Episode 17: Shadows at the Table

Family dinner.

A quiet one as always all the time for all of us. My parents are hosting, a handful of cousins my siblings, a few in-laws including Diana. Low-key. Peaceful. Precisely the kind of chaos I can get behind literally.

I lurk in the shadows by the doorway, frozen lemonade in hand, observing without participating.

The twins are already at the table, quietly coloring in their sketchbooks, doodling what looks like miniature ninja versions of me in various poses. Persephone points and whispers, “Look, he’s hiding again.”

Hades mutters, “…And still cooler than anyone here.”

I sip my lemonade. “Of course.”

On the table: menus printed for my aunt’s charity project, small branding pieces for my cousin’s new online comic, and Terry’s baby shower invitations—my handiwork visible in every detail. Fonts aligned, logos sharp, layouts precise.

No one here knows how much work I actually did.

I prefer it that way.

Terry sidles up beside me, not subtle at all.

“Beckett! Isn’t it amazing? The invitations look perfect! Everyone keeps asking who designed them!”

I stay silent. Masked. Gloved. Invisible.

“…I assisted,” I murmur.

She gasps dramatically. “Assisted? That’s an understatement! You saved the entire project! I even had to whisper about you at the baby shower—you were literally the star in shadows.”

I glance at the twins. Persephone giggles. Hades folds his arms, deadpan but satisfied.

“They miss their favorite ninja uncle,” Persephone whispers, tugging gently at my sleeve.

“I am right here,” I reply.

“They want you to sit closer,” Hades adds.

I sigh. Move one step forward and then nudged by the twins. Minimal exposure.

Cousins and in-laws are chatting nearby. I catch snippets.

“Did you see Beckett’s work on the invitations?” someone whispers. “So meticulous. And… that mysterious aura…”

“Exactly! So quiet, so unassuming, but clearly brilliant,” another replies.

I remain half-hidden behind the wall. Frozen lemonade in hand. Perfectly safe.

The conversation drifts to Terry’s baby shower, which I did attend—but only minimally. Quiet. In the shadows. Acknowledge only. Drink frozen lemonade. Repeat.

Friend of cousin: “…And did anyone notice him lurking in the corner? He didn’t speak, just observed… like a ninja. But seriously, so attractive.”

I adjust my mask. Exhale slowly. Yes. Observed. Appreciated. Still unbothered.

The dinner continues.

I monitor a dozen small tasks mentally:

Adjusting spacing in a logo for a cousin’s upcoming comic cover.

Tweaking typography for a charity flyer my aunt is producing.

Making mental notes for Terry’s next set of digital designs.

Each tiny adjustment invisible to everyone else, but essential to the outcome.

Persephone leans against me. “Daddy, why don’t you ever sit in the middle of things?”

“Because the middle is chaos,” I reply flatly. “And chaos is… irritating.”

Hades adds, “…Also, it’s fun watching humans fail while you fix it quietly.”

“Yes,” I agree. “…Fun.”

Dinner ends. Family members slowly get up, chatting, moving to dessert, but I remain mostly in shadows, quietly finishing my notes on logo adjustments for tomorrow.

Terry: “Beckett, don’t vanish yet! Even in the shadows, you’re the glue holding everything together. Everyone gushes about you!”

I sip my lemonade again. “…They’re idiots.”

Terry: “Yes of course me being a mob wife bimbo i should know heh, but they notice. That’s what counts!”

I remain silent. Mask adjusted. Shadows perfect.

The twins follow me to the doorway. Persephone tugs gently at my sleeve.

“Daddy,” she whispers, “you did all the work again, didn’t you?”

I nod slightly.

Hades smirks. “…And still somehow cooler than anyone at the table.”

“…Obviously,” I say.

As I step out into the courtyard for a breath of quiet evening air, I notice the soft golden light catching the edges of the leaves. Minimal exposure. Perfect conditions.

Even here, in shadows, surrounded by people who love me for exactly who I am—even in my pessimism and misanthropy—I feel… present. Included. Needed.

Even if nobody truly knows how much work I’ve done.

Even if nobody sees me except as the mysterious ninja lurking in the corners.

I sip my frozen lemonade. Watch the family laugh together.

And, for the first time today, allow a small, private smile.

Shadows are safe. Chaos is avoided. And love… always finds a way, even into the corners.