"Are you staying over tonight? I can go back and prep a room for you in a bit."
It wasn't Dane's first time staying at The James Village; the family always kept a guest room ready for him.
"Sure, just point me to the room. I'll handle the prep."
Dane didn't want Claire to exhaust herself any further.
She had already been running around non-stop for Edison's wedding these past two days.
Prepping a room for Dane wasn't physically taxing—it just meant laying down some fresh sheets and grabbing a comforter.
But since Dane was offering to do the heavy lifting, Claire wasn't going to argue.
She led him back to the estate, and Dane immediately got to work setting up his room.
She stood by, handing him things when needed.
You could tell exactly how disciplined Dane was just by watching him make a bed. He smoothed the sheets out so perfectly that there wasn't a single wrinkle in sight. Once he was done, Claire headed off to take a much-needed afternoon nap.
She desperately needed the rest; the chaotic New Year's celebrations had severely cut into her sleep schedule.
Meanwhile, even though Dane was technically on vacation, he immediately pulled out his laptop to handle some work.
Claire couldn't help but marvel at the man's sheer willpower.
By the time Claire woke up, Dane had finally wrapped up his tasks. The two of them sat in the courtyard, chatting comfortably.
Shirley and Dexter had been having the time of their lives with the village kids and hadn't shown their faces at the house all afternoon.
It wasn't until everyone gathered at Edison's house for dinner that they finally spotted the siblings.
Claire was borderline speechless when she saw them.
They had blended in flawlessly with a pack of kids whose combined ages probably barely broke single digits.
"Did you two miss out on having a normal childhood or something?"
Claire finally cornered them for a chat after dinner.
Shirley pouted. "You already know exactly what my childhood was like."
In truth, Shirley and Dexter had grown up with far more privileges and extravagant experiences than Claire ever did.
But the reality was that a city kid's childhood was vastly different from a country kid's.
Their upbringing might have been polished and refined, but it severely lacked the rugged, novel adventures of rural life.
Just setting off fireworks out here was ten times more thrilling than anything in the city.
They could roast potatoes in an open fire and run around playing tag in the sprawling fields.
The countryside offered a completely different brand of chaotic fun.
Shirley had totally unleashed her inner child.
When the little kids saw her singing and dancing, they immediately trailed behind
her, calling her 'big sister' and begging for lessons.
It gave Shirley an unexpected rush of accomplishment, and she happily played the role of a beloved teacher alongside her brother.
The pure adoration from the village kids had completely inflated their egos.
"I'll give Shirley a pass, but Dex, shouldn't you be doing your homework?"
He was having the time of his life, but what about his studies?
Dexter's face immediately dropped. "Claire, you're ruining my vibe."
"It's the New Year! Why do you have to bring up something so depressing?"
Couldn't he just catch a break?
"Can't I just give myself a solid week off for the holidays?"
Claire suddenly remembered that Dexter had never been the studious type. The fact that he was actively preparing for college admissions at all was a massive improvement.
Besides, he was only a high school sophomore.
It was unrealistic to expect him to obsess over winter break assignments like a straight-A scholar.
"Fine, fine. Pretend I didn't say anything."
Shirley snickered from the sidelines. "I actually think Claire is right. Dex, you need to hit the books. You might be a sophomore now, but junior year saght around the corner.
"The countdown to college applications has officially started."
"If you don't grind now, you won't get into a decent university, and them ave the credentials
you won't even
to trick a rich girl into marrying you."
"Look at us—I can't even afford designer bags anymore, and you definitely can't
afford those limited-edition sneakers."
Nailed it. That argument struck a nerve deep within Dexter's soul.
"I'll party hard for one last day, and tomorrow, I'm hitting the books!"