Chapter 151

Lucian POV

The invitation had been unexpected. Kelly invited me to Harper’s 6th birthday. I stared at the message from Kelly longer than I should have, reading and rereading the last line:

"You can stay if you don’t want to come."

It was the kind of thing someone wrote when they weren’t sure if you would honor their invitation. And truth be told, I wasn’t sure either. But after everything that had happened, I knew one thing for certain. I owed it to Harper to show up. So I did.

I arrived at the venue, a cozy event space filled with pastel decorations and clusters of kids running around, their laughter echoing off the walls. The air smelled like cake and candy, and despite the cheerful energy, I felt… out of place.

Am I considered family at this point? Uncle? That sounded ridiculous,