Chapter 273

The crisp bite of New Hampshire’s November air couldn’t dull the riot of color and noise spilling across Leo and Evie’s backyard. The lawn, usually quiet and sprawling, had transformed into a storybook dream, bursting with inflatable castles, swirling capes, and the shrieks of over-sugared children racing across the grass.

Princess dresses and knight costumes fluttered past tables groaning under m