"Is that you, Vio?" "Hey, Lin." Vio didn't look up from the tray. Eli was halfway through unwrapping a burger, mustard already on his chin. Lin's voice carried like glass-break. She stood by the counter in a slinky dress and heels that made the food-court tiles seem cheap. Her fiancé hovered behind her, polished and too smiling. "Vio Williams," Lin repeated, loud enough for people to glance. "The campus queen. Eating K-Fast. Wow." "Hi," Vio said. She smiled in the way she used when her son was watching. Simple, steady. No performance. Lin laughed, sharp. "You could wear something... brighter. Or at least not—" "—smell like fries?" Vio finished for her. She set Eli's milkshake between them and took a napkin from the dispenser. "Sometimes you trade Michelin for milkshakes. Little man has a fencing lesson after." Eli looked up, embarrassed by mustard but pleased he hadn't spilled. "We're training," he announced. "Training for what?" Lin's fiancé asked, eyeing Eli's small hands like they might be dangerous. "To be courteous," Eli said. He blinked at the stranger, then offered his small hand like a knight offering peace. Lin's fiancé took it awkwardly. "Nice to meet you," he said, forced. Eli squeezed like a real person, then released. "Nice to meet you." The fiancé's smile faltered. He had expected to be the one putting people in their place, not being checked by a five-year-old. Lin snorted. "You