At the end of the school day, both Kaia and Ridley had promptly arrived out front in silver and blue minivans to collect the group. The two were waiting inside at the front entrance when the group came to meet them.

"Now before you all go about your day, when we get home we'll be having a family meeting," Ridley started. "All of us."

"Just to be clear, 'all of us' means you guys, Ridley and I, the rest of your folks, and Martin," Kaia added.

"What? Why?" Lev questioned.

"Did something happen?" Nyne asked worriedly.

"Are we in trouble or something?" Tate inquired.

"Settle, everyone. No bad news today, nothing of the sort," Ridley assured.

"Whose place then?" Ziro asked.

"No one's," Kaia answered. "For the next hour, Halcyon is closed and reserved. Silas is making white chocolate chip cookies."

Alex's eyes lit up like shooting stars. "So what're we all still standing around for? Let's get going!"

Alex was the first one inside of Halcyon, and the first thing that caught his attention was the mouthwatering aroma of freshly-baked white-chocolate chip cookies. The second thing tat caught his eyes was the sight of Silas and Iker carrying out two trays piled full of cookies from the kitchen in the back, all the way to an orange rectangular table.

Unable to think about anything or anyone else in the room, Alex beelined for the table at once, a zombie on the move for its prey.

"Woah, hold on there!" Grayson said, materializing between his son and the cookie tray on the other side, engulfing Alex in a hug. "No how are you, dad? No hey dad, guess how my day went?"

"Huh, what? Did you say something?" Alex said, his eyes locked on the dessert occupying the orange rectangle.

With a profound sigh, Grayson released him. "Go. Get away from me."

Alex continued his idle jaunt to the table, not a single glance back at his father. Before sliding into a seat, he scooped up three cookies and mumbled a 'thank you' which was said to no one in particular, just as a glass of milk was set down in front of him.

Lev came to Grayson's side, who watched his son both love and perplexity written across his face. "Hey, G."

Grayson looked over and smiled. "Ah, Lev, hello. How was your day?"

"Good. Learned a lot, and stuff," Lev told him.

"Oh, wonderful!" Grayson gave one long glance from Alex to Lev. He gestured with a nod to Alex and asked, "does he ever pay attention to food more than you?"

Lev chuckled. "Everyday. You get used to it. He's got a big enough heart for us all though...usually."

Grayson sighed again, then he laughed. "Go. Make sure he doesn't eat all the cookies."

A pat on the shoulder from Grayson sent Lev off to meet Alex by the cookies, and was accompanied by Evan on the way, who leaned her arm on his shoulder as she followed his pace.

"G?" she eagerly questioned.

Lev shrugged his other shoulder as he whispered to her. "Makes him feel young, he says. Whatever keeps the father of my boyfriend happy." When he made it to Alex, he gently flicked the side of his head and pulled out a chair next to him. "Don't eat all the cookies."

"Sorry..." Alex mumbled again, too occupied with the taste of the cookies.

Once everyone was seated by the orange rectangle and supplied with a glass of milk, Ridley stood before them at the forefront of the restaurant and revealed a small ring wrapped around the fourth finger on her right hand: a gold band with a silver star at its center.

Ziro was the first to notice it, his body immediately going tense, his expression indescribable. "What is that?"

Ridley noticed Ziro's fixated gaze on her right ring finger. "My engagement ring, which will one day also be my wedding ring."

Looks of surprise bounced around the group. Alex's chewing had slowed, and he finally looked up from the plate of cookies to get a clear view of the ring.

"From who?" Ziro questioned again, body still tense, yet his tone seemed calm.

Ridley reached out her hand to Grayson who was settled in a chair near both her and the rectangle. Grayson stood, gladly taking it and reaching too, for her other hand and clasping them both. Waves of clamoring gasps circulated the group now, and Alex's attention on the cookies had completely dissolved.

"You guys are tying the knot? Congrats!" Jeremi cheered.

"Aw, that is so romantic!" Evan cooed.

"Woah! When was the question popped then?" Tate asked.

"About two nights ago," Grayson started, heat tinting his cheeks a faint red. "I hid the ring in my poor attempt at passion fruit pudding."

Ridley giggled and raised herself a bit on her tiptoes to land a kiss on Grayson's cheek. "It wasn't that bad, I did say yes after all."

"And it's...not too soon?" Lev asked.

"Well, life is short, and I'm really happy — we're really happy," Grayson said.

Carsyn uttered a chorus of revering hums. "So, when is the big day then?"

In unison, and with matching euphoric smiles smeared over their faces, Grayson and Ridley said, "November 1st."

"Oh, oh that's a perfect time! There aren't any festive days in November, so your wedding day will have much of the spotlight! It's brilliant!" Nyne cheered.

Grayson beamed, but his heart jumped in his throat a bit when he glanced over and noticed Alex staring at him with an illegible look. Guilt began to swell now. Before he was sure that Alex would be on-board with the marriage, but now not so much. What if he wanted to have the best birthday ever this year now that he's made new friends? What if he already had plans to celebrate both Halloween and his birthday in a two-day swoop? What if the wedding date had already ruined all that?

"So Lex, what do you think?" he asked his son at last.

Alex turned his gaze at Ridley, shifting it to his father again. "You know, marriage is a big commitment."

Grayson was uneasy, but Ridley smiled. "You're right, Alex," she said. "It really is. Many say it's just a piece of paper, but I say it's a passionate declaration to the world of your love to someone."

Again, Alex's gaze flickered between them, but then his lips soon curved upward into a smile. "Kay. Sounds good to me, but I get to be the flower boy."

"It's a deal," Grayson joyously agreed. A tremendous weight had lifted from his heart, but he knew there was still one more hurdle to jump.

"확실해 (Hwag-shil-hae)?" Ziro suddenly asked. Eyes flocked to him, non-fatal lasers, but he was only looking at Ridley.

The atmosphere was overwrought, and Grayson wondered if this hurdle would be too high to jump over. He wished in this moment that he were fluent in Korean.

"Yes, I am," Ridley replied, the lines of her face stiff and dour.

Ziro nodded once, then turned his gaze to Grayson, making the older man slightly flinch where he stood. "Are you sure?" Ziro asked him.

"Y-yes, I am, I absolutely am," Grayson stammered, butterflies unleashed in his gut and his heart doing jumping jacks.

Ziro stared at him for a moment, then shifted back to his mother, the rest of the room nervously watching on. "축하해요 (Chu-ka-he-yo)," Ziro said after nearly an eon. "As long as you're happy."

Ridley beamed, squealing as she practically skipped over to her son and pulled him in for a hug. Ziro had tried protesting the public display, but Ridley didn't give an inch. Soon after she had released Ziro, Grayson was next in line, though instead of another hug, he offered Ziro a hand. Ziro stared at it for a moment, but then offered a meek smile as he captured Grayson's hand, returning the gesture.

"Superb! Now that we all know the big news, we can resume wedding preparations!" Ridley cheered.

"What? Wait a sec," Evan started, a bit fraught with disbelief. "Did you start planning it already, without us? Ms. Acera, how long have we known each other?"

"Oh, sorry about that, Evan," Ridley laughed. "I'm too excited about this, and being so excited tends to make me forget my manners. From now on, we will all be running things by each other — catering, decorations, bridesmaids and groomsmen outfits — but Gray and I get final say, of course. If we all work together to plan this, it truly will be one for the ages."

"But you boys all have to wear ties," Arthur declared.

"Aw, seriously?" groaned Jeremi and Tate simultaneoulsy.

"And no underaged drinking," Kaia added as she glared at Lev.

Lev scoffed. "Why you looking at me for?"

"Mhm, thank the moon I'm not underaged," Martin rejoiced. He, Silas, Iker and Emilio all clinked their glasses of milk together in agreement.

Before Lev could argue, he grimaced after the harsh flick to the back of his head, courtesy of Ziro.

"Boys wear ties, and we can't drink, understood. If that's all, we have to get planning for Saturday," Ziro announced, ignoring the nasty look Lev was giving him.

"Oh that's right, your party. Of course, honey. You kids are free to go," Ridley said.

"Hm? What party?" Alex asked.

"We'll explain on the way," Ziro said. "Let's go." At once the group stood, bidding brief farewells to their parents as they headed for Halcyon's exit.

Alex was the last to get up, and when he did he gazed with yearning in his eyes at the diminished amount of cookies left on one of the trays. "Can we take the rest?"

"How many have you had?" Lev questioned.

"...just five."

"Don't lie to me," Lev playfully warned.

Alex sighed, defeated. "...I don't know how many I had."

"Translation: too many." Lev grabbed a cookie for himself, chomping down on the white dessert right as he did. He feigned a look of his innocence as he tried to hide his amusement, as Alex stared him down, envious. "What're you waiting for, Prior?" he said before Alex could whine. "Come on."