#(And it's a sweet mirror to how Emily was there for Randall to bring him some comfort)

[beatingheart-bride]

What a conundrum. For a moment, Emily merely stared back at Randall, not knowing what do do: should they say something? It was so unlike Dorian and Elizabeth to hide anything from them: for practically as long as the two couples had known each other, they'd told one another practically everything! They'd long since established that they could confide in one another. When there was any notable development in one of the couples' afterlives, they'd always turn to one another first!

So why on earth would the Graceys feel they had to hide something? Was something wrong? If so, what could it be? What exactly were Dorian and Elizabeth going through that they weren't telling them about?

It made Emily's heart ache to imagine two of her closest friends going through any hardship alone, and she instantly wished to help in any way she could. She looked off to the garden, briefly considering approaching them and asking what was bothering them...but ultimately, she decided against it. Though she was concerned by what she'd overheard, Dorian and Elizabeth weren't ready to talk to them about whatever was causing them stress quite yet.

"...No," she finally replied, hesitantly shaking her head. "They'll...they'll come to us when they're ready. They probably just need time."

@beatingheart-bride

"I thought I saw Erika dancing with Father!" June smiled delightedly as she and Callahan returned from the dance floor themselves, June leaning down to kiss her granddaughter's blonde locks, saying softly, "I hope you had fun out there."

"Perhaps I'll get a chance to dance with you, June?" August asked with a small smile, at which his daughter squeezed his shoulder, saying, "Maybe this evening-it looks like the band is taking a bit of a break for now, and the other dancers are relaxing a little. But tonight after dinner, I'd love to dance with you again."

"Maybe I could steal a dance from my grandson too?" Josephine asked with a little smile, turning to look at Randall, whom smiled back rather shyly, saying, "I-I'd be honored...Grandmother."

Gosh, it was so strange to say-to think, he was sitting beside his mother's mother, his grandmother! A woman he felt like he knew, on account of the portraits he'd seen, the recipes he cooked and baked from notes written in her hand, the afghans and blankets made by her that he'd held and admired...it was surreal, in a way, to finally be acquainted with someone he'd never met, yet felt as if he'd known all his life.