Chapter 4
Cracks in the Ice
During a family game night, Jason's good-natured teasing and genuine efforts to include everyone start to thaw the sisters. Seraphina softens slightly, Aurora competes playfully, Luna blushes.
The scent of pizza and the distant murmur of a sitcom drifted from the living room, a comforting hum that Jason usually found himself a part of. Tonight, however, the hum was laced with a new kind of tension, one that had settled in the air the moment his dad had announced the impromptu family game night. He’d agreed, of course, because what else was he supposed to do? Refuse his dad’s olive branch, even if it was wrapped in the slightly awkward gift of four new sisters?
He walked into the living room, a plate of cookies balanced precariously in his hands. Seraphina was already ensconced on the far end of the sofa, a book open but unread on her lap, her gaze fixed on the television with an air of regal disinterest. Aurora, ever the performer, was perched on the edge of an armchair, a bright, almost blinding smile plastered on her face as she engaged with whatever cheesy reality show was on. Luna sat cross-legged on the floor, a sketchpad open beside her, her pencil moving with a quiet, almost furtive grace. And Celeste, the youngest, was sprawled across the rug, a brightly colored board game spread out before her, her eyes darting between the pieces and the other occupants of the room with an impatient energy.
"Cookies!" Jason announced, his voice a little louder than necessary, hoping to break the polite silence. He offered the plate to Aurora first, a strategic move. She was the most likely to react with enthusiasm, and he needed a win.
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