“You are beautiful as always, Violet," he murmured. His parents smiled at us from where they sat sipping wine. There. Every single one of us was smiling.It was all very pleasant, even if my cheeks were starting to hurt.”

“Hadrian drew two swords from his sides in a single elegant motion. He flipped one aroundletting it spin against his palm once. “Need to get a new grip on this one. It’s starting to fray again.” He looked at Will. “Shall we get on with this? I believe you were about to rob us.”

“When anybody, no matter how old they are, loses a parent, I think it hurts the same as if you were only five years old, you know? I think all of us are always five years old in the presence and absence of our parents.”

“She’s having a party, youknow. This coming week.”He took a sip of wine. “I know. I received an invitation this morning before you arrived.According to her flowing prose, I am to be the guest of honor.” He shuddered.Miranda couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, my mother is quite taken with you now that you’re assisting us financially. I’m sure she’ll fawn over you all evening.”He downed the remainder of his wine in one swig. “Dear God, now I wish I hadn’t accepted the invitation.”She giggled at his twisted, pained expression. “Oh, of course you must come. Drink the wine, appreciate the orchestra. After all, you’re paying for it.”Ethan’s expression went from a playfully pained one to a truly pained one for a brief instant. His frown drew down and he looked at her evenly.“No, Miranda. I believe it is you who are paying,” he said softly.”

“Inside all of us, she reflected, were smiling bones. She would do her best to remember from now on that even on the hardest days there was always a smile underneath her skin.”

“What are you doing?" I say hoarsely as he trails a finger from the beauty mark on my rib cage to the one on my hip, leaving a path of goose bumps in his wake."Connecting the dots," he murmurs with a wicked look. "Uh-oh, you made me lose my place. Now I have to start all over again...”