Chapter 95

DAHLIA

Laughter broke out around the room. A glittery banner hung lopsided across the wall — WELCOME BACK, DAHLIA! — surrounded by a messy but heartwarming display of balloons, ribbons, and paper cutouts of tiny coffee cups. Someone had even gone through the trouble of hanging Polaroid photos from a string above the staff table — all of us grinning in our uniforms, caught in blurry mid-laughter.

“Surprise!” Jack shouted, arms spread wide. “We figured you’d try sneaking in quietly, so we had to ruin your plan.”

Preye nudged her shoulder with a smirk. “She almost did. Good thing I saw her at the door.”

I pressed a hand to my chest, torn between laughing and crying. “You guys actually did this?”

“Of course,” Toni said, his voice booming from the kitchen doorway. “You’ve been gone for more than a week. We missed your chilling-around energy.”

That made everyone laugh, and I couldn’t help but smile, shaking my head. “You mean my efficient communication