The garden paths behind the Cross estate glowed in the low embrace of evening.
Lanterns set along the stone walkways cast soft circles of light that bled into the deepening blue, nudging back the dark without quite erasing it. The air smelled like damp earth and roses, with a faint undercurrent of pine from the trees that ringed the property.
Dinner had finally wound down; Casey had gone inside still arguing about the superior stroller brand, Cameron was probably already planning a ballad about unclehood, and Alexander had retreated to his office under the guise of emails but with eyes that had gone softer than anyone would dare mention.
Trina and Adrian slipped out the back doors quietly, the warmth of the house at their backs.
For a few moments, they walked without speaking. Gravel c
