"Kim." His voice was rougher than usual. "You look..."
"Pretty!" Zoe supplied. "Mommy looks like a princess!"
Xavier cleared his throat. "Yeah. What she said."
I ducked my head to hide my smile. "Let me get Zoe ready."
The second garment bag held a tiny dress for Zoe—pale pink with a tulle skirt that made her gasp when she saw it. I helped her into it, brushing out her hair, tying it back with a ribbon that matched. When we emerged, Xavier was standing by the door, watching us with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Ready!" Zoe bounced on her toes. "I look like a princess too!"
"You do." Xavier opened the door, gesturing us through with an exaggerated bow. "After you, princesses."
The Kealoha Foundation gala was being held in a converted warehouse in SoHo—exposed brick, soaring ceilings, soft lighting that made everyone look beautiful. I'd been to events like this before, back when I worked at the hotel, but always as staff. Never as a guest.
It felt strange to be on this side of things.
The room was already filling with people when we arrived. I recognized some of them from magazines and society pages—the kind of people who donated to charity because they had money to spare, not because they'd ever experienced need themselves. They moved through the space like they owned it, champagne flutes in hand, laughter tinkling like wind chimes.
Xavier's family was gathered near the front of the room. I spotted Xavier’s mom first, elegant in navy blue, talking to a woman I didn't recognize. Sebastian stood nearby, looking as composed and unreadable as ever, though his eyes softened when they landed on Aria, who was beside him.
And there, partially hidden behind Aria, was a teenage girl with Sebastian's dark hair. That must be Evie, I thought. Thirteen years old and, from what Xavier had told me, painfully shy.
"Kim!" Eleanor descended on us the moment we entered, her face lighting up with genuine pleasure. "And little Zoe! Oh, let me look at you."
She crouched down to Zoe's level—actually crouched, and smiled.
"Hello, sweetheart. Do you remember me?"
Zoe nodded, suddenly uncharacteristically shy. "You're Xavier's grandmother."
"That's right. And you can call me Ellie, if you like." Eleanor reached out and adjusted the ribbon in Zoe's hair. "Pink is definitely your color. You look absolutely beautiful."
The shyness evaporated. "Xavier brought me the dress! And Mommy did my hair!"
"Well, they both did an excellent job." Eleanor straightened, turning to me with that knowing look she always wore. "Kim. Lovely to see you again."
"You too," I managed.
The evening unfolded around us. Dinner was served at round tables draped in white linen, and somehow we ended up at the family table—me and Xavier and Zoe, Eleanor and Helena, Sebastian watching everything with quiet intensity.
Zoe charmed everyone within a five-foot radius. She complimented Helena's necklace ("It's so sparkly! Like a star!") and asked Sebastian very seriously if he was a prince, since his mother looked like a queen. She told Eleanor about her doll's new lipstick makeover and explained, in great detail, the proper technique for the kiss monster attack.
Even Sebastian cracked a smile.
"She's delightful," Helena said, watching Zoe demonstrate the kiss monster on a bemused Xavier. "Absolutely delightful."
"She gets it from her mother," Xavier said, catching my eye.
I looked away, fighting a blush.
Across the room, I spotted Evie hovering near Aria, helping to direct guests and organize silent auction items. She moved efficiently but quietly, like she was trying to take up as littlespace as possible. Every now and then, her eyes would dart to our table, lingering on Zoe with something like curiosity.
"Who's that girl?" Zoe asked, following my gaze.
"That's Evie," Xavier said. "Sebastian's daughter. She's helping with the event."
