you wish you were as annoying as him."
Jnr grinned. "I dunno. I think I'm doing a pretty good job."
Rea rolled her eyes but then exhaled, her gaze turning distant. "He had a rough life. He found out everything he knew was a lie—who he was, where he came from, who his father really was." Her voice tightened. "But even with all of that, he still found a way to smile. To joke. Even when he was scared."
Jnr's grin faded. "He was scared?"
Rea nodded slowly. "Yeah. A lot more than he ever let on. But he never let it stop him."
Jnr studied her. "You miss him."
Rea swallowed hard. "Every single day."
A comfortable silence settled between them. Jnr tapped his fingers against the table, deep in thought, before speaking again. "Do you think he'd like me?"
Rea blinked, surprised by the question.
Then, she smiled—soft and a little sad. "He would've loved you, Jnr."
Jnr looked away quickly, like he was trying to play it cool, but Rea didn't miss the way his ears turned a little red.
After a moment, he smirked. "Well, obviously. I'm amazing."
Rea snorted. "And humble."
Jnr stretched and flopped onto the couch beside her. "Tell me another story about him."
Rea glanced at him. "It's late."
Jnr shrugged. "So?"
Rea rolled her eyes but gave in. "Fine. But don't blame me when you can't wake up tomorrow."
Jnr grinned. "Worth it."
And so, for the rest of the night, Rea told him stories—about the boy who had left a mark on all their lives. About the brother she had lost. About Aster.