The warmth from the showers hadn't even fully settled into my skin yet when we were led into the dining room, but whatever sense of comfort I had from that was immediately overshadowed by what was laid out in front of us.
I stopped mid-step.
For a second, I genuinely thought we walked into some kind of celebration I wasn't informed about.
The table was filled....no, overloaded, with food. Different dishes spread across its surface like it was meant to feed an entire gathering instead of just a handful of people who barely slept through the night.
There were meats, soups, vegetables arranged too neatly to even touch, and rice that looked like it came straight out of some commercial. Everything was warm, freshly prepared, and placed with intention.
To them, this was probably just breakfast.
To me, it felt like walking into a feast.
"…You guys eat like this every morning?" I muttered under my breath, not even realizing I said it out loud.
Gino, already pulling out a chair like nothing was out of the ordinary, glanced at me and smirked. "More or less."
More or less.
I didn't even question that anymore.
Cynthia took her seat smoothly, giving the table a quick glance, not impressed, not surprised, just… acknowledging it. Sarah followed a bit more quietly, though I caught the way her fingers fidgeted slightly before she settled in her chair.
Yeah. I wasn't the only one who felt the gap.
I sat down, still taking everything in, when Gino suddenly spoke up again.
"Oh, right. One more."
He turned his head slightly, calling toward the staff nearby. "Can we get another plate?"
The maid paused, clearly confused as she looked over the table. "Sir, the plates are already complete."
Gino just shook his head lightly. "It's for someone else."
There was a brief hesitation, but she nodded anyway and stepped away to prepare another setting.
I didn't say anything. I already knew what he was doing.
When the plate arrived, Gino didn't hesitate. He started filling it, rice first, then a bit of everything else, like he was building a proper meal for someone who wasn't even visible to most people in the room.
"Here," he said casually, placing the plate slightly off to the side. "Don't hold back."
For a second, nothing happened.
Then the food shifted.
Not subtly either.
It lifted...just slightly at first...before pieces of it began disappearing one by one, like something unseen was picking through the plate with no intention of hiding it.
The maids froze.
Mrs. Uy inhaled sharply.
Even Mr. Uy leaned forward just a bit, eyes narrowing, not in fear, but in curiosity.
"Well…" he murmured, amused more than anything. "That confirms it."
Gino just grinned. "Told you."
Millien, completely unbothered by the attention, continued eating like he owned the place.
Beside me, Alicia didn't even look tempted by the food. She sat comfortably on my lap, legs swinging lightly, already holding one of the cookies I had given her earlier.
She took a small bite, humming softly to herself, content in her own little world.
Mr. Uy let out a low chuckle before looking at his son again. "Let me see that."
Gino raised a brow. "The glasses?"
His father nodded.
Before Gino could even respond, Sarah was already removing hers and handing them over to Mrs. Uy with a polite smile.
"You can use mine, ma'am."
Mrs. Uy accepted them carefully, almost reverently, while Mr. Uy took Gino's pair. The moment they put them on, the shift in their expressions was immediate.
Their gaze landed straight on Millien.
And for the first time since we got here, they looked genuinely surprised.
"…A duwende," Mrs. Uy whispered, eyes widening slightly as she took in his small figure sitting there casually eating like this was a normal morning.
Millien didn't even pause. He just glanced at them briefly, then continued chewing.
Like being seen was the least interesting thing happening.
Then...
A soft giggle.
Both of them turned at the same time.
Their gaze followed the sound until it landed on me.
More specifically...
On Alicia.
She sat there, completely visible to them now, still holding her cookie, her eyes bright as she looked around the table with curiosity.
The shift in their expressions was immediate.
Surprise… softened into something else.
Something heavier.
"…Oh…" Mrs. Uy breathed out, her hand instinctively resting over her chest.
I felt it.
That look.
That quiet understanding.
Before it could settle too deeply, I spoke.
"This is Alicia," I said, my tone steady, casual even. "My sister."
Alicia looked up at them and gave a small wave, smiling like any other kid being introduced to new people.
"Hello po."
The simplicity of it hit harder than anything else in the room.
Mr. Uy removed his glasses for a second, running a hand over his face before putting them back on, his expression gentler now.
"I'm… sorry," he said quietly.
I shook my head.
"It's fine," I answered just as calmly. "She knows."
Alicia nodded like that was enough explanation.
And just like that, the heaviness didn't linger.
Because Mrs. Uy leaned forward slightly, her smile returning, warmer this time, softer.
"Well, Alicia," she said gently, "you're very welcome here."
Alicia's face lit up immediately.
She shifted slightly on my lap, sitting up straighter like she just got recognized properly.
"Thank you!"
And that was it.
No pity.
No awkward silence.
Just… acceptance.
The rest of the breakfast went on more naturally after that.
They asked small things, about what we do, how we handle cases, but not in a way that pried too much. More like they were genuinely trying to understand, to keep up with something that already existed in their world, just slightly out of reach.
Millien finished his plate without leaving anything behind.
Alicia stayed beside me, content.
Gino looked completely at ease, like this was exactly how things were supposed to be.
Cynthia carried herself like she belonged anywhere she stepped into.
Sarah slowly relaxed into her seat, her earlier tension easing as the atmosphere settled.
And me?
I just let it happen.
Because at some point, questioning the gap stopped mattering.
When we were done, Mr. and Mrs. Uy removed the glasses and handed them back carefully, like they were returning something valuable.
"Anytime you need a place," Mr. Uy said, looking at all of us now, "for meetings, for… whatever it is you do, this house is open."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
No conditions.
Just a straightforward offer.
Before I could respond, Cynthia spoke.
"Same goes for ours," she added, almost too quickly.
I turned to look at her.
There it was.
That slight edge.
That competitiveness she never bothered hiding.
Gino caught it too.
He leaned back slightly, a quiet chuckle escaping him as he shook his head.
"…Of course it does."
Cynthia didn't even deny it.
And just like that, the balance between them settled into something familiar again.
I exhaled quietly, standing up from my seat.
Yeah.
This…
This is what my normal looks like now.
And somehow...
I've already stopped questioning it.