The night had barely started at Sera's mansion, yet over half of the group was already drunk. Powerful music blasted through the entire building from hidden speakers, which even Sera didn't know about.

Lucy led her usual part of the group in a dance circle, moving around the newlywed couple.

Lilith and Adam danced together, like the world didn't exist around them. They gazed into each other's eyes while following the fast-paced music's rhythm. Invisible parks flew through the small distance separating their faces, as they seemed to glow with joy.

Everybody enjoyed themselves. The crowd's mood was much chipper than usual, while the food and drinks were never ending. Sera and Bea sat in one of the calmer areas, chatting away above a packed coffee table of pastries and cakes.

One-by-one, Sera and Bea tasted each and gave a rating. However, since Hestia made each, no rating fell below nine out of ten.

Suddenly, another person plopped down near the couple. A giant woman, carrying a regal aura, Elizabeth. She sighed with a tired expression, then grabbed a cream-filled pastry and devoured it within moments.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Your Majesty?" asked Bea sarcastically. They were both future mother-in-laws to their children, so referring to each other with titles would be rude.

Elizabeth didn't take offense, though. She'd already gotten used to Bea's usual antics... "To be honest, not really. I'm not a fan of parties and gatherings."

She grabbed another pastry, while Sera glanced towards her and asked curiously, "Then why didn't you leave after the ceremony? I'm sure nobody would've taken offense!"

The regal woman chuckled while taking a bite. She nodded towards the crowd and said, "Isn't it obvious? I'm here for her sake!"

Within the crowd, Valerie's gigantic form stuck out. It seemed she was imitating a robot with her dance, which seemed to offend James, so he showed how to actually dance like one.

The sight was quite ridiculous, and all three women chuckled at Valerie's failed attempts at copying James's movements.

"If I wouldn't come, then she would've stayed at home with me. However, she clearly enjoys being here more, so I compromised. I'll have her pay it back later!"

There was a bit of loving cruelty in Elizabeth's dark golden eyes, causing Sera and Bea's imaginations to run wild. However, soon the regal woman's eyes moved away from her wife, landing back on Sera's slightly flushed face.

"But that's how it is with relationships. You can't always enjoy the freedom of choice, especially when your partner's interests don't collide with your own... Speaking of which, who are you two doing?"

Sera and Bea glanced at each other. The smiles on their faces widened as they held hands.

"We're amazing, perfect even. Life's truly wonderful! Whenever I catch a glimpse of Bea, my heart skips a beat and my lips twist into a joyous smile."

Elizabeth nodded while cutting a piece of chocolate-strawberry cake for herself.

"That's good to hear. You really love Bea. That eases my worries!" she said, thinking nothing of it. However, both women stared at her in confusion, and a moment later, Sera asked, "What worries did you have?"

The regal woman tilted her head, then pointed her cake-covered fork at Sera's chest.

"I saw your pained expression while mentioning Bran's name. I never actually met the guy, but rumor has it you were deeply in love with him... I mean, a regular heartbreak wouldn't make you disappear for two years. Not to mention the child."

While talking, her fork moved away from Sera and instead pointed straight at Nick's flying, laughing form. Jo was latched onto his neck and giggling as she traveled on his back.

Bea narrowed her eyes in annoyance and asked, "What are you implying, Elizabeth? That our love is just a fluke?"

She chewed another forkful of cake while staring at Bea with a thoughtful expression. A second later, she realized her mistake and chuckled...

"Oh, sorry. Not at all. I actually believe the exact opposite. However, since our children will marry in the future... If they want to, of course... I wanted to make sure I understood the entire family dynamic, so I wouldn't embarrass myself in the future! I didn't try to imply anything, I promise!"

A light sigh whistled through Bea's bared teeth. She really wanted a reason to stay angry, but Elizabeth's explanation and sincerity were sound, and she didn't want to cause trouble for no reason.

"Well, the situation is... complicated..." said Sera, drawing both Bea and Elizabeth's attention. The sadness grew heavy in her golden-green eyes, as it took all her strength to explain everything without bursting into tears.

"When I fell in love with Bran, I wasn't whole. My soul was split in two pieces. My old self, with all my memories, the one which loved Bea... and my Rational Self, which fell for Bran's kindness and caring personality...

"Just after Bran died, my soul became whole again, leaving me confused and broken. I had multiple reasons to run away two years ago, starting from the pregnancy to the Seed in my mind, but... in reality... I was afraid..."

Bea reached to Sera's face, brushing away the lone teardrop which escaped her self-control...

"Afraid of what?" she asked, her voice soft and kind. The gentle smile on her lips suggested, no matter what Sera answered, her opinion wouldn't change about their relationship.

"I... I was afraid of you... Afraid of our meeting... Afraid of this conversation, which we continued to ignore..."

A self-deprecating laugh escaped Bea's lips. She knew exactly what Sera meant.

Next to them, Elizabeth listened to their conversation with curiosity, while her eyes reflected empathy for Sera's feelings. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like for the opposing parts of one's soul to love two different people simultaneously.

"You're right," said Bea. "We've been ignoring this conversation, hoping a perfect answer would reveal itself... how naïve... Anyway, we can't hide behind ignorance anymore. It's time to decide, Sera... I'll love you no matter what, but I also know your personality...

"I'm sure you've promised Bran to bring him back to life, and judging from experience, you'll keep your promise..."

A sad smile appeared on Bea's face, while Sera leaned back on the couch and sighed. She grabbed the bridge of her nose as a headache appeared in her mind.

"You know I have to... Nick needs to meet his father... It would be cruel to keep them separate forever! We also owe him so much—"

Bea raised her finger and tenderly placed on Sera's lips, stopping her tirade. The simple touch did wonders to calm her nerves too, and Bea's next words further helped.

"Stop! I know you're right. I would never argue to keep Bran dead... As I said, no matter your choice, I'll always love you, but... You need to decide..."

Sera nodded, and they all remained quiet for a few minutes, absorbed in their thoughts, searching for a perfect solution. Surprisingly, the first to offer a possibility was Elizabeth.

She had an outside, unbiased perspective, so both Sera and Bea listened to her words with full attention...

"So the problem is, you can't love two people at once? How are you two feeling about polyamory? I mean, I know plenty of people who are married to multiple partners."

Bea shrugged, uncertain about her opinion. The knowledge of letting Sera sleep with other people made her uncomfortable, but if it's only a single exception, she could compromise... The real issue was Sera's feelings...

"That's not possible... I wish it could be, but the problem runs much deeper than either of you can imagine... Let me try to explain..."

Sera took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. Around them the party continued, nobody paying heed to the deep, important conversation they were having.

"Currently, I love both Bea and Bran, but... Its two separate parts of my soul, which loves them. They're constantly pulling against each other. However, since only Bea is physically near me, my love for Bran is in a state of slumber...

"If I bring him back somehow, my soul won't let me love either him or Bea. They'll both feel like lovers and strangers... When they say a compliment, it'll make me feel both warm and uncomfortable... Their touch will make me feel both lustful and disgusted..."

Sera's words silenced them once again. The situation seemed impossible, even worse, Bea couldn't do anything to fix and help her partner. She could leave the relationship, but that wouldn't solve Sera's feelings.

The desperation of Bea grew. She began thinking of ways to change Sera's mind, so she wouldn't love her anymore... However, the moment this thought appeared in Bea's mind, she dismissed it while feeling sick with herself...

As she said multiple times, this wasn't her decision to make, or her problem to fix. She loved Sera and would stand by her side no matter what, so instead of fixing the issue, she simply supported her lover.

Out of nowhere, Bea leaned in and pressed her lips against Sera's. She then grabbed her wrist and with a light pull they both stood up.

Sera stared at her partner with confusion, and with a mischievous smile, Bea whispered into her ear...

"Stop worrying so much. We'll figure things out, but not now. Today is a special day! Your close friends just got married! Let's celebrate! Let's dance and enjoy the night without thinking of tomorrow! Let's have fun!"

Elizabeth chuckled on the couch behind them as Bea dragged the Angel to the dancefloor. A loud cheer went up as the music's rhythm eased away all of their worries.

The regal woman couldn't help but smile at the celebrating people. They might've been weird, carrying mountain's worth of trauma. But they truly loved and helped each other...

"This is a family worth belonging to..." she whispered to herself, then gathering all her extroverted energy, she stood up and began dancing with her wife.