تسجيل الدخول~ SIMONJack had punched a kid because he called Abby dead.I found out in the principal's office, with Sam staring at the floor, Lily clinging to Chloe's hand, and Jack sitting in a chair way too small for the rage he was trying to hold back."He said someone in a coma is basically dead and that my mom was dead," Jack said. "I told him to stop.""And then you hit him," the principal finished."Then he said it again."I wanted to tell him I got it. Wanted to ask if the punch had at least landed good. Instead, I sat down across from him."You were right to tell him to stop. You messed up when you threw the punch.""Funny, 'cause the other day you had a busted lip, Uncle Simon. Didn't you get in a fight too?"The principal looked at me with fresh interest."Is he getting suspended?" I asked, clearing my throat."Yes, those are the school's rules," the principal explained. "The psychologist already spoke with him, but she's still evaluating the situation. Once she's done, she'l
~ JAMIEI woke up to Simon sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless, answering messages that were already coming in about the Honolulu deal."What do you think about me posting our photos on Instagram?" he asked.I blinked, confused."You didn't post anything, did you?"He turned the screen to show me the empty Instagram page."Nothing. Your family first.""Thank you.""Can I put on a shirt before I talk to my mother-in-law on video?""That would be civilized."My mom cried. My dad congratulated us for the second time. My sister wanted to see the ring from every angle. When I finally hung up, the unease about the post was still there, but it wasn't big enough to hide the joy.We got back to New York Sunday night. The kids almost knocked Simon over in the elevator. Lily came straight for my hand."Can I touch it?""Carefully."Chloe hung back a few steps with a strange look on her face. She was wearing jeans and a simple sweater. Her smile was flawless."Congratulations
~ SIMONChloe sat up straight when she realized I was watching her through the screen."The kids need to go to bed," she said quickly. "It's past their bedtime here.""Two more minutes," Jamie asked.She sat down next to me on the sand and showed the ring again. Lily wanted to know if she'd be a bridesmaid. Sam wanted a five-tier cake. Jack asked if a wedding in Hawaii meant he could skip school."The wedding isn't tomorrow," Jamie explained."Why not?" Lily made a face. "He already proposed.""Because adults complicate simple things," I answered.Jamie poked my ribs."Because we want to plan the party details, princess."When we hung up, Jamie kept staring at the dark screen. I put my arm around her."Regretting it?""Are you going to ask me that every five minutes?""For the next twenty-four hours. Then I'll scale back to once a day."We smiled at the same time.We had dinner on the sand, though neither of us paid attention to the food. Jamie asked questions about tim
~ JAMIEA second light rose over the ocean, silent. Then another. And another.They weren't fireworks. They were golden points, small as fireflies, climbing in perfect formation and lining up against the dark sky like someone was drawing with stars. I stood frozen, breath caught, feeling my heart slam against my ribs."Simon... what is that?"He didn't answer. Just stood beside me, his hand finding mine, his eyes locked on the sky. The drones started to move, and the first image took shape. A terrace. A balcony of a high-rise, identical to the one at his office, with two figures made of light standing side by side. One of them, taller, had that confident posture. The other, smaller, with a bun in her hair. Then a third point of light appeared — a miniature helicopter landing on the drawn helipad, and the smaller figure walked away, leaving the tall one alone."It's you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "And me."The show kept going. The drones regrouped, and the scene changed.
~ SIMONJamie waited until the suite door closed before turning on me.“‘Soon’?”I carefully took off my jacket and hung it up before the box in my pocket could give everything away.“It was a social answer.”“Oh.” She exhaled, visibly relieved.“You didn’t like me introducing you as my girlfriend?”“That’s not it. I was just caught off guard.”She set the folder on the table.“You could’ve warned me.”“I did. This morning. I called you my girlfriend at least six times.”“It’s different in front of international business partners.”“Why? You’re my general counsel in every country. And my girlfriend in all of them.”Color climbed her neck. I stepped closer and brushed my thumb over the warm skin.“I’m not hiding you. And I don’t want anyone thinking I’m available, because I’m not.”The irritation in Jamie’s face softened.“I just would’ve liked time to prepare my face.”“Your face was beautiful.”“It was red.”“My favorite color.”She shoved a hand against my chest,
~ JAMIELily appeared on the screen with dry cheeks and a crooked tiara.“Uncle Simon! Look, Chloe braided my hair.”Simon glanced at me before answering.“It looks beautiful, sweetheart. Were you crying?”“I cried because I spilled milk on my dress.”“You’re not scared I won’t come back, are you?” he asked carefully.Lily frowned.“No. You promised presents.”Chloe quickly appeared behind her.“She calmed down as soon as she heard you were calling. I think I misunderstood why she was upset.”“Okay,” Simon said. “Next time, text first. If it’s urgent, tell me exactly what happened.”Chloe’s smile never faltered.“Of course. Sorry for interrupting.”“You didn’t interrupt,” I said, even though she absolutely had. “Take care of them.”“I will, Jamie.”She said my name sweetly. When the call ended, Simon kept staring at the dark screen.“Weird,” he murmured.“First day.”“You already said that.”“Because it’s still true.”“And because you don’t want to admit you don’t







