"Ms. Kassandreau." James knocked faintly and stepped in. He found her sitting on the edge of the bed, scratching at her hair — still drowsy, barely half-awake. She looked at him, still working through the afternoon fog.
"Oh, James. Mornin'." She gave a two-fingered salute toward her forehead. "Good afternoon, Ms. Kassandreau."
She shot a brow up, surprised. "Afternoon? Did I sleep that long?" James chuckled, nodding. "Yes. I thought you'd gone to your parents — but Ms. Ngawang told me you were sleeping."
"I did see them, and then I must've gone straight to sleep." she murmured. "When did Sy get back from the company?"
"A while ago." Kassan nodded. "Give me five minutes — I'll at least freshen up." James inclined his head and stepped out.
Watching James head downstairs, Ngawang asked, "Is she awake?" He nodded. "Yes. She should be down within five minutes."
James glanced toward the exit. "Ms. Ngawang — I'll go help the gardener, if that's alright." Ngawang looked at him, then at the garden being watered beyond the door. "Sure. Be careful — it's hot out there."
"I have sunscreen, Ms. Ngawang." Sy laughed softly, giving a brief nod. "Yeah, yeah." Her eyes curved with the smile — the kind the house hadn't seen in a while. James paused for just a moment, looking at her, and smiled without meaning to.
"It's been a long time," he murmured.
"What?"
"I — I mean since I've been out in the garden. It's been a while." Ngawang tilted her head and gave a short smile with a nod. He slipped away just as Kassan came downstairs, glancing between them.
"What's going on?"
Ngawang smiled at her. Kassan's heart skipped. After all the days of quarreling, this was genuinely the first time. She pinched her own arm and groaned, breaking into a sheepish smile.
"What are you doing, Honey?" Sy asked.
"Oh — nothing. Just an itch." She buried the excitement beneath a wide smile, still secretly pinching herself. "This is actually real," she murmured under her breath.
"Why are you smiling like that, Honey?" Sy smiled back. "Um — James just looked very funny with mud all over his legs." Kassan pointed toward the door. Ngawang didn't look but laughed anyway. "I knew it. He said he loves gardening."
"Really? He does seem into it." Kassan said.
She settled into her chair, expression softening at the sight of breakfast. Ngawang caught the micro-expression and arched a brow. "I don't understand you sometimes." She smiled, small and genuine.
Kassan looked at her. "I'm easy to read, babe. I'm a book of simplicity." Ngawang tapped her own head lightly with a spoon in mock amazement. "A book of simplicity? What's that, Honey?"
"A sentence."
"I thought it was a word."
"It can be, babe."
"Shut up, Dummy Kassan."
"Dummy Kassan?" They erupted into laughter — eyes softening, lips easy. Kassan's ears went red the moment Ngawang poked her cheek with a fork, still laughing.
James watched them from behind, a smile escaping before he could catch it. He turned back to his work immediately.
"We should plant lavenders next time."
"Sure thing, Mr. James."
The scene settled back into something almost like normal. Or was it? "Well, Honey — I'll be heading back to the company after lunch. Can you drop me?" Kassan looked up, surprised.
"You're just back from there."
"I know. But lately I've been assigned to a newbie — I'm managing his schedule and training."
"A newbie...?" Kassan murmured. "Aren't you exhausted from managing all these schedules?" She reached for Ngawang's hand — but it pulled back before she could get there. She let it go.
"Not much." Ngawang replied. "Are you done eating?" Kassan glanced at her plate and nodded. Sy rose and moved to the living room, sorting her files into a folder. Kassan watched her for a moment, then followed.
Her own reflection in the mirror caught her briefly. A white shirt with sunflower embroidery, brown shorts fitted well to her frame. A thin red thread on her right wrist — understated, almost plain against everything else. She smiled, flipping her brown wolf-cut hair.
She glanced at Sy. "Done admiring yourself? Can we go?" Her wife groaned, leveling a look at her soul. "Oh — yes, right away, babe."
Kassan slipped the car keys into her fingers and moved to the door, stepping into her summer flip-flops.
"Ms. Kassandreau, where are you off to? I can drive." James jogged over immediately. She looked him over and smirked. "First — wash yourself. Second — I'm driving my wife to the company." James turned pink, trying to brush the mud off his suit. Kassan grinned, patting his shoulder.
"You are a man of mud now." Her laughter broke free. Sy smacked her head. "Stop teasing him, Honey."
"Yeah, yeah."
They both got into the car. Kassan started the engine and pulled out through the mansion's gate, adjusting her sunglasses with one hand and smiling at her wife.
"Those suit you, Honey." Sy said. "Really? James and I fought over them at the mall."
Ngawang laughed. "You two still act like children. Grow up, Dummy Kassan." She ran a hand through Kassan's hair as Kassan giggled.
"That makes no sense, wifey."
"It should, Honey!"
"Okay, okay."
The car pulled up outside the company. Both stepped out — one with the ease of someone who owned the room before entering it, the other with a quieter version of the same confidence. Kassan handed the keys to the valet and walked in, carrying Ngawang's folders.
"Honey — you should head back now."
Ngawang murmured, taking the folders from her. "Sure. But let me just look around first."
Kassan tried for the sheepish smile again. It didn't hold — Ngawang's palm landed on her head before she could finish. "Absolutely not. If Mom or Dad sees you here on your day off, I'll never hear the end of it. Please, go home, Honey."
"Is my wife scared of her in-laws?" Kassan said, amused. "Leave. Right now." Ngawang mouthed, irritated, and headed upstairs.
Kassan smirked after her and walked out. The valet returned her keys. She leaned into the car, peering back at the entrance — just in time to catch her wife at the window, waving down at her. She smiled softly and drove away.
"Where is Kassandreau, Ngawang?" Exia asked.
"She's got the day off, Mom." Ngawang replied, scheduling the newbie's training session on her laptop. Her mother-in-law nodded, sipping green tea. "Must be easy for her." she murmured.
Ngawang heard it clearly. "Not easy at all — she has a performance coming up. She's in practice, not wasting time, Mom." Exia looked at her for a moment and glanced away.
"I see. You really keep a closer eye on her schedule than on your own privacy." she said.
"And why does that bother you, Mom? Weren't you already trying to dismantle mine?" Ngawang held her gaze, steady. Exia scoffed after a beat of silence. "What are you implying, Ngawang?" A small, real fear crossed her face.
"I know what you've been doing, Mom. Replace me with Sarah Ray, then restore the original performance date so Kassan's attention shifts from me to her. That's not going to happen. I won't let it." Her warning carried more weight than her volume. Exia felt the walls close in — caught between her daughter and her daughter-in-law, with nowhere comfortable to stand.
"I thought only my daughter could manipulate me — and yet here I am." Exia said, dry and self-aware, the corner of her mouth pulling slightly. "You're worse than my devil of a daughter." she whispered, eyes fixed on Ngawang, breath catching just slightly.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Mom." Ngawang replied, and walked away.
•••
"Wrong chord." The instructor marked it off. Kassan played again. "Wrong chord. Again." She played again.
"Wrong chord! What is wrong with you today, Kassan?" The instructor's voice filled the room. Kassan pulled her head down, embarrassed, fingers fidgeting. "Again. No mistakes this time."
She nodded and tried again. One note, then another, then a run — marked immediately.
"WRONG CHORD!" The sound shook the walls. James flinched, eyes darting to Kassan.
"This is not you. Every chord you play is making me want to walk out. Are you even practicing? You need serious work, Kassandreau. You are not fit for this performance." The instructor stormed out, door slamming behind her.
"James." Kassan said. "Remove that woman from her position. She shouldn't work anywhere. Impound her passport too — let's see how she manages." James inclined his head, a triumphant grin already forming.
"And send her a ticket to my concert. She's going to sit and watch."
"Every demand granted, Ms. Kassandreau."
"Great, man."