Their Little Sunshine

[35] Beau

Third Person POV

The dining table was set beautifully, with Farah bringing out steaming dishes of food, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. The spread was mostly vegetarian, thoughtfully prepared to cater to Kiara's preferences.

"I remembered your favorite," Farah said softly as she placed a bowl of creamy pasta in front of Kiara. "I made it just the way you liked it back in Texas."

Kiara smiled, her heart swelling at the effort Farah had put in. "Thank you," she said sincerely, her voice laced with warmth.

As everyone settled into their seats, Oriana handed Kiara a glass of juice, leaning over to whisper, "It's not a bribe or anything. But you should know, I made the salad."

Kiara chuckled, shaking her head. "Let's see if it's edible first," Asher teased, earning a playful nudge from Oriana.

The atmosphere around the table was light, almost cathartic after the emotional weight of their earlier conversation. Laughter punctuated the clinking of cutlery as they shared stories and memories, with Asher doing his best to make Kiara laugh at every opportunity.

The table soon erupted into laughter, even Henry and Farah chuckled at a fond memory that Asher shared. For a while, it felt like nothing had changed - that they were just a family, sitting down for lunch, with no shadows of the past looming over them.

As the meal was winding down, Kiara's phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen, her lighthearted expression shifting the moment she saw the notifications.

A message from her father: How's it going?

Below it, three missed calls stared back at her - Grayson, Kritton, and David.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, her heart skipping a beat.

"What is it?" Oriana asked, her brows furrowing as she noticed Kiara's sudden change in demeanor.

Kiara shook her head slightly, quickly typing a reply to her father: It's fine. Please Send the driver at 5:30.

She hesitated for a moment before focusing on the missed calls. She weighed her options carefully before deciding to call David. He was the easiest to talk to, the one who always approached her with kindness.

The phone rang twice before his voice came through, warm and calm as always. "Kiara," David said, relief evident in his tone. "I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry," she said quickly, pressing the phone to her ear as she glanced around the table. "My phone was in the living room. I was playing games with Asher."

David chuckled softly. "I figured you were busy. Just wanted to check in. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she replied, her voice steady despite the slight tension in her chest. "I told Dad to send the driver at 5:30. Can you let Grayson and Kritton know? They called too."

"Sure," David said easily. "Don't worry about it. Just...take care, okay?"

"I will," she assured him. "Thanks, David."

They exchanged a few more words before ending the call. Kiara placed her phone face down on the table, her gaze flickering to the others, who had gone quiet.

"Sorry," she said, offering a small smile. "I didn't know when they called."

Henry waved her apology off, his face calm but observant. "It's alright, Kiara."

"You don't have to explain yourself," Oriana added, her tone light but reassuring.

Asher leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Games with me, huh? Nice excuse."