The lights in the living room were low, casting shadows on the wall and refracting off the disco ball hanging above, throwing shimmery specks throughout the space. The music was still trickling softly from the soundbar, low enough for everyone to speak without screaming, but loud enough to cover up the lulls in conversation. A few of Ace’s cupcakes were still on the counter beside half-drunk bottles of soda and chips in a bowl that had been mostly consumed. The night kept moving on, but all I really wanted was to stay still and catch a breath.

I stood awkwardly near the kitchen, arms folded, trying to act like I was comfortable and belonged while Jess and Bastien chatted with their friends in easy rhythms. Everyone had been incredibly pleasant and welcoming, asking me questions and introducing themselves by turn, insisting that I join them in board games or conversations about things I knew very little about. Conversations flowed around me, but as much as I participated, it only made me feel the distance between my experiences and theirs.

It wasn’t a bad party. If anything, it was too gentle. The kind where kindness made you feel lonelier, not less.

My foot tapped soundlessly on the hardwood floor as I scanned the living room full of people, in truth only about a dozen, but I was a boat in the middle of the ocean.

“Is this a party for one, or can I join?” Ace asked.

I blinked. I hadn’t noticed Ace walk up. The guy stood with a casual slouch, holding a glass of something fizzy. His smile was gentle but teasing. He made me incredibly self-conscious. It wasn’t on purpose. He just exuded confidence.

“No,” I said automatically in answer to the first question. I then realized that could have been taken the wrong way. “I mean, yes, you can join.”

Ace gave me an amused smile. “Too much?”

I nodded. Ace didn’t press. Just leaned against the counter beside me, our shoulders almost but not quite touching. Next to him, I felt incredibly small. Not physically, more like ground beef next to filet mignon. Ace was exactly the type of guy Bastien deserved, definitely someone better than me.

“Everyone here’s way smarter than me. I didn’t understand half of what they were talking about.” I looked out at the living room and the couple slow-dancing to Lana Del Rey. Bastien and Jess were walking out to the balcony.

“If you were talking about music, I’m sure it’d be the other way around.”

“You’d think that. But I’m just learning that, too. The theory anyway.” As the couple kept dancing, they accidentally knocked a red cup over. Luckily, it was empty.

“The important part is that you’re open to learning. They might just have a bit of a head start on you now, but you’ll catch up.”

A silence settled. Not awkward, just enough for space to breathe.

“I guess I thought this would feel different,” I admitted. “Like I’d feel different. New start, new city. But I still feel like I don’t quite fit. I’m trying to find something that I can’t.” My hand gripped the treasure in my pocket.

Ace’s eyes softened. “You’re not meant to fit into every puzzle. Just the one that actually has a place for you.”

I gave a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah, but I think I was put in the wrong box.”

Ace tilted his head. “It’s nothing like that,” he said, voice soft. He looked up at the dim kitchen light as if choosing his words. “I just think… you shouldn’t be the one making yourself small.”

I didn’t know how to answer that. It’s almost like Ace read my mind. Something about the way Ace said it made me feel both seen and exposed.

As if sensing that, Ace nudged the conversation elsewhere. “Come outside. It’s less crowded. I won’t make you talk.”

Outside, the air was cool and still, the balcony damp from earlier rain. A quiet calm settled over the four of us: me, Jess, and Bastien now seated in the deck chairs while Ace leaned against the wall by the sliding glass door.

“You okay?” Jess asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. Just… resetting.”

Jess smiled faintly, then stood up and disappeared inside for a moment. I followed her with my eyes. Inside, some of the other guests were laughing at something they were watching on the TV, and others were sitting around the dining table playing a board game. When Jess came back, she was holding a small box. She handed it to me wordlessly.

I looked down. A phone. New, or at least newer than mine.

“I… I can’t accept this. It’s too expensive.”

“You need a real phone,” Jess said. “That other one belongs in a time capsule, and I’m tired of waiting hours for you to get my texts. Especially since you’ve moved in and we’re going to have to coordinate chores.”

“We went in together on it,” Bastien added. “It’s not top-of-the-line or anything, but it works. Has a working battery and data plan. That alone makes it better than yours.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The box felt heavier than it should. I ran a thumb along the edge, blinking harder than I wanted to. My old phone, with the only photos of Dean I had, felt like lead in my pocket.

I’d spent so long expecting to be left behind, to be discarded, that I always left first. It was so much better than the alternative. It was disorienting being with people that didn’t want me to leave.

“I’m really sorry I took off earlier. I should explain what happened.”

“You don’t have to,” Jess said. “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

The kitchen light glowed behind us, soft and yellow through the window. Someone inside turned up the music slightly, just enough for the beat to slip into the moment.

I swallowed. “I don’t really know how to say thank you for stuff like this.”

“You just did,” Bastien replied, shrugging. “Besides, we need a way to reach you. The whole smoke-signal system wasn’t really sustainable.”

That got a small laugh from me.

I looked up then, for the first time that night, and met their eyes fully.

“I’m glad I’m here.”

They didn’t say anything in return, but they didn’t have to.

Together, the four of us wandered back inside to join the others. As the night went on and the guests departed, the cleanup remained. Ace started gathering cups, Bastien stacked plates, Jess wiped down the table. I moved among them, like my boat had finally found the shoreline.