Athena returned home in a bright, almost sing-song mood, the type of mood that floated around her like warm sunlight. Even the weight of needing strong witnesses for the case didn't drain her; she refused to let it.
She breezed into the mansion humming softly, her steps light, her shoulders relaxed. But she stopped mid-hum when she walked into the living room.
Everyone was there—her entire family, friends included—waiting, talking softly among themselves until they noticed her. The sight warmed her chest all over again.
She had thought it countless times, but moments like these made it hit harder: this community was one of the universe's biggest blessings to her. She felt it to her bones.
