{Elira}
~**^**~
By the time we finished our lunch and were pushing our trays onto the return rack, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
The cafeteria doors swung open, letting in a rush of cooler air as we joined the flow of students heading out. I pulled out my phone, glancing at the screen.
There were two new messages in my group with the brothers.
The first was from Rennon —a simple and warm, with his trademark mix of genuine pride and encouragement. He had clearly seen the pictures and the clips Lennon sent to the group.
The second was from Zenon. He sent just one word: Congratulations.
That was it. No exclamation mark. No flourish. Just the barest acknowledgment.
And yet, something about that single word made my smile stretch even wider. Maybe because I hadn't expected anything from him at all.
This way, there was nothing to be disappointed about — only pleasantly surprised.
