The four mates stood in the silence that followed, processing the strange grief of losing children they had gained so briefly, mixed with the joy of knowing that those children would exist, would thrive, would become incredible people in their own right.
"Well," Marcus said eventually, his voice carrying the kind of careful control that suggested he was managing his own emotional response, "that was simultaneously the most wonderful and most heartbreaking family dinner I've ever experienced."
"But worth it," Samantha said firmly, wiping tears from her cheeks while maintaining a smile that was equal parts sadness and joy.
The moment hung between them, heavy with emotion and possibility, before Kai broke it with the kind of practical enthusiasm that always emerged when he was ready to channel feelings into action.
