The evening wound down gradually. Conversations got quieter, glasses got emptier, people started gathering their things without anyone having to say it was time.
Jae stood up and picked up his glass.
"Tian Huan, two years is a long time," he said. "There were moments none of us knew how you were doing over there and I won't lie, it wasn't easy sitting with that. But you made it back and you're here with us tonight and that is everything." He raised his glass. "Welcome home. We're all glad you're back."
Everyone at the table raised their glasses.
Tian Huan looked around at each of them. "Thank you," he said. "I mean it."
"Good." Jae sat back down and looked at Hao Lin. "Now did you finish the dumplings or is there any left?"
"I finished them," Hao Lin said.
"I knew it," Jae said.
The table laughed and the conversations started back up again.
---
Guiying slipped back inside just as people were beginning to move from the tables. Liuxian found him within seconds.
