By the time we got home, the sky had already deepened into that grayish blue that meant evening wasn't far off. The apartment was still, carrying the kind of quiet that waited for us to fill it.
Duchess was the first to greet us. Not in the way most pets would. No tail wagging, no eager rush to the door.
She padded out of the hallway with the unbothered grace of a queen who tolerated our existence, gave us a slow blink, then continued her royal stroll past the living room like she had business elsewhere. Typical.
Celestia slipped out of her shoes and dropped her bag by the couch before sinking into it like her bones had been carrying the weight of the entire day. I set the keys on the counter, watching her melt into the cushions as if she'd claimed the whole space for herself.
"You said okay," I said finally.
Her head tilted against the couch cushion, brows pulling together. "Uh?"
"To Avery," I clarified.