The Party
The morning dawned crisp, the sky painted in clean shades of blue streaked with soft white clouds. A mild breeze moved through the expansive garden of Ares’s estate, rustling the leaves and carrying with it the scent of freshly cut grass. Today, the place was transformed.
Streamers of bright colors, red, gold, and blue fluttered overhead, strung from one tree to another. A giant inflatable castle stood proudly at the far end of the garden, already squeaking under the weight of children bouncing inside. A clown in a painted face twisted balloons into animals while a group of girls giggled, clutching their creations.
It was the eighth birthday of the quadruplets, and the house seemed alive with joy.
Julian, dressed in a tailored shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to his elbow
