When it was finally time to open the bags, everyone gathered in the living room like excited kids waiting for a holiday. Cushions were dragged to the floor, Milo brought a bowl of roasted snacks, and Karl couldn’t stop bouncing in place as if he were waiting for a surprise magic show.
"Open that one first!" Karl pointed with glowing eyes at the biggest bag Ruby had placed near the couch.
Ruby laughed softly and looked at Julian, who nodded and handed the bag over. "This one’s for you," Julian said, watching as Karl’s face lit up like the sun.
Karl tore through the packaging like it was a treasure chest. Inside, he found a deep green robe with golden embroidery stitched across the sleeves and collar. Beneath it were wrapped candies from the city, a journal with gold-edged pages, and even a pen shaped like a little sword.
"For me?" Karl’s mouth hung open. He stood up and held the robe against himself, twirling like a model on stage. "Do I look like a ghost of status now?"
"You look like a ghost who owes me dishes for a month," Milo muttered, snacking quietly nearby—but his smile betrayed him.
Ruby smiled fondly, watching Karl show off like a peacock. "Well, you do look good in green."
Karl gasped dramatically. "She loves me most!"
Then, Milo’s gaze landed on something else—a big cloth bundle resting beside Ruby’s bag. His eyebrows lifted in curiosity.
"What’s that?" he asked, pointing.
Ruby turned, unwrapped the bundle, and carefully revealed a fresh cutting of Mistvine. "This is Mistvine," she explained. "It grows in a really hard-to-reach place, but it’s strong. I’m hoping to use it in new robe designs. And maybe... plant it."
"Can I grow it?" Milo asked suddenly, his voice hopeful and eyes wide.
Ruby blinked. "You want to?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I’ve only grown small herbs and indoor stuff before, but this one looks cool. I want to try."
Ruby paused. For a moment, she looked down at the vine in her hands, then at Milo’s excited face.
Honestly... I kill every plant I touch, she thought.
Even the fake one in the bathroom turned brown. Maybe this is fate.
She rummaged through one of the bags and pulled out a slim, beautifully designed book with vines drawn along the cover. "I bought this farming book from the Town—very detailed, very expensive, very hopeful. It’s yours now."
Milo accepted it like she’d handed him the spellbook to save the world.
"Thank you," he whispered, already flipping pages. "Look at this page! Soil ratios!"
Karl groaned dramatically. "Don’t tell me we’re growing vegetables now! I thought this house was cool!"
Ruby just leaned back with a smile, watching the two bicker and bond like always.
Julian quietly stood and walked over to the corner where the remaining bags were stacked like a pile. His eyes scanned the labels Ruby had scribbled in her neat handwriting—each one marked with love. He found the one tucked between two larger bags, its shape a little boxy and oddly elegant.
He walked toward Adrian, who was still sipping his cold drink with a tired but content face. Without a word, Julian held out the bag to him.
Adrian looked up, blinking. "For me?"
Julian nodded gently, and for a second, there was silence.
Adrian took the bag with both hands, but something about his expression shifted. His calm face became unreadable—still, but not cold. His gaze lowered to the bag, and Ruby, watching from the side, noticed how tightly he held it, as if the simple gesture had touched something deeper than he was willing to show. His fingers lingered on the cloth as if afraid to open it too quickly.
"...Thank you," he said quietly, not looking up.
Julian smiled. "Open it later. When you’re alone, maybe."
Adrian only nodded, his jaw tensing slightly but the bag never left his grip, even when he reached for his drink again. His eyes were deep, almost thoughtful, like he had just been handed a memory instead of a gift.
Meanwhile, Ruby turned to find Milo’s bag next. "Aha, here it is!" she said and held it out.
Milo’s ears perked up as he crawled forward from the couch like a kitten sensing tuna. "For me??" he chirped.
"Yes, for you, my cutest," Ruby said, winking at him.
Milo giggled and opened the bag with the care of someone unwrapping a birthday cake. Inside, he found a soft night robe in cloud blue, socks with stars on them, and a collection of mini puzzle cubes she’d found in the vilage. There was also a small glow-in-the-dark lamp shaped like a ghost.
He gasped dramatically, hugging the robe. "Wife this is the best!!" Then he saw the lamp. "Oh my ghost—can I sleep with this every night??"
Ruby nodded, already laughing.
Milo clutched everything to his chest and whispered softly, "I’m gonna wear this right now."
Karl leaned over and peeked into the bag. "He gets socks? That’s it—I’m sleeping in Milo’s room tonight."
Milo clutched his things tighter. "No you’re not!"
And Ruby sat there, smiling as she watched her little family bicker.
After all the bags were unboxed and the living room looked like a festival had passed through, everyone slowly began retreating to their rooms—one by one.
Karl, however, was still grinning like a child who had just seen a magic show for the first time. He wasn’t ready to sleep yet. His mind was still buzzing with curiosity, excitement, and that one beautiful photo Julian had shown.
"Show me again, Jules!" he said, following Julian to their shared room, trailed by Milo and Adrian. Julian laughed softly and pulled out his phone, already unlocking the gallery.
Ruby had gone to change into her night robe, but Julian was walking around, showing everyone pictures from their trip like a newlywed back from a honeymoon. And Karl was the most excited listener of them all.
"Look at this one," Julian said, zooming into the picture. It showed a red-leafed tree, its branches long and delicate, leaning slightly to one side like it was bowing to the wind. The background was misty with soft light streaking through the trees, and the ground was covered in fallen crimson petals like scattered rubies.
Karl’s mouth dropped open.
—To be continued...🪄