“Congrats, sister!”

Hannah’s graduating today. With her siblings, her class, and other parents, we congregate around the Windenburg Library.

It’s the occasion to meet up with some very old friends.

The principal gives a speech. A very long speech.

 It seems like it was only yesterday that I was standing in Hannah’s shoes, at the exact same spot.

Nolan, Miranda’s kid, is here for support, even though he graduated years ago.

The principal wishes Hannah good luck. She knows Hannah is a brilliant kid in many ways, but she can barely hide how happy she is to not have to put up with my daughter’s catastrophic grades.

“Marie… Is that you?”

“Like the new look? We’ll have to grab a coffee one of these days, I have so many things to tell you!”

Life in Newcrest is much more easy-going, and it’s the perfect setting to watch each of us blossom into their new life.

Part of this new life is the family meals. They’re more frequent now, but then again we have an actual dining room. It’s very different from the fast, individualist pace of San Myshuno’s uptown.

This change inspires me to move around more things in my life.

Hugo, too. He starts trying to improve a bigger array of skills, including, of course, cooking.

Hannah has enough change coming up soon, what with her becoming an adult. But things are moving faster and faster for her: the Windeburg museum has offered to hire her as soon as she graduates. Strong with that promise, she puts double the effort into that passion.

And speaking of work, today’s the day I step into my big change.

The Oasis Springs Laboratory has accepted my application. It helps to be a big name in the IT field already.

Hannah’s happy to have a quiet and remote place to conduct her studies.

It’s how she spends most of her afternoons now that the school year is coming to an end, examining relics from our Selvadoradan trips.

Cleo took up jogging. She confided in me that she would like to join one such trip one day, but she thinks she’s not quite fit enough. I prefer not to tell her Hannah and I were wholly unprepared the first time we went to Selvadorada.

Cyril has zero wish to join an adventure in the jungle. He’s more about eating fruit crumble by the swimming pool on sunny afternoons. Can’t blame him — it looks really comfortable.

I mean, handwashing the laundry does count as exercise, Cleo, but you do know we have a machine for that?

Hannah’s got more and more books relating to archeology. Even her dad’s snoring can’t get her out of her concentration.

So we’re a few years older — but that’s not about to change who we are. for instance, we’ve loved each other for decades…

… And this love still feels just as sweet.

Hugo is still just as much of a computer nerd as he was at 20.

He did get better at grilling things on the barbecue through the years though. But then again the grill was the only for of cooking he ever mastered.

“Look, Cyril! I made a burger-shaped cake for Mom and Dad’s birthday, isn’t it amazing?”

“… Sure, Cleo. It’s, er… beautiful.”

When I step into the living room, there’s a literal party waiting for me. The kids have set the table, Shanna is here, and there are drinks and food prepared for each of us. And there’s Loladorada on the table, napping. I just have to take a picture.

Lola doesn’t see a problem with standing up right in the middle of Cleo and my conversation.

Cyril doesn’t care all that much about the conversation at all.

“Oooookay, I think it’s time to cut the cakes, don’t you?”

Without a single comment on its appearance, I blow the candles on my birthday cake. I’m happy Cleo made the effort. And it’s not like I could do better at her age.

Hugo got the pretty cake.

It’s the only one of the two cakes we plan on eating.

The party is over — everybody’s going to the swimming pool.

Count on Nounou to eat the burger cake nobody wanted.

It’s the early morning — Hugo and Azalea are fast asleep, but the kids are plotting something.

Hannah, who’s definitely gotten better at this cooking thing, already has a handful of ingredients out of the fridge, and it’s not to make breakfast.

She manages to produce a perfect chocolate cake in under an hour, and is hiding it in the back of the fridge when Cleo walks in.

“I’m so happy we’re doing this,” Hannah says, excited. “I got all the gifts and everything…”

“And I even got some of their friends to join the party!”

“The only problem is, I don’t think I’ll have time to bake the other cake AND get Shanna at the station.”

“I can do it, Han, I can bake the cake!”

“… Are… you sure?”

“Yeah! How difficult can it be?”

“Okay then! Thanks, Cleo!”