I was admittedly thrown off by the speed at which everything was moving. Just this morning, I had been stressing over being able to afford bills, and now I was sitting at a fine dining restaurant, having lunch, after Emily and I had spent an exhausting amount of time clothes shopping on Sebastian Vascile’s dime. A small fortune worth of bags was currently sitting in the trunk of the Cadillac that the driver, who had informed me that his name was Curtis, had left with the valet. 

Emily had insisted I try some of the most expensive items on the menu, and when I protested, she had given a fake pout. Joel, with a cheeky grin, had leaned over to me and suggested that I just go along with it. 

So I did. 

It ended up being the best lunch that I had ever eaten. It seemed that even apart from K-pop groups, Emily and I never ran out things to talk about. She was an amiable little thing, with her big bright eyes. So much to say. So many things to tell me about. I’d been worried about us hitting it off, but halfway through lunch, I already felt like we were family. 

“You’re very pretty,” Emily said, reaching out to gently brush my hair with her fingers. 

“Thank you, Emily. You’re quite lovely yourself,” I said, playing with her braid. “Did you do your hair this morning?”

“Actually, it was Joel. He learned how to do it from a YouTube video. He always does nice things for me like that.”

I glanced at Joel, who appeared to blush, “It’s the least I can do for our little princess. We all want her to be happy.”

“Happy, but not spoiled,” Emily said, raising a finger as she appeared to quote someone, “Content, but not rotten. I still have to take care of myself and do my chores. The world does not wait on me. And I should never want it to.” 

“That is a great motto,” I said, “Who taught you that?”

“Uncle Seb,” Emily looked at me with those big blue eyes. “He said he used to be spoiled when he was younger. He got everything he wanted all the time, and it turned him into a jerk. He said it took a long time to dig out the rotten part inside him and become a good person.”

I nodded. Wise kiddo. Wise uncle. 

I was very curious to meet Sebastian Vascile. To learn what sort of person he was. To thank him for everything he had given me so far. I already adored his niece. 

“Well, Ms. Emily, shall we return home, or would you like dessert?” Joel asked. 

“Uhhh, definitely dessert!” Emily said. “If that’s alright with you, Joel.”

“Of course it is,” Joel nodded, before sticking a finger up to signal the waiter. 

I glanced across the table at the driver, Curtis, who was still devouring his steak. It was refreshing how casual everyone was. The help dining with the family in a fancy setting. You didn’t see that every day. 

After everyone ordered their dessert, and the waiter walked away, Joel turned to me. 

“So, what do you think, Ms. Evans? Are you ready to move in with us? To be a daily part of Ms. Emily’s life?” Joel asked. 

It took only a second of looking at Emily’s adorable face to realize that I would already do everything in my power to protect this little girl. 

I nodded, “I would like nothing more.”

“Yes!” Emily exclaimed, squeezing her hand into a triumphant fist.

“Excellent. That’s excellent,” Joel said. “We can show you your quarters when we get back. I’ll have movers bring the stuff from your apartment tonight. Unless you’d like to say goodbye personally?”

“Wow, you guys don’t waste time, huh?” I asked, looking back and forth between Joel and Emily. 

“I think you’ll love your room!” Exclaimed Emily. “It’s all turquoise. It’s like being in the ocean!”

“Well, uh, I can’t wait for you to show it to me,” I said, before taking a nervous sip of my water. 

A few hours after the best lunch of my life, I was lying in my new bed staring up at the ceiling, completely in shock at how quickly everything had moved. I’d signed more paperwork and given Joel permission to send people to pack up my apartment. I’d sent my notice to my old landlord, as well as my manager at the store, hoping that this wasn’t all some elaborate prank and I would be out on the street tomorrow. 

Here I was though, in the softest most comfortable bed I’d ever had the pleasure of lying in. Emily had insisted I take a nap as my eyes were bloodshot and I looked exhausted. ‘No offense,’ she had added, looking worried I might actually be upset. I couldn’t help but crack up at her honesty. 

She gleefully showed me my room and the connecting bathroom when we got back to the house. It was exactly as beautiful as she had described, and I couldn’t help but feel like it had been designed for me in another life. My favorite color turquoise adorned every wall and ceiling of the room and bathroom, giving it a very underwater-like atmosphere. 

The bathtub was huge! Large enough for me to lay my body completely flat and still not touch the end. It also had bubble jets that I couldn’t wait to use. There was a marble sink that sat on a base shaped like a mermaid’s fin. 

In the room, there was a giant bubbling water tank that didn’t currently have any fish in it, but cast a soothing light on the walls and ceiling while also offering background noise for me to quiet my mind. 

It was like a strange dream. 

Unreal. 

I stared at the reflection of the water on the ceiling. Watched it mold and form into various shapes. Faces. Bubbles of people’s heads popping. Yellow eyes. A gaping mouth. Long fingers, reaching for my throat. 

I woke up with a gasp.

Somehow, I’d managed to fall asleep.

I checked my phone and saw that it was after 8pm.

Shit, I really had been tired. I’d gone to nap at 4:30. What would they be thinking of me? Brand new to the job and already sleeping all day. 

I jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. Glancing in the mirror, I straightened up my hair and my clothes and took a deep breath before heading downstairs. My stomach rumbled a bit, and it occurred to me that I was feeling a tad peckish. 

Would it be impolite to stop by the kitchen and grab a snack? Should I go check in with Emily?

My official start date wasn’t until the day after tomorrow, but I wanted to make a good impression. I decided I would look for Joel and find out what was expected of me. He seemed like the most accommodating guy in the world, so I fully expected him to tell me to just enjoy myself or whatever, but still. 

I almost got lost finding my way downstairs. I managed to pass Emily’s room, but I could hear her blasting music in there, and didn’t want to interrupt her alone time. Taking the elevator down to the first floor, I got out right in time to realize that I had no idea where Joel worked from. I only knew the office he had taken me to, and quickly checking there, I discovered he was not around. 

Why did I have to sleep so long?!

I wandered further down the hall, which was eerie and quiet, despite the light being on. Eventually, I reached what turned out to be the dining room. Stepping tentatively inside, I took in all the splendor of the long wooden table, the fine candlesticks in their crystal holders. 

There was no one there. 

The kitchen must be nearby, I thought.  

I could just pop in for a snack, then go to Emily’s room and have a chat with her to figure things out. 

I turned to leave the dining room, only to find an extremely tall looming figure standing in the doorway. My breath caught in my chest for a moment as I looked up at the stunning figure before me. Pale skin and long dark hair tied back in a pony-tail were complemented by a fancy black suit that was hanging open and untucked. 

“You must be Calista,” the figure said in a quiet deep voice. “I hope I didn’t startle you. I’m Sebastian Vascile. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“P-pleasure,” I stammered, so caught off-guard that I was having trouble remembering why I was standing there in the dining room in the first place. 

“Were you looking for anything in particular?” Sebastian asked, seeming to glide into the room toward me. The closer he got, the more I was struck by how incredibly tall he was. He towered over me by probably a foot or so. I craned my neck up to look him in the eye. 

His eyes were stunning. Exceptionally long lashes gave way to eyes the color of a murky pond, except when the light hit them just right and they seemed to shimmer like emeralds somehow. His bow-shaped lips peeled back into a grin, and I couldn’t help but glance at his glimmering white teeth. 

“I was…I was,” I looked around, pulling my gaze away from him to get my bearings. Why was he so damn hypnotic to look at? I’d seen plenty of handsome men before, but there was something about Sebastian that seemed otherworldly. It was hard to define. He gave off an aura of strength, darkness, and beauty that I had never seen before. Even his voice gave me a shiver. I felt both drawn to and repulsed by him, not sure if I should bolt away or jump his bones right there. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, gently placing a finger on my chin to tilt my head up so that his gaze met mine. The motion was so intimate, and would have pissed me off coming from any other strange man I had just met. Yet, looking up into his eyes, I found myself completely unbothered. Totally relaxed.

“I was looking for something to eat,” I admitted, having finally recalled why I was standing in the dining room. 

“Shall we look together?” he asked. 

I realized he had an accent, but I couldn’t place it. If I had to wager a guess, it was definitely European.

I nodded, and stepped back, breaking our gaze again and trying to clear my head. 

“Please, follow me,” he gestured to a door leading off the dining room that I had neglected to notice before. I followed behind as he led the way to what turned out to be the kitchen. It was full of metal tables, ovens, stoves, and very large refrigerators. It seemed grand enough to cook for an entire restaurant.

He headed to the nearest fridge, opening it to reveal a plethora of fruits, vegetables, yogurts, cheeses, and slices of meat. My stomach audibly rumbled as I eyed all the food, and thought of the embarrassing jar of half eaten pickles and container of mustard that had taken up my fridge at the apartment.

“Wow,” I muttered. 

“We like to keep healthy options for Emily. It took years to get her off of chicken nuggets. Lately, she’s been avoiding meat altogether, so we keep it around for the workers’ lunches.”

“That’s very gracious of you,” I said. 

“It’s pragmatic,” Sebastian admitted. “I find you’re more inclined to care for people and their belongings if you have a full stomach.” He grabbed a number of things from the fridge, nudged the door closed with his foot, then set to washing, cutting, and setting up a delicious looking tray of fruits, veggies, crackers from a nearby cupboard, and cheese. He set the tray in front of me with a flourish. 

“I believe Joel offered you one of these earlier today, but you went out to lunch instead. I love a good charcuterie board.” 

I immediately went to town on some strawberries, following up with crackers and cheese. I glanced at Sebastian, who was watching me eat with an amused grin on his face. 

“Aren’t you going to have anything?” I asked. 

“I’ve already eaten my breakfast,” he said. “Would you prefer I leave while you’re eating?”

“Oh, you’re fine,” I said, not wanting him to leave just yet.

Being around him was fascinating, almost intoxicating. I didn’t want the experience to end just yet. 

It was a strange feeling, being so comfortable already in my new home. Especially with my history of meeting people who had turned out to be monsters.

I had a million questions for Sebastian, but I fought them back with bites of fruit and cheese. It seemed rude to ask so many things when I had just met the man, even if we were presently getting to know one another. 

“What do you want to know?” he asked, seemingly reading my mind. 

“What?” I paused with a blueberry on its way to my mouth, staring at him in confusion. 

“About your position here, Emily, me, the house. What do you want to know?” he reiterated.

“Do you always hire staff so quickly?” I blurted.

He grinned and shook his head, “no.”

“What happened to the last nanny?” I asked.

“We moved and she stayed behind,” he said. “We gave her a very generous severance package.”

“Why did you move?” 

“Next question.”

“What do you do for work?” I asked. 

“I’m in finance. It’s quite lucrative, as you can see.”

“Is Emily really your niece?”

“I consider her my family, yes. But we are not related by blood, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“How do you know you can trust me?” I asked. 

“How do you know you can trust me?” he countered.

Okay…

“Why did you choose me to be Emily’s nanny?”

“You were the obvious choice.”

“What does that mean?” I raised an eyebrow. 

He merely smiled at me, “next question.”

“Shouldn’t you be working now?”

“I make my own schedule,” he said. “The perks of being in my position.”

“Is Joel your boyfriend?”

Sebastian burst out laughing, and I jolted in surprise.

He shook his head while wiping his eyes with his sleeve, “No. Definitely not. Though, I can’t imagine he would be too upset at the prospect.”

“Am I going to get screwed by leaving my old life behind and putting everything into this place and your niece?”

“Maybe. But can you honestly say you weren’t screwed in your old life? This is a chance for something new. Something exciting. I think it suits you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“You’re right, I don’t.”

“Do you always make presumptions about people you don’t know?”

“Often, yes.”

“How’s that working out for you?”

“It’s come with a real learning curve, but I’m getting the hang of it.”

“Why are you so easy to talk to?” I asked. 

Sebastian bit his bottom lip, glancing down at the charcuterie board. He looked completely vulnerable at that moment. 

“I’m very charming. It’s a gift. I was born with it.”

“My, don’t you think highly of yourself.” I was mortified as the words left my mouth. Here I was insulting my new boss, the man who had just handed me a cushy new job, new life, new opportunity on a silver platter. “I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be,” he waved a hand dismissively. “I let my ego grow a little too big sometimes. It’s important to deflate it once in a while.”

I couldn’t think of what else to say, so I quickly shoved the blueberry I had been holding into my mouth, and tried to appear busy with eating. 

“What do you do to calm your nerves when you’re anxious?” he asked quietly. 

I swallowed the blueberry, thinking hard on that seemingly random question. 

“I sing to myself,” I admitted.

“Are you any good?” he asked. 

“According to some,” I said. 

“Could you sing for me sometime?”

I thought of Jeffrey, of my nightmare last night where he wrapped his fingers around my throat, possessive of my voice. Of me. 

“I’ll have to be a lot more comfortable with you first,” I said. 

He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded, “I understand.”

“I appreciate your understanding,” I said. “To be perfectly honest, the thought of singing in front of anyone else is kinda terrifying right now. One too many times in the past, people have become obsessed with my voice. Sorry if I sound like a narcissist. I have heard all sorts of compliments, like how I should apply to be on talent shows and show the world what I can do. A few times, I’ve had men follow me down the street when they’ve heard me sing, refusing to leave me alone until I screamed at them to go away. Thankfully, they tend to flee in terror when my angry side comes out. Not Jeffrey though.”

“Jeffrey?” Sebastian asked. 

“Jeffrey was…well, he was a mistake. Abusive ex. Jeffrey became utterly possessive of my voice, refusing to let me sing around anyone but him. I feel sick just thinking about him.”

I saw Sebastian glance toward the door, then back at me. 

“I’m sorry you went through all that,” he said. “I wish the world had been kinder to you.”

I shrugged, then to change the subject, I muttered, “So how do you calm your nerves?”

“Personally, I love to dance,” he said. “And of course, I do it like no one is watching because usually no one is. However, Joel has been known to walk in on me from time to time despite my best efforts at not being seen.”

“Maybe when we’re more comfortable, you can dance for me?” I suggested. What a strange thing to bring up to your boss, wasn’t it? I almost shook my head in self-admonishment. 

“Only if we can dance together,” he said. 

My heart was fluttering. This was so not the way I had envisioned myself talking to my new boss, but here he was, flirting with me. And me flirting back. 

That was what we were doing, right?

Oh god, what if I had the wrong idea?

In fact, it was more than likely I had the wrong idea. Suddenly, I heard a door open, and turned in time to see Emily wheeling herself into the kitchen. 

“Uncle Seb!” she exclaimed, “I was wondering why you didn’t come see me. Are you hogging Calista all to yourself?”

“Sorry, Em,” Sebastian said, quickly crossing the floor and crouching down in front of his niece. “I was just about to head up to tuck you in. I wanted to give you plenty of time to listen to your music though. You’re a big girl, I don’t mind if you stay up a bit later, you know. You’re turning ten soon!”

“I know!” Emily squealed, grabbing Sebastian’s hands and squeezing them in hers. “I can’t wait! I really hope you’re getting me concert tickets, but I definitely understand if you can’t.”

“Concert tickets?” Sebastian faked confusion, “To see who?”

“Oh my god! You know who I want to see!” Emily proclaimed.

“Oh, that’s right. It was Post Malone, wasn’t it?” Sebastian teased.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as Emily shook her head emphatically. 

“Noooo!” Emily said. 

“Ed Sheeran?” Sebastian offered.

“Noooo! Stray Kids!” Emily blurted, not willing to play along anymore. 

“Stray who?” Sebastian faked puzzlement.

Emily half growled, and I laughed so much that I started to cough. Both of them turned to me in concern, and I waved my hand to indicate I was fine. 

“Ooh, is that the sIlly group you have all over your door, your walls, in your binder, on your Spotify, and with their whole pile of CD’s just sitting in your room?” Sebastian said. 

“Yessss,” Emily said, shoving playfully on Sebastian’s arms. 

“Who’s their leader? Bangbang?”

“Bang Chan!” Emily snapped. 

“Hmmm, well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we,” Sebastian said. 

Sebastian stood and turned toward me, “The kids these days!”

Emily scooted her chair forward, knocking into the backs of his legs, and almost causing him to fall over. 

“Help! I’m being attacked with a deadly weapon!” Sebastian exclaimed. I watched with a grin on my face as he turned and feigned doing karate moves on Emily. Both were giggling and playfully shoving each other, until the door opened behind them and Joel strode into the kitchen. 

“You’re still up, Ms. Emily,” Joel said, glancing between them.

“Uncle Seb said I’m a big girl and I can stay up a little later now,” Emily pointed out. 

“Oh did he?” Joel glanced at Sebastian. “Well, that’s fine then. I hope all of your homework is done.”

“Most of it,” Emily said. 

“Most of it? Most of it!” gasped Sebastian, proceeding to tickle Emily. “Are you trying to get me in trouble with your tutor?”

“It’s just some math. I couldn’t understand it anyway, and I need Ms. Wells’ help,” Emily said. 

“Oh, well, if it’s just a bit of math,” Sebastian said. “Alright. Off to bed with you. I’ll be up in a minute. Joel, if you’ll just,” Sebastian gestured at Emily, and Joel nodded. Joel turned and held the kitchen door open, gesturing for Emily to wheel through. Once she and Joel had left, Sebastian turned to me with a smile. 

“Thank you for the wonderful conversation, Calista. Please feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“Thank you,” I muttered. Sebastian slipped out the kitchen door, and I stood staring at the spot where he had just been. 

The next week seemed to fly by. The routine was easy enough. Help Emily get dressed. Make sure she was fed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, then have her ready for her tutor by 8:30 am. She was a fairly independent little thing, so I barely felt like I was working at all. 

After morning tutoring was lunch, where she gossiped giddily about her K-Pop groups, or whatever new game she was playing on Roblox. The lunches were always so lavish that I felt absolutely spoiled. 

“You’re going to turn me into a whale,” I told Joel one day as he sat across the table from us, enjoying the second course of our three course lunch. 

“Whales are beautiful!” Emily pointed out. “People are always trying to take boats out to see them. It would be amazing to be a whale. Joel took me to see them once. I’ll never forget it. I love the ocean so much!”

Joel chuckled, then ordered us some ice–cream from the chef, just because. 

While Emily went to her afternoon tutoring, I would explore the house, or on Thursday, I headed out to meet with my therapist, Corrin. I couldn’t tell her much about my new position, of course, having signed the NDA, but I was giddy enough to explain just how much my life had changed thanks to Bob, the rich handsome uncle. 

“Please tell me you’re not trying to date your boss,” Corrin insisted. “That never ever ends well.”

“That thought hadn’t even crossed my mind,” I insisted, not sure if I was being honest myself. “But, what about what’s-his-name, Ethan Hawke. He married his nanny. I believe they’re still together.”

“Sure, at the cost of his other marriage and a lifetime of baggage. Do you even know about Bob’s past relationships?” Corrin asked. 

“I don’t even know if Bob likes women,” I shrugged. “And I’m not into him like that. He’s just fun to be around.”

And he was. Every night, I looked forward to Sebastian coming upstairs to say goodnight to Emily. We would have a little dance party in Emily’s room, with her wheeling her chair around us with all sorts of awesome tricks she’d learned over the years. Then Sebastian would carry her to bed, after begging to do so when she protested she could do it herself. He always reminded her that she was small for only so long, and it was his privilege to take care of her. 

Then he would hold her hand as he read her a book until she fell asleep. As awkward as it was to watch these beautiful moments of theirs together, I thoroughly enjoyed it. They never asked me to leave, and in fact, the first time I tried to, Emily begged me to stay. 

“I’m so lucky to be part of their little world,” I told Corrin, realizing there was a huge grin on my face. 

“You definitely seem happier,” she said. “That’s a good thing. I’m proud of you for taking this step. I also think all of this secrecy will be good for you in the long run. Keep you off of Jeffrey’s radar when he gets out of prison.”

I nodded.

I had received an email that morning that Jeffrey was being let out several years early for good behavior. I had slipped it into my conversation with Corrin early to get it out of the way because I didn’t want to think about it. But here it was again, snaking back into my consciousness like some dark tangible nightmare. 

“Hey,” Corrin put a hand on my wrist and gave a gentle smile, “you’re gonna be okay.”

I wanted so badly to believe her. 

Emily’s birthday was the Saturday of my first week. Joel pulled me aside the night beforehand and laid out how the next day would go. As he was explaining the folks coming in to put up the decorations, and the elaborate meal and cake that had been planned, I noticed no mention of other children showing up. 

It occurred to me not for the first time that week that I never saw Emily interact with anybody her own age. She never even mentioned having friends. I had also noticed that she oscillated between acting very mature for her age, and acting like a 4-year-old when it suited Joel and Sebastian. It was all very strange. I couldn’t help myself as Joel went on about the preparations.

“Will there be other kids there?” I asked. 

Joel paused, brow furrowing in perplexity.

“Ms. Emily has no wish to play with other children,” Joel stated.

“How do you know?” I asked. “I’ve never seen her around anyone her age. She doesn’t go to school or do any activities. That’s a little strange, you know.”

“I’m afraid I don’t agree. And Mr. Vascile would tell you the same. Emily has no need of peer interaction. Her life is perfectly fine without it.”

“Mr. Field, I just don’t think that’s true. All children need peer interaction to grow. Not having it will seriously hinder their socialization skills later on in life. There’s been study after study of this.”

Joel shifted uncomfortably, and I wondered if I had overstepped my bounds. But I also knew it was the right thing to do. It was clear that Sebastian and Joel loved and doted on Emily, and would do almost anything for her. Maybe they just didn’t understand how important this was. 

“There is a reason Ms. Emily does not attend school, and I feel I do not have to explain this reason to you. I understand that you wish to do things the best you can for her, but I can assure you that everything we do is to protect her and keep her happy. This girl has had a hard life, and she understands that she is different. That her family is different, and we love her dearly. She will be happy with what we do for her.”

I wanted to continue, but the perplexed look on Joel’s face made me genuinely nervous. I decided I would take it up with Sebastian later, if I had the opportunity. He seemed less strict. Joel was always so tightly wound.

“Back to the preparations then,” Joel said. I nodded and listened intently. 

****

I had the chance to catch up with Sebastian a little while later. He grinned as he saw me coming. 

“Good evening, Calista,” he said. 

I steeled myself for his potential rejection. 

“I never see Emily around any other children, especially those her age, and I think that is really hindering her,” I blurted. “She needs that peer interaction, especially at her age. I’m sorry to bring this to you when Mr. Field already shut me down, but, well, there it is.”

Sebastian nodded slowly, “I appreciate your concern. I’ll certainly look into it.”

“Don’t you think it’s weird?” I asked, “that she doesn’t have any friends? No one her age anyway.”

“It’s…tricky,” Sebastian said carefully. “Let me put it this way, there’s a reason we make everyone sign an NDA. Children are not capable of keeping the same secrets, and the last time too much information got out, and Emily was hurt. That’s why we had to move. She thought she could trust a friend, and that friend let someone know, and it got out. An abusive family member found her, it was a scary situation all around. We didn’t make it out unscathed.”

“Someone came after her?” I asked, shocked. 

“Yes. When she is older, she’ll be able to be more discreet and keep the secrets she needs to protect herself. But for now, her safety relies on discretion and keeping her whereabouts under wraps.”

The whole conversation shook me. I thought about Jeffrey, and how I had never even mentioned his stalking or our tumultuous past. I was terrified to wonder what would happen if he found out about Emily and Sebastian. If he found out about me. To know that Emily was in the same situation, that I might potentially have put her in more danger…

The thought made me sick. 

Emily was excited from the moment she woke up. Joel served her breakfast in bed, waffles with lots of whipped cream and strawberries. 

I did her hair up with a rainbow of ribbons, and we headed downstairs where the hallway and all the rooms were done up with themes from different Stray Kids songs. Emily squealed at each new discovery, pretending to faint when she saw the main living room decked out in an array of stills from her favorite member, Bangchan. 

His single Railway was the theme of the room, and I looked around in amusement at the vampire imagery. Fake blood splattered bits of the wall and floor, all of it delightfully macabre. Even the strange jagged new-age art was covered in what was meant to be the bodies of Bangchan’s ghouls.

“Oh my gosh! I love it, Joel! It’s perfect!” Emily squealed again and clapped her hands as Joel beamed beside us. “It reminds me of Uncle Seb!”

“How so?” I asked. 

“Now, the big surprise comes later of course,” Joel said, speaking up before Emily could respond, “but your options now Ms. Emily are a shopping trip, or a special dance party. Birthday girl’s choice.” 

“Ooh, definitely dance party!” Emily said. 

“I figured you might say that,” Joel said. He clapped his hands three times, and several large mascots came running into the room from the next hallway. It took me a minute to realize it was the life-size versions of her little Stray Kids stuffed animals being worn as costumes by grown adults. Emily was giggling in happiness, and I found myself beaming alongside Joel as music started playing, the room darkened, and laser-lights started bouncing off the ceilings and walls. 

Emily had a blast, and by the afternoon, was slowly falling asleep in her wheelchair. Joel dismissed the dancers as I wheeled her up to her room and helped her lay down for a nap. 

She woke up a few hours later, with the sun already setting. 

“Is my birthday over?” she asked, looking up at me with her sleepy little eyes.

“Not even close,” I said, helping her get ready and go back downstairs. I had gotten dressed in a  sleek purple gown that had been laid out for me by Joel. We made our way to the dining room, where Sebastian and Joel were standing in anticipation, wearing stunning purple suits, all of us decked out in Emily’s favorite color. 

“Happy birthday, Sweetheart,” Sebastian said, gesturing to the large pile of gifts on and around the table. Emily rushed over to them, giving Sebastian a questioning look, then digging in once he nodded in approval. 

She soon found herself with brand new purple wheels for her chair, with Stray Kids wheel covers, one side Bangchan, and the other side the whole group together. She received a beautiful necklace of turquoise stones that Sebastian handed her personally. There were a number of other things, including earrings from Joel and a promise that they would finally have someone in to pierce her ears. 

Finally, Sebastian handed her a card. Her face lit up as she held it. 

“I know what this is!” she exclaimed. 

“Oh do you?” Sebastian teased. 

She ripped open the card, and let out a scream so loud that the three of us covered our ears. 

“I knew it!! Stray Kids tickets! Thank you Uncle Seb!”

She pulled Sebastian into a tight hug, and I saw the huge grin on his face even as he was bent at an awkward angle to embrace her. I happened to glance at Joel, who had a look of concern on his face. I shrugged it off. We would make sure she was safe at the concert. No one would lay their hands on her while I was around. 

Joel gestured to the cake on the table, and hurried over to light the ten candles on top of what looked like the prettiest dessert I had ever laid eyes on. It was a two tiered cake with purple and teal icing that looked like an incredible waterfall cascading down the sides and ending on the tray with chocolate dipped fruits.

“On the count of three then?” Joel asked, looking around. 

Without even thinking, I found myself singing to Emily, feeling so much love and gratitude for everyone in that room just then. 

“Happy birthday to you.”

I didn’t even notice that the others weren’t singing. 

“Happy birthday to you.”

I put all of my emotions into my words, all of my love for Emily, Sebastian, and Joel. 

“Happy birthday dear Emily.”

That love vibrated out with my words, and I grinned up at Sebastian, who was looking at me with mouth agape.

“Happy birthday to you.”

It took a moment after I had stopped to realize that Sebastian and Joel were looking at me as though in a trance. Emily glanced back and forth between the three of us, glaring in confusion.

“What’s happening?” Emily asked. 

I waved my hand back and forth, grinning as I looked between Joel and Sebastian. 

“What is up with you guys?” I asked. “It’s time to blow out the candles.”

There was a sudden screeching sound, and I jumped, screaming and stumbling back toward the table. I looked around the room to determine where the sound had come from. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Emily looking around too.

The screech came again, and I saw Emily cover her ears as a gust of wind blew across the room, causing her birthday candles to sputter out. Joel and Sebastian were still standing there looking entranced. I ran up to Sebastian, and shoved him, trying to get him to snap out of whatever strange joke this was. He didn’t move. I reached up and slapped him in the face, and suddenly he came back, blinking, looking at me in shock. 

“What…what happened?” he asked. 

I looked at Joel, who was still out of it, and ran over to slap him back to reality too. He touched a hand to his cheek in stunned surprise, looking from me, to Emily, to the cake where the candles had all blown out. 

“What’s going on?” Joel asked. 

“Calista sang, and it was so strange. I could see it,” Emily said, “like waves. And it touched you both, and you were frozen.”

Sebastian and Joel glanced at each other, but I couldn’t quite read the expressions on their faces. 

“And then there was a scream, from somewhere I couldn’t see,” Emily said. “Like, something was there, but just…”

“At the edge of your vision,” I muttered. I’d seen it. A flash of it. Something dark, lingering at the corner of my eye, but when I turned to look, it was gone. The memory of its shriek still sent shivers down my spine. 

“I think maybe our driver, Curtis, might be playing a prank on us,” Joel said, shaking off the strange moment and planting a smile on his face. “What a silly thing. Let me relight the candles so you can make a proper wish, okay?”

Emily looked at me with her wide terrified gaze, and my fingers instinctively went to my throat, brushing absently over the area where my vocal cords would be. I had felt them. The waves that Emily claimed to have seen. I had felt them before in the past. I always imagined them as a manifestation of my vocal chords, but now I realized they were something more visceral. I couldn’t explain it. 

“Calista, are you okay?” Sebastian asked quietly. 

I nodded, as much to reassure him as to reassure myself. 

Joel clapped once after he had relit the candles. 

“Alright, Ms. Emily,” Joel said, “Time to make a proper wish.”

I realized that Emily was staring at me, her eyes huge behind her glasses. It was hard to look back at her, to acknowledge what had just happened, whatever it was. 

“C’mon, Em,” Sebastian said, gesturing toward the cake as Emily continued to look at me, “Maybe you can wish to meet Bangbang in person.”

“BangCHAN!” Emily exclaimed, seeming to snap out of her reverie as she finally turned to blow out the candles.