The dining hall of the Purnas estate was lively now—filled with laughter, warm food, and the nostalgic sound of clinking plates.
Richard sat at the long wooden table, sunlight from the chandeliers reflecting off the polished grain. Beside him, Jack was already three servings deep into fried tilapia and rice. Estello was mid-conversation with one of the agri-logistics execs, laughing heartily with a glass of local coconut wine in hand.
Then came the voice Richard always had trouble dealing with.
"Richard…"
He turned just in time to see Anita, his mother, standing near the kitchen doorway—hands on her hips, eyes narrowed.
"You're getting taller again," she said, half-teasing, half-serious. "What's happening to you?"
Richard blinked, then let out a sheepish laugh. "I, uh… must be working out more. I take vitamins. Maybe too much calcium?"
