"Emily, calm down. Please go wash up for dinner," her mother demolishes gently. She carries a child, maybe three years old, whom I hadn't noticed earlier because she was hiding behind her legs. She's very adorable with big glassy eyes, squishy cheeks, and short curls. 

"I was hoping to show Apphia to her room, Mommy," Emily says, her voice begging. 

"Lily will show her, after all, she's the one who organized it," 

"I helped, too," 

There is a little back and forth between them before Emily resigns and releases my hand. 

"Apphia, come. I'll show you to your room," Lily says. I follow her, glancing back at Nicholas again. He...