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Kira walks by holding a spray bottle labeled “Emergency Glitter Control.”

"What’d I miss?" she asks.

"James is being James."

"Cool. That tracks."

Back inside, Mandy helps a few kids finish their crayon resumes for their "Dream Job Wall." I bring over a juice box and set it next to her.

"For when the litigation stress kicks in."

She looks up, cheeks flushed, a purple marker smudge on her wrist. "This is more intense than law school orientation. One kid asked if I know how to sue Santa."

I sit beside her. "Well? Can we?"

"Only if there’s negligence involved."

I nudge her shoulder. "That’s my girl."

Her smile flickers.

Yeah. That might’ve slipped out too easy.

But she doesn’t flinch.

Instead, she dips a finger into the green frosting and swipes it across my nose.

I blink. "Oh, you wanna play dirty?"

"Consider it a cross-examination."

"Objection."

"Overruled."

Before I can recover, her finger swipes another dab of frosting onto my cheek.

I narrow my eyes, dip mine in the container, and get her right below the chin. "Retaliation."

"Unethical conduct," she accuses, laughing as she scoots back.

"You’re the one who opened arguments with frosting."

She grabs a napkin and throws it at me. "Sustained."

I lunge playfully like I might go in for more, but she holds her hands up in mock surrender, giggling. The kids around us giggle too, sensing the game without knowing the context.

James passes by, smirking. "Careful, you two. That’s how glitter baby rumors start."

Mandy laughs so hard she snorts. "Let me guess, you speak from experience?"

"Let’s just say, frosting is a gateway."

Mandy turns to me, wiping her cheek. "I need a lawyer. This is clearly harassment."

I grin, licking frosting off my thumb. "You started it. I’m just defending myself."

"With frosting?"