**One Week Later**
Emily walked across campus with Chai, autumn leaves crunching under their feet. The air was crisp, carrying the promise of winter, and students hurried between buildings with scarves wrapped tight against the cold.
Life had settled into a strange new rhythm. Classes in the morning, studying in the afternoon, evenings spent either with Timothy or working on plans for Norvale with Sebastian. And now, with Edward recovering at home, occasional family dinners where the patriarch asked subtle questions that Emily deflected with practiced ease.
"You're distracted," Chai observed, bumping Emily's shoulder gently. "Everything okay?"
Emily smiled. "Just thinking. A lot has happened recently."
"Your father-in-law almost dying would qualify as 'a lot,'" Chai agreed. She'd been incredibly supportive when Emily had briefly explained the situation though of course, Emily had left out the part about her being the one who saved him.
