"Duty calls," Max said with a grin, allowing himself to be dragged toward a block construction in the corner of the living room.
"Uncle Max." Din chuckled. "I never thought I'd hear anyone calling him that."
"You look a bit overwhelmed." Fenella slipped her hand into his.
"Can you blame me?" He waved his beer bottle at the crowded living room.
She laughed. "Want to escape to the porch for a minute?"
"Fates, yes."
They slipped out the sliding door onto the patio. The evening air was cooler, quieter, though the sounds of the celebration still filtered through the glass.
"Big families can be overwhelming." Fenella leaned against the railing. "I'm not used to that either, but it's nice, in small doses, that is. After a while, all I want is to get away from the noise."
"Speaking of getting away. Has anyone made arrangements for the Egypt trip? Given everything that happened?"
"No one's told me anything, but I assume that Kian had his hands full with preventing his city from exploding."
"Are you disappointed?"
She tilted her head. "No, I'm glad. It gives me more time at the Hobbit." A smile played at her lips. "I like what I do there."
"My mate is the village's latest celebrity," Din teased.
She arched a brow. "Mate?"
"I mean girlfriend. It's just that no one uses that term around here."
"I like the sound of mate. It's like a romantic partner who is also a friend."
Din let out a relieved breath. "Good. I was afraid I scared you with that slip-up."
"We should go back in," Fenella said after a moment. "The food is incredible, and Rana will be offended if we don't have thirds."
"Thirds? I didn't have firsts yet."
"Then we definitely need to get you started."
Din groaned. "I don't know if I can handle thirds."
"I'm sure you'll survive."
When they rejoined the celebration, Din got pulled into a conversation with Soraya about the grocery store plans. Her enthusiasm was infectious as she described their vision for bringing authentic Persian products to the village.
"The architect is ready to show us some preliminary drawings for the building," she said. "I'm so excited."
"So am I," Rana said. "I can't believe that Kian had time to even call the architect with everything that was going on. I'm just glad that it's over and we can go back to making big plans." She rubbed her hands. "Our store is going to be spectacular."
Dinner progressed with multiple courses and constant encouragement to eat more, but as the evening wore on, the energy gradually shifted from manic to mellow. The younger children curled up on the sofa and the rug, their energy spent, and conversations became quieter, more intimate.
Din found himself actually enjoying the atmosphere, to his surprise. There was something deeply satisfying about being accepted into this extended family unit, even as a peripheral member.
"Time to go, Professor." Fenella patted his arm. "I need to change before my shift."
He was actually sorry to leave.
They made their rounds, saying goodbye, accepting hugs from the sisters and sticky kisses from some of the younger children.
