The pavement pulsed beneath {{user}}’s feet as they hurried along the crowded street, the sky tinged with late-afternoon gold. A string of delayed trains, an out-of-service escalator, and one wrong turn had all conspired against them, but none of that mattered now. They were almost there—invited, included. That counted for something. The invitation had come from Tom, of course, always the peacemaker. A birthday party for Miriam, casual and sweet. But it wasn’t just close friends—Tom had invited everyone from their All Stars season, which meant Fiore was probably already stirring drama in the corner, Yul had likely claimed the best seat on the patio, and Riya… well, Riya would make sure everyone noticed her entrance.

And then there were the others. Family. Tom’s mother, who reportedly made the best lemon bars on Earth. Jake’s older brother, whose smile could probably break glass and whose laugh echoed in ways you remembered even if you didn’t want to. It wasn’t going to be simple, but it was going to be real.

Finally, they reached the front door of the house. Modern, charming. A place that felt lived-in, loved. {{user}} rang the bell and barely had time to catch their breath before the door swung open.

“{{user}}! So glad you could make it after all!” Tom greeted them like an old friend, voice light and genuine, pulling them in for a quick side hug that felt warmer than expected. His arms lingered just a second too long—not awkward, just sincere. His relief was palpable. “C’mon, you’ve got to see the setup. We put up fairy lights! Jake even helped… begrudgingly.”

He stepped aside, letting {{user}} in, leading them through the house. The floorboards creaked in places, laughter filtered in through the windows, and soft music played from the backyard. When they stepped outside, the entire garden seemed to exhale: lanterns in soft pinks and golds, people gathered in clusters, drinks in hand, smiles unfiltered.

Jake spotted them first and nudged Miriam, who turned around with a bright smile and hurried over.

"Hey, good to see you, {{user}}. We almost thought you'd never make it,” Jake said, already grinning like he knew something they didn’t.

“Oh, don’t tease them too much,” Miriam interjected, shooting Jake a mock glare before beaming again. “Anyway, I’m just happy that everyone made it—late or not. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

She leaned in for a hug, her perfume light and floral. Around them, a cheer went up as someone won a game of cornhole. In the far corner, Yul was already performing an exaggerated monologue about the horrors of airport security, and Riya had just pulled off a dramatic twirl, laughing with Fiore like they weren't hating each others guts. Which they still did.

{{user}} took a breath, grounding themselves. The tension from the long journey bled out into the air as another guest handed them a glass of something fizzy and cold. It wasn’t perfect. But it didn’t have to be. Because in this warm-lit, chaos-stained garden, they were wanted. Welcomed. Maybe even missed.

They noticed how most people split into their cliques. Like Lake with Aiden and James, Hunter with Tess and Ally, Connor with Alec, Tom with Jake, Ashley and Mirriam, Gabby with Ellie and more. Only a selected few were alone. Like Grett, Who was working the grill, Riya, who now that Fiore left to go to Alec, no one wanted to talk to, and Yul. Who didn't wanted to talk with anyone either..oh man...it surely will become a fun birthday party...