The Nightingale family dinner had been scheduled for days, but Aria's engagement announcement gave the gathering additional significance that had everyone arriving with heightened anticipation. Our family's main dining room had been prepared with the kind of attention to detail that marked special occasions—the good china, carefully arranged flowers, and an atmosphere that balanced formality with genuine warmth.
I arrived with Stella, Reika, Rose, and Cecilia, noting how the gathering had grown considerably larger than originally planned. When Cecilia and Rose had learned about the family dinner, both had insisted on attending—though for somewhat different reasons.
"Remember," I said quietly as we approached the front door, "tonight is about Aria's happiness. Whatever else happens, that's the priority."
