"Yes, Matthew, I understand how the company could reach new heights with this business trip to Tokyo," my father said, pressing his cell phone closer to his ear. His blue eyes were a stark contrast to his brown hair, always had been, which is how my mother became attracted to him in the first place, during their college years. "You know entirely well that I support following your heart, given that I did the same thirty years ago," he went on with a sigh.

I trailed my spoon through my strawberry yogurt as I listened to my father's conversation with his younger brother, while my mother scrolled through Pinterest on her iPad, getting design ideas for her thriving interior decorator business. I had just finished my Bachelor's Degree in Law two weeks ago, and I was waiting to hear from various universities I'd applied to for a Master's Program, which I hoped to begin in September. I was back at home in the interim, and, while my parents were always pleased to have me, I knew that they halfway hoped that I'd eventually settle down, like my older brothers, Colin and Jasper, had.

"Yes, the boys are fine... And their wives, and the kiddo's," my father continued, mentioning my sisters-in-law, Natasha and Clara, as well as my nephew, Elijah, and my niece, Rose. "Divara? I mean, she's right here... Yes, still waiting on the Master's Programs in Law, you know how it is, people taking their time..." My father turned and looked at me, our eyes an exact replica of one another, although I'd inherited my mother's red hair. "You can ask her, if you like," he went on, pulling the phone away from his ear. "Do you want to speak to your uncle?"

I blinked; I hadn't seen Uncle Matthew in quite some time, given the global pandemic, and life generally getting in the way beforehand. Of course, we'd done Zoom calls during the pandemic, as well as Skype calls before that, and, back when I was in high school, we would try to make it overseas for a few weeks every summer. "Sure," I said, taking the phone from my father and putting it up to my ear. "Hi, Uncle Matthew. Good afternoon," I said.

Uncle Matthew chuckled. "You are always spot-on with your time difference, Ara," he replied, his mention of my nickname warming me ever so slightly. "Do you mind if I ask what schools you're considering for your Master's Program?" he asked.

"If that's a roundabout way of asking if I chose Kent, the answer is yes," I replied. "I know it's a long way from Brooklyn, and while I went to NYU for my undergraduate and Bachelor's, I wanted to spread my wings a little. I applied all over, even Berkley, Duke, Harvard, Georgetown, Yale, and even Columbia stateside, I also applied to the University of Amsterdam, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Helsinki, and Lund University in Sweden, I thought Kent would be a safe bet, considering I actually have family over there."

"I'm glad you said that," Uncle Matthew said, his tone slightly eager. "Have you heard back from any of them yet?"

"Kent, Lund, Berkley, and Georgetown, all yeses," I confirmed. "Still waiting on some more... Is there a particular reason why?"

My uncle sighed. "What could I do to influence your decision towards Kent?"

I blinked, getting to my feet and walking out of the dining room and into the living room; I always did phone calls better standing up, anyway. "Is there a particular reason for your desire to influence me?" I asked him. "Is everything all right? Does this have to do with your coveted trip to Tokyo?" I joked.

Uncle Matthew laughed right back. "Admittedly, yes," he said quietly. "You see, Johanna and I don't want to pull Imogen out of Higgs—that's her school, Harvey Greene Grammar School for Girls," he explained. "So, being that she's sixteen, we'd need someone to come and look after her and Brooklyn for the year, depending on how long the trip extends."

I leaned up against the old staircase banister; we lived in a grand old late-Victorian house in Brooklyn, New York, which I was convinced was factored into why my teenaged cousin had named her current dog that. "No, I can see why that would be important," I told him; while I was more of a solitary creature, Colin and Jasper were party animals, who valued their friendships above nearly all things in their teenage years, which served them well in the business world of technology and financial world respectively.

"Johanna and I would provide you with a new car, all insured," Uncle Matthew said, his tone a persuasive one, and I blinked, not expecting that. "We'd help you get temporary residency, which would include healthcare, and pay you a sizeable allowance to ensure that you, Imogen, and Brooklyn are kept comfortable. I would make sure that you would have the run of the house, with the guest suite at your disposal for the year. We would put you onto our mobile plan, with plenty of coverage to make sure that you could phone long distance. A new laptop and desktop would also be yours, as you will likely need one for your Master's Program—"

"All right, all right," I said, laughing, knowing entirely well that Uncle Matthew wanted the best for Imogen, as his only child. "What would I have to do with Imogen? I assume I would need to provide daily care for her, in addition to working on my Master's Program..."

"You would need to pick up and drop her off at school, as well as provide meals for her. You can cook them, or do takeaway, or even dine out, as long as she's getting balanced meals," Uncle Matthew informed me. "Make sure she's sleeping enough, and keeping up with her homework and grades. Her A-Levels are coming up, so that's something to consider."

"Of course," I responded; while my brothers and I had been raised in the States, alongside our mother, we knew entirely well what the educational system contained overseas. "Dad's mentioned them before..."

"He would have—politics, history, and English," Uncle Matthew stated.

I smiled; Dad had taken his A-Levels before pursuing a history degree at Harvard, which was where he met my mother, who was studying at the Harvard Graduate School of Graphic Design, whereupon the two had fallen in love, leading my father to move permanently to the States after getting his degree, and currently employed by Columbia University as the History Department Chair, allowing my brothers and I to live a very comfortable childhood. "What A-Levels did you get, Uncle Matthew?" I asked.

"Business, languages, and sociology," Uncle Matthew replied; he'd attended the Business School at the University of Exeter, near where he and my father had grown up, ultimately meeting Aunt Johanna there, falling in love with, and marrying her. "It served me well, just like your father's A-Levels served him well."

I nodded, remembering at the last minute that Uncle Matthew couldn't see me; I lowered my eyes at the sensation of something soft tickling my legs, at which point I noticed Saffron, my three-month-old red Maine Coon, winding herself around my legs. I bent down and picked her up in my arms; of course, I'd posted about her on my social media, but I hadn't spoken to Imogen since the Christmas before, before I'd adopted Saffron. "It has served you well, Uncle Matthew. But, I need to tell you—"

"We would give you the rules as to what her curfew is, on school nights as well as at the weekend, and would meet her friends eventually," Uncle Matthew said quickly, as if he feared I would turn him down. "Immy is allowed for sleepovers, but only at the approved houses in the area, which we would provide you with. In case there is a medical emergency, we would provide you with the doctor's name, as well as access to her medical records. We would sign over her guardianship temporarily to you, so you will be, for all intents and purposes, her legal parent, to make all financial, medical, and familial decisions for her. If it's something big, however, we would expect a Zoom call, but, otherwise, we would trust your judgement accordingly..."

"Uncle Matthew!" I cried out, bending down to lift Saffron into my arms, and she purred, tucking her little head underneath my chin. "Did my parents happen to mention the new addition to our family, or has Imogen seen my social media lately?"

Uncle Matthew was silent for a moment, as if he was thinking about it. "No," he said at last. "At least, I can't remember anything new... Why? Did you have a baby?"

I laughed aloud at that. "Kind of," I admitted, and Uncle Matthew inhaled sharply. "My parents got me a kitten for graduation," I explained quickly, and he quickly gave a sigh of relief on the other side of my father's cell. "Her name is Saffron, and she's a red Maine Coon. I'm training her, and she can already walk on a leash."

"How is she with dogs?" Uncle Matthew asked hesitantly.

"Colin and Jasper, as you know, have got dogs—Toby the German Shepherd, and Wendell the bulldog," I explained quickly. "They both took to her immediately, and, after the preliminary hissing, which is very normal, Saffron was wonderful. She would bop them gently on their noses, without claws, if they got too close, so she's very sweet, and loves people."

"And the grooming situation?" Uncle Matthew wanted to know.

"Every four to six weeks, but I have to brush her two to three times a week, with a bath in between grooming sessions," I told him. "I understand if you'd like me to pay for these trips to the groomer myself, as well as her vet bills—"

"Nonsense; you'll be looking after our precious Immy, and Johanna won't mind," Uncle Matthew assured me. "Just be sure to tidy up if her fur gets anywhere, and keep her litter tray in your attached lav."

"All right, then," I said, thinking it over. "I'll need to get her vaccination records from her vet, do some shopping, obtain a passport for her, and renew my passport. When would you like me to come over, then?" I asked.

💔

I touched down after a seven-hour flight at Manston International Airport, a little less than an hour away from Kent, where Uncle Matthew, Aunt Johanna, and Imogen lived. Saffron was very displeased at having been apart from me for so long, and I changed her pad within her carrier at the first opportunity. During the check-over, I gave over the copies of her documentation, and she was permitted into the country formally. I made my way to baggage claim immediately thereafter, keeping ahold of her carrier, until I found the correct carousel.

"Honestly, David, why must you provoke him?" came the voice of an exasperated mother, giving a scolding expression to her adult son, while her other child was texting furiously into his cell phone a few feet away.

"Mum, he spent all holiday mooning about Charlie—!" David cried.

"David, as I said on our holiday, we've heard enough from you," his mother responded.

I made my way over to the carousel, seeing the first of my bags, and went to grab it, which was when the other son stepped forward and grabbed the one next to it. "Sorry about that," I said, as my bag clipped his.

"No, it's fine, my fault," he said quickly, smiling at me. "Oh, you're American."

"I seem to be," I replied, smiling at him. "You look like you're my cousin's age, but there's so many schools around here, it's probably impossible that you know her."

"We're from Kent, actually, home from our holiday," he explained.

"Oh, my cousin lives in Kent," I said quickly, thinking what a small world it was. "She's going to start Year 12 next year at someplace called Higgs."

The young man looked closely at me, as if recognizing something. "What's your name?"

"Divara, but everyone calls me Ara. Divara Heaney," I said, putting out my hand.

His eyes widened as he shook my hand. "You're Imogen's cousin from America?" he asked, looking a combination of shocked and excited.

I laughed. "Oh, so you do know her," I said, and then remembered a snapshot on Imogen's Instagram, and grinned. "And you're Nick Nelson; you've been friends since Year 7, and you hang out together almost every morning. I recognize you from Instagram, and Imogen's mentioned you a few times. She says your friend group is really nice."

"Yeah," Nick said, a bit breathless. "So, you must be coming here to watch out for Imogen when her parents go to Tokyo, then."

I nodded. "That's true. My older brothers have lives and families now, plus my parents couldn't get away from work. And then there's the notion that I got accepted into a Master's Program here, so I decided to take this one, help out the family." I looked down, Nick's gaze doing the same, when Saffron let out a disgruntled sound. "Oh, sorry, sweetheart," I said, lifting her carrier again and showcasing her to Nick. "And this is Saffron. Saffron, this is Nick. Say 'hello', then, love."

Nick immediately grinned. "Is she friendly?"

"Very," I assured him.

Nick gently and slowly pressed one of his fingers through the slats of the door, leading to Saffron sniffing him, before butting her head against his hand. "She's precious."

"She likes you," I assured him, turning to the carousel again. "Oh, the rest of my bags!" I said, my voice filled with relief.

"The rose gold pieces?" Nick asked, stepping forward.

I nodded. "Yes, but you don't have to—"

"It's fine, really," Nick assured me, stepping forward and effortlessly getting them off the conveyer belt, and setting them beside me. "There you are."

"Are all Englishmen so chivalrous?" I asked, laughing.

"Not all of us, no," Nick said, looking over my shoulder, to where his mother and older brother were still in the middle of a disagreement.

I turned and followed his gaze. "Trouble in paradise?"

Nick sighed. "You could say that, yeah."

"Hey, don't give him the time of day," I told him, smiling. "He'll either come around, or he won't, but it seems to me as if you've got some good supporters in your corner anyhow." I deliberately pitched my voice lower then. "I've seen some shots of you and Charlie, and may I just say, you two are lovely together."

Nick flushed. "Thanks," he said, a bit awkwardly.

"You're not alone either," I said softly, moving my shirt slightly to the side, and showcasing my collarbone; at eighteen, I'd gotten my first tattoo there—a potion bottle with a concoction of pink, yellow, and blue, along with pink hearts within it. "Pansexuality isn't commonly talked about as the main three classifications, but it should be."

Nick's eyes widened at that, immediately looking more comfortable. "So, what's your Master's Program in, then?" he asked.

"Criminal Justice," I replied, "with a particular interest in crimes against women, children, and hate crimes." I turned to look over my shoulder then. "Too bad, though. David is certainly attractive, but beauty seems only skin deep with him."

Nick laughed. "So, you'll be doing the school runs, then? Dropping off and picking up Imogen and stuff like that?"

I nodded, turning back to Nick. "I will, yeah." I looked around the airport. "Sorry, my uncle said he'd meet me here. His meeting probably ran late or something." I checked my phone. "Oh, he's only just parking now..."

"Do you want to meet my mum while you wait?" Nick asked. "Seems the thing to do, after all, you meeting my mum, since I'm friends with Imogen, and you'll be looking after her. You'll probably run into each other again."

"I'd really like that," I replied, turning around as Nick led the way.

"Mum?" Nick asked, wincing as his brother walked away, muttering to himself. He waited for her to turn around before he continued, "This is Divara Heaney, Imogen's cousin, the one that'll be looking after her while her parents are in Tokyo."

I gave her a smile. "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Nelson."

She immediately smiled, though her eyes remained tired. "Lovely to meet you, darling. Sorry you had to listen and see that."

I shook my head at her. "It's not a problem, Mrs. Nelson. It seemed to me as if you were doing everything right anyhow."

"Oh, you are a star," she said. "And call me 'Sarah', please."

"Well, then, you must call me—"

"Ara!" came a familiar shout through the crowd, and, upon turning towards it, we all saw Uncle Matthew hurrying towards us, his suit immaculate. "Oh, Sarah, how are you?" he asked, a bit surprised to see them standing with me.

"We're fine, thank you, Matthew," Sarah replied, her expression kind. "And how are you doing this afternoon?"

"Certainly better now that Ara's here at last. Hello, Nicholas," Uncle Matthew continued, looking up a bit, as Nick had two inches on him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Heaney," Nick responded politely. "We were just getting to know Ara, and how shocking it was that the world was so small."

Uncle Matthew chuckled. "Indeed it is, quite small," he said, looking down towards my carrier, where Saffron was looking up at him. "Oh, a thousand pardons; hello Saffron," he said, and stuck his finger in between the slats, leading Saffron to nuzzle him immediately. "Friendly little miss, aren't you?" he said, his tone praising, and Saffron made a contented sound. "Well, now, I have to get Ara back home. Johanna and I have a business dinner tonight."

"Of course," Sarah said in understanding, nodding her head. "Work never ends."

"Are things going well at the hospital?" Uncle Matthew asked.

Sarah smiled. "You're kind to ask, Matthew. Yes, they are; looking forward to getting back first thing Monday."

Uncle Matthew nodded. "Well, now, I'm sure we'll see you around the neighborhood, and soon," he said, as he began to gather the heavier of my belongings, leaving me to carry Saffron's little suitcase, as well as my carry-on. "I'll give your best to Imogen, Nicholas."

"Thank you, Mr. Heaney," Nick said quickly, smiling at me. "Great meeting you, Ara."

"You, too! Both of you!" I called over my shoulder, as I hurriedly followed Uncle Matthew through the crowd and outside the airport terminal. I kept a good hold on Saffron's carrier as we stepped outside, and Uncle Matthew easily navigated towards what he called the car park, and approached a silver Audi Q7. "Nice car," I breathed.

Uncle Matthew chuckled, unlocking the trunk, or, rather, the boot, automatically with his set of keys. "I certainly like it," he admitted, stowing my larger suitcases into it, before he shut and locked it, and brought my smaller bags towards the back seat. "Put your carry-on and Saffron's suitcase back here, and you can hold onto Saffron as we drive."

"Thank you," I replied, doing as he said, before getting into the left side of the front seat, still feeling a bit weird about the seating arrangement.

"We got you that one your dad said you were eyeing," Uncle Matthew continued, getting into the car and sitting beside me; he spoke casually, as if dropping that amount of money on a car didn't matter much to him.

My jaw dropped. "That... That wasn't necessary, Uncle Matthew," I told him, shaking my head as we pulled out of the car park and into the line of traffic. "That was a dream car, as in, I would have picked something more practical—"

Uncle Matthew waved it away. "I'll have you and my Immy safe when Johanna and I go to Tokyo, and you selected a safe car. It just to happens to be luxurious as well," he said, flashing me a smile as we moved up into traffic. "Do you still like Italian?"

I laughed. "Of course; Grandma Rose wouldn't have it any other way."

"That woman was definitely a step up from Grandmama Olga; Imogen still doesn't like to be left alone with her," Uncle Matthew said, shaking his head as he thought of his own mother, who had traumatized both him and my father growing up. "Dad was always better..."

"Such a shame none of us got to meet Granddad Thaddeus," I mused, remembering all the stories told about him, as well as the old, black and white photographs.

"I still say she killed him; good thing she's in a care home now," Uncle Matthew said darkly, shaking his head again. "Anyhow, Italian. Imogen loves it, too. I was thinking that the two of you could go to Mamma Mia tonight. It's a delicious place, fifteen minutes away from the house, in an area called Rochester, right on the water. What do you think?"

"I certainly don't mind, as long as Imogen doesn't have any plans," I said quietly; I was aware that Imogen was a fairly popular teenage girl, so it was entirely possible that she had plans that Friday night.

"None that I'm aware of, but we'll speak with her when we get back to the house. Oh, thank goodness," Uncle Matthew said, breathing a sigh of relief as we finally left the car park. He pointed out various landmarks on the drive, and he seemed to relax his body language when we got into his neighborhood. "Higgs and Truham Grammar, that's the all-boys' school that Nicholas attends, share a courtyard space, and are really across the way from one another. Immy really likes it there, though she was considering switching to Truham, because each school accepts both genders for the final two years."

"Kind of defeats the purpose of a single-sex school," I mused. "Perhaps they're just more trustworthy, once they reach a certain age?"

Uncle Matthew laughed. "Not all young people, but a lot of them, certainly. Greg always told me that you were reading for pleasure, for as long as he could remember."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Books fascinated me, more so than people my age. I think I got out of my little bubble during college a bit, but the lockdown certainly shoved me back into my comfort zone for a while there."

"Favorite book?" Uncle Matthew asked.

"Growing up, it was initially Half Magic; then, it became the Harry Potter series."

Uncle Matthew smirked. "What's your House, then?"

"It's Gryffindor, of course," I said, shaking my head. "Now, however, I would have to say that my favorite books are the Outlander series."

My uncle grinned. "Johanna likes that one, too. Do you watch the series as well?"

"I do, although droughtlander officially has been too long now," I muttered, wrinkling my nose, much to my uncle's amusement. "What?" I asked him. "Does Aunt Johanna agree?"

"Yes, but you look so like Imogen when you do that," Uncle Matthew said. "You have the Heaney eyes, like your father and I, and the same nose as well."

I laughed aloud at that, shaking my head. "You're too much, Uncle Matthew," I tell him, and sit back to listen as he tells me more stories about the area.

Finally, we arrived at the Victorian property that Uncle Matthew and Aunt Johanna had lived in after being married for five years, and had decided to give up their flat in London. Imogen had been born three years later, thus completing their family, along with their first dog, Churchill, who had passed away a year ago. Brooklyn had then entered their lives, and had made Imogen much happier overall.

Uncle Matthew pulled up the curved drive and parked in one of the attached garages, and then began to help me extract my belongings. "Immy should be in the garden with Brooklyn," he told me with a smile. "Why don't I bring your things into your room, and you can put Saffron on her lead, and introduce her to Brooklyn?"

"If you're sure you don't want any help," I replied, looking down at Saffron, who appeared as if she would very much like to exit her carrier as soon as possible.

"Not at all," Uncle Matthew assured me with a quick smile. "Get Saffron out of her carrier, show her around a bit. You do remember where the garden is, don't you?"

I nodded, getting out of the car and looking around the garage. "Through the door and into the house, past the living room, into the kitchen, and out the French doors, correct?"

Uncle Matthew nodded. "Correct. Go along, now."

I tossed him a smile and got around the car and towards the door, Saffron meowing in confusion from her carrier. As I let myself into the house, I remembered that Uncle Matthew had said that Aunt Johanna was at the office until late, so the house itself would be empty, with the exception of Imogen and Brooklyn in the back garden. The living room and kitchen were immaculate, due to the housekeeper that came in bi-monthly, leading me to understand that Imogen likely wasn't a messy teenager.

I set down Saffron's carrier onto the floor of the kitchen, unzipping her carry-on and fishing out her rose-gold colored leash, before I unlatched her carrier, showcasing her leash, which directly caused her to meow with excitement. I attached her leash onto her similarly colored collar, before I took her into my arms and walked towards the French doors, where I spotted Imogen throwing a stick for Brooklyn to catch. I smiled at the image and opened one of the doors, stepping outside with Saffron still in my arms, and shut the door behind me.

"Room for a cousin and a cat in that little game of yours?" I called out.

Imogen turned around, her eyes brightening considerably, as Brooklyn barked in welcome. "Aah, you're here, Ara, you're here!" she cried, dashing from the center of the garden towards me, her face filled with excitement, Brooklyn following.

"Immy!" I called out, stepping down from the porch and accepting her hug, holding her close for a moment before pulling back. I had five inches on her, so gazing down at her wasn't an issue as I playfully straightened her hair. "Look at you! You're gorgeous!" I declared.

Imogen shook her head. "Forget about me—look at you!" she gushed. "Nobody in the courtroom will be able to keep their eyes off you!"

"Maybe I should extend my stay, then, take the bar exam here," I said with a shrug. "Qualified in England as opposed to the United States... Methinks my little cousin would like it if I stuck around a bit longer," I mused.

"Yes, please!" Imogen cried out, before getting a good look at Saffron. "Oh, look at you, you precious little darling!" she said, no less excited, but deliberately lowering her voice as she held out a hand for Saffron to inspect.

I watched, grinning, as Saffron predictably butted her head against Imogen's hand, making friends with her pretty quickly. "I ran into a friend of yours today at the airport," I said as I crouched down, so that I was eye-level with Brooklyn, to ensure that he and Saffron got off on the right foot.

"A friend of...? Oh, you mean Nick!" Imogen said, copying my movements and keeping a good eye on Brooklyn, who leaned forward and sniffed at Saffron, tail wagging. "He messaged me about it already. "Apparently, you made quite the impression. He says we have to introduce you around to everyone... When do your classes begin?"

"Not until September, like you," I told her, grinning at the sight of Saffron and Brooklyn's interactions; they seemed to like one another. "Plenty of time to meet everyone your parents approve of you hanging out with."

Imogen sighed. "Up until last term, I didn't have very many friends, probably how I got mixed up with Ben in the first place... Good thing he's not coming back to Truham for Sixth Form, and good riddance, the way he treated me, and the way he was beyond obsessed with Charlie... You know, Nick's boyfriend," she added.

"I didn't really do the friendship thing at your age, but I'm certainly glad you've got yourself a nice little group," I said. "Personally, when it came to Ben, well, on a shallow level, I thought you could do better," I said.

Imogen flushed and turned away.

"Oh! Is there someone I should know about? Someone new?" I asked.

"Well, I..." Imogen began, immediately breaking off when the doors opened. "Hi, Dad! Can Ara take our bar exam and stay with us indefinitely?" she asked.

I blinked, getting to my feet; Imogen's drastic change in subject once Uncle Matthew came outside worried me, leading me to believe that either he didn't know about who she was interested in, wouldn't approve, or, rather, something different altogether...

"If that's what Ara wants, she's welcome to," Uncle Matthew said, smiling. "I'm so pleased to see that you girls are getting along! What with Tokyo being, well, not on solid ground, the longer Ara can stay, the better," he admitted.

I smiled encouragingly at Uncle Matthew. "Well, I'm as free as a bird in a tree," I told him, still wondering why Imogen seemed not to want to open up in front of her father. "Plus, Saffron and Brooklyn seem to like each other, which bodes well."

"That's wonderful, Ara," Uncle Matthew said, "which brings me to my next point. Your mother just phoned, Immy. It seems as if Tokyo is chomping at the bit, and she and I have to leave earlier than expected."

Imogen blinked. "How much earlier, Dad?" she asked, kissing Brooklyn's head before rising to her feet as well.

"Your mother and I have to be on a red-eye flight tonight," Uncle Matthew explained. "I have to pack some bags for us and get going. We'll leave straight from the office, and Julian will bring the cars back eventually."

"Julian East, their assistant," Imogen whispered to me. "He's quite fit, you know, and he's twenty-six. Who knows? Maybe you'll have another reason to stay—"

"Anyway," Uncle Matthew continued, smiling indulgently at his daughter's attempt at playing matchmaker, "the trip will be an open-ended one, meaning that we're not sure when we'll be back here in the UK. You'll have to show Ara around a bit, Imogen."

Imogen grinned. "Now that she's met Nick, Charlie wants to meet her, too," she informed her father quickly, seemingly excited about the prospect.

"I suspect Elle and Tao, as well as Tara and Darcy will follow," Uncle Matthew said; his tone was a genial one, letting me know that he approved of her friend group. "That nice young man, Isaac, will certainly give you a run for your money on books, Ara. And, Immy, what about that nice girl, Sahar? You'll want to introduce Ara to her, too."

"Y-yeah," Imogen said, looking away as she flushed, pretending to be distracted by Brooklyn, and her father didn't notice her change in demeanor, "yeah, definitely."

"We've left notes for you about Immy, the house rules, and the schedule in our office, Ara, so feel free to check them out once you've settled in," Uncle Matthew said. "We just ask that you don't allow Brooklyn or Saffron in there. There are important documents in there, as well as expensive pieces of art and furniture."

I nodded; it seemed like a sensible arrangement. "No problem, Uncle Matthew," I told him, more than a little worried for Imogen, and whoever this Sahar person was. "You be safe on your flight, all right? Give Aunt Johanna my best, please."

"I will," Uncle Matthew said. "Kisses to you both!" he called, and hurried into the house.

I turned to look at Imogen, once he'd gone, and, once she looked up at me, gave her a small smile and cocked my head to one side. "So, who's Sahar, and why does she make you act all nervous?" I asked her, and Imogen looked at me with our shared wide, blue eyes.