Kali moved the grain of rice on her plate with the fork she held. At some point during the excitement of conversations and family banter, she felt incredibly lonely. In the past, dinners with the Madden family were usually tense. She had grown used to the attacks from Giovanna and ridicule from Ysabel. It turned out that she fed off those things to keep her strength. This dinner was different. The disdain was still the same, but no one seemed in a hurry to light a fire. Everyone rather decided to relish in old memories and share tales of their different lives. In thirty minutes, Kali learned about Peter's job at the family office, Ember's years in college, Timothy's inspirations for his paintings and Samuel's work in graphic design. Yes. Everyone talked a lot during this dinner. There was laughter, clinking of champagne flutes, and rounds of cheers. The drinks flowed like milk, the food and the joy appeared endless. Kali was certain she would go mad. Sorely, she wished they’d fight.

“Come in.” He called out when he heard a knock at the door. His fingers clicked and clacked over the keyboard.Work was going well, and so were things in his life. After months of feeling like he was being tossed about in a storm, Samuel was finding his footing again. It felt good. He had a few jobs and found himself deep in work.“One second, Roy, I am finishing up with this and…”“It’s me, Samuel.”His head snapped up. “Flora?”“You don’t have a secretary still, it seems. I would have tried to make an appointment.” He indicated that she could enter, and she did. “Then again, if I made an appointment, I am sure you would have found ways to cancel.”Samuel couldn’t argue with that. After he found out about her meeting Kali, he was haunted by the need to see her. The excuses were as deep as the oceans. The reason he never allowed himself to do it

As Kali sat in the garden the next day, waiting for Ember to get ready, she thought more about her conversation with Samuel. She understood his dilemma but from a different perspective. He was adamant Flora wasn't a vindictive woman, but grief and betrayal brought out the worst in people. If Flora didn't get over her pain and it transformed into disdain, they would be in for more heat. The ticking bombs were lining up, it seemed, waiting for the right day to explode in their faces. The chair by her scraped the stone grounds, drawing her eyes away from the flowers. Ysabel, elegantly dressed, as usual, slid into the seat. 

Kali sat in her bed later in the evening, reading a book while she waited for Samuel to return from his run. The desire to tell him about everything that happened with Richard was strong, but fear of his reaction held her back. Since she mentioned him a few times, she noted his unease even when he tried to appear comprehensive of their situation. He was, after all, still married to the ex-girlfriend of his mother's lover. Nervous, she dropped the book and began deftly massaging the knot in her shoulder. She was relatively calmer when the bedroom door opened, and a sweaty Samuel stepped into the room. He smiled at her in greeting, peeling the earbuds out of his ears and unzipping the thick jacket he wore. "How was your run?" "Good." "Can I talk to you about something after you shower?" She jumped into it before she could talk herself out of it. "Sure thing. Give me a minute." Kali relaxed back on the pillows while he walked to the bathroom. She placed the book on her bedside table

Christen walked into her house, grateful to step out of her heels after spending hours on her feet at Daniel’s house. The soles of her feet were sore from being stuffed in her heels for so long. The dinner had been eventful, so much time was spent interacting with guests and family members. It felt like she had been standing for ages. It didn't usually bother her, but her mood was greatly affected by the pity she felt for her friend. Seeing Samuel at the party was what Flora needed to get over him. He was happily married, and his wife hung on his every word. She supported him and seemed enamoured by him. It also didn't skip her attention that Kali wasn't in the best of relationships with Ysabel either.