A weighted pause settles amongst us. Nessa nods approvingly. “Growth.”
Then they all look at me. I stare at the candle for a second longer than I mean to. “Pretending I’m ‘fine’ with less,” I say finally.
Mack’s eyebrows lift. “Good, finally!”
Phoenix glances at me, something softer in her expression. “Yeah, as it should be.”
Nessa simply nods. “Good. We don’t carry that forward.” She lights my candle last.
“For the record,” Phoenix adds, settling into her chair, “if you need help installing anything, I can YouTube with the best of them. Got plenty of experience with the duplex now.”
I huff a laugh. “Too late.”
Mack looks over. “What do you mean?”
“The backsplash is already done.” That gets their attention.
Mack straightens. “Wait, like, done-done? Yesterday, you asked in the chat if you could just use super glue.”
“Yes, done-done. And I still think that is a viable option.”
Phoenix’s eyes narrow slightly. “No, no, it is not. And I’m guessing you didn’t do the install?”
“Nope.”
The fire has settled into a steady glow, the kind that makes everything feel quieter. Mack is halfway reclined in her chair. Phoenix is staring into the flames like she’s solving a problem no one else can see. Nessa is still fighting with the fairy lights and losing.
“This is a fire hazard,” Phoenix points out.
“This isambiance,” Nessa corrects.
My phone buzzes in my lap, I glance down, Sam. I hesitate for half a second, then open it. Phoenix notices immediately.
“What is it now?” she probes.
I exhale through a small smile. “Another update.”
Mack leans forward. “Like … spreadsheet update?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I’m gonna need to hear this,” Nessa says, abandoning the lights entirely.
I turn my screen toward them. “He switched car insurance providers,” I say, scrolling. “Lower deductible, somehow still cheaper. And,”—I skim the notes—“he negotiated bulk pricing with one of his suppliers instead of ordering job by job.”
Phoenix nods once. “That’s actually smart.”
Nessa squints. “Is he … learning?” Her eyes widen in disbelief.
“Apparently,” I mutter, “looks like he sold off some extra materials he had sitting in storage. Stuff he wasn’t using.”
Mack whistles softly. “Okay, that’s actually … kind of impressive.”
I don’t say anything, just keep scrolling.
Phi tilts her head. “What’s the total at now?”
I pause, scrolling. “Fifty-one thousand, two hundred forty-seven … and thirty-five cents,” I read.
