Chapter 65 Chapter 65
"Good morning, Ms Maxwell," she said, her voice carrying just enough to be heard by those nearby. "I'll have my usual, please."
Iris felt a surge of gratitude at the professor's deliberate use of her Maxwell surname. "Coming right up, Professor."
As Iris prepared the complicated espresso drink that Professor Winters ordered each morning, the older woman leaned slightly across the counter, lowering her voice. "The Metropolitan Gallery curator is quite excited about your exhibition. I've agreed to serve as faculty liaison for your independent study credits."
Relief flickered across Iris's face. The independent study arrangement would give her the flexibility she needed to balance her coursework with the exhibition preparations. "Thank you, Professor. That helps tremendously."
Across town in the Maxwell kitchen, Carol was packing overnight bags for the family's weekend visit to the Lawson estate. Leo watched from the doorway, his expression a complex mixture of apprehension and determination.
"Are we doing the right thing?" he asked quietly. "Bringing the boys into all this?"
Carol paused in her methodical packing, considering her husband's question. "They're Iris's brothers. They deserve to be part of this journey, however complicated it might be." She folded one of Nikolaus's sweaters, smoothing the fabric with careful hands. "Besides, I think it might help them to see that these people, these Lawsons, are human beings, not just wealthy strangers who might take their sister away."
Leo nodded, his firefighter's practicality wrestling with parental concern. "You're right. As always."
At the Kennedy penthouse, Helga reviewed the weekend schedule her assistant had compiled. Tony would be joining both families at the Lawson estate tomorrow morning, a development she had initially opposed but now viewed with calculated interest.
"The car will pick up Antony at eight tomorrow," her assistant confirmed. "The Maxwell family is arriving this evening. Ms Maxwell will be going over to the Lawsons’ around four as Antony was surprising her with a movie beforehand, according to the family accounts."
Helga nodded, her mind already mapping potential strategies. If alliances were to be formed rather than battles fought, this weekend would set the foundation. "Prepare a gift for the Lawsons. Something appropriate for a family reunion. And have the Maxwell file updated with any new information."
Julius observed his wife's shift in approach with interest, recognising the strategic shift in his wife's thinking. The emotional opposition had transformed into a matter of business calculation, a much more familiar terrain for Helga.
"Perhaps we should consider attending the Metropolitan Gallery exhibition ourselves," he suggested, testing the waters of her new approach. "Show support for the young designer's work."
Helga's eyebrows rose slightly at the suggestion. "That would be... unexpected."
"Precisely," Julius replied with a small smile. "The unexpected often yields the most interesting results."
Back at the university café, Iris's shift was finally ending. The steady stream of curious onlookers had made the three hours feel like six. Still, she had maintained her composure throughout, serving drinks with her usual efficiency despite the whispers and stares.
"You did well," Tony said as she emerged from behind the counter, having changed out of her work apron. "Though I counted at least fifteen people who took photos while pretending to check their phones."
Iris sighed, her shoulders finally relaxing now that her professional obligations were complete. "Seventeen, actually. I was counting."
Tony laughed, the sound warm and genuine as he took her bag. "Of course you were. Analytical to the core, even in a crisis."
The security detail adjusted their positions as Tony and Iris left the café, maintaining a protective perimeter without being overly intrusive. Campus had grown more crowded as the morning progressed, with students lingering in unusual places, smartphones at the ready.
"Professor Winters mentioned the Metropolitan curator is excited about the exhibition," Iris said as they walked toward the design building. "Three weeks seems impossibly fast, but with the independent study arrangement, I think I can manage it."
Tony nodded, his free hand finding the small of her back in a gesture that had already become familiar. "Your mother, Dianne, seems equally excited. Your brother Theodore mentioned she's been working non-stop."
The casual reference to Richard and Dianne as her parents still felt strange to Iris, like trying on clothes that were theoretically her size but didn't quite fit her body yet. "It's still hard to think of them that way," she admitted. "As my parents. I mean, biologically, yes, but..."
"You don't need to force the terminology," Tony said gently. "They understand this is a process, not an overnight adjustment."
At the Lawson estate, Bryce was directing household staff with uncharacteristic seriousness as they prepared the guest wing for the Maxwell family's arrival. The youngest Lawson brother had taken it upon himself to ensure the Maxwell boys would feel welcomed, selecting games and activities he thought would appeal to each brother based on what Iris had shared about them.
"Jakob likes science, so I've put together some experiments we can do in the lab," he explained to Victor, who was observing his younger brother's preparations with quiet amusement. "And Nikolaus is artistic, so I thought maybe we could show him Mother's studio. Do you think she'd mind?"
Victor considered his younger brother's question, touched by the care Bryce was taking to make Iris's adoptive family feel welcome. Despite the ten-year age gap between them, Victor had always felt protective of Bryce, who had grown up in the shadow of their sister's disappearance.
"I think Mother would be delighted," he replied. "She mentioned wanting to show Nikolaus her work. Apparently, Iris told her he has quite a talent for drawing."
Bryce's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Great! And I've set up the basketball court for Buck and Finn. Theodore said they're both on their school team."
Victor nodded, his military-trained eyes surveying the preparations with approval. "You've thought of everything, it seems."
"I want them to like it here," Bryce admitted, vulnerability showing through his usual exuberance. "I want them to like us."
Back on campus, Tony pulled Iris into his strong arms, “Now, before I have to deliver you to the estate, we are going to the movies since neither of us has any classes. I can’t think of a better way to spend time with my girlfriend before I have to hand you back to your family.”
Iris's heart fluttered with surprise at Tony's suggestion. A movie date, something so wonderfully ordinary in the midst of her extraordinary circumstances.
"A movie?" she asked, a smile spreading across her face. "That sounds perfect."