The party carried on long after the speech ended. Soft drinks flowed endlessly as Delilah worked alongside the Freebound men, hauling out crates into the courtyard while skewers of meat sizzled over open flames.
Smoke rose into the night air, blending with laughter and music. Summer, full of energy as always, sang at the top of her lungs with Kilian to some unfamiliar song Gideon did not recognize. She never seemed to run out of stamina.
The gathering had spilled far beyond the house itself. His yard could not possibly contain that many people, so the celebration expanded outward into the open space, lively and warm.
Gideon eventually retreated to lean against a corner wall. He was exhausted from talking to everyone.
They meant well, but none of them wanted to leave him alone, and his social battery was not infinite. Watching quietly suited him better than being the center of attention.
