Page 86 of The Defiant Wife

"See?" I point at my niece. "She has no respect for working hours."

"And she's unionizing," Diya adds solemnly.

I look at her. She shrugs. "I support the employees."

Traitor.

She drops onto the rug beside me, our shoulders brushing for the briefest second before she settles Aadhya between us.

Within minutes, the room descends into complete chaos. Diya doesn't play with children the way most adults do. She becomes one of them. Suddenly we're not sitting in the palace lounge anymore.

Apparently we're defending Earth from alien squirrels who have come to steal all the crayons.

The cardboard blocks become castles. The cushions become mountains. Aadhya is now officially Queen Fairy.

I have somehow been promoted to . . . "The Giant Knight!"

I stare at Diya. She nods very seriously. "Congratulations."

"I didn't apply for the position."

"You've been selected unanimously."

"By whom?"

She points at Aadhya. "Our queen."

I look at my niece. She claps excitedly. "Cha!"

I sigh. "I've been demoted."

Diya laughs so hard she nearly falls sideways. Most of the time, I don't say much. I mostly sit where they tell me to sit. Hold whatever they shove into my hands. Become a wall for the cardboard fort. Or the mountain that needs rescuing. Or the dragon that's apparently allergic to fairy dust. At some point Diya ducks behind my shoulder because she's hiding from invisible aliens.

Aadhya crawls over my lap to attack the enemy. The room grows louder with every passing minute.

Usually, noise gives me a headache.

Today . . . It doesn't.

The afternoon sunlight pours through the tall windows, warming the floor beneath us.

The room is a complete disaster. Toy blocks are everywhere. Plastic cups are scattered across the carpet. Someone has painted blue fingerprints on the arm of an expensive sofa.

And somehow . . . Looking around at all this chaos . . . I realize I don't mind it.

Not even a little.

The palace has always been quiet.

Orderly.

Perfect.

But sitting here, listening to Diya laugh without holding herself back, watching Aadhya chase imaginary squirrels around the room . . . This feels far more alive than silence ever has.

"You're staring." Diya's voice pulls me back.

She's helping Aadhya stack blocks, but she's looking at me through narrowed eyes.