Re: The twins and Helen
Following her brother's gaze to the waitress, Helen elbowed him in the ribs before leaning into the arm around her. "No distracting the help, Castor. You can charm her out of that excellently tailored uniform after she's done working," she scolded, though there was a smile on her face. Everything had turned out all right, so why shouldn't she enjoy herself? It was a fantastic party, her (admittedly very extended) family was going to be here, and she was celebrating with her brothers for the first time in as long as she could easily remember.
The box was an unexpected surprise, but she accepted it without hesitation. "Oh, it's beautiful!" After setting the small box on a nearby table and fastening the chain around her neck, Helen delightedly embraced each of them in turn. "I can't believe the two of you went shopping for jewelry. Now you'll have to sit still long enough sometime for me to get a picture for it."
She held up a hand in a 'wait right here' gesture and dashed off to the penthouse's bedroom, where she'd stashed her belongings in the spacious closet. When she returned, Helen held a single sheet of paper in her hand and held it out to Castor and Pollux. "I considered buying you a boat and having it docked in Miami so you'd have to come visit me in the winters. But... well, this is the dedication page for my next book," she explained almost bashfully. Sentiment wasn't something Helen indulged in often, but she'd always been closest to her brothers out of everyone. "Of course, if it gets you to Miami I'll still totally buy you the boat."
On the sheet of paper, a few lines of text stood out in stark black print... written entirely in the Greek they had spoken in their childhood. "For my brothers, the bravest and most noble protectors I could ever hope to have, without whom I would surely not be who I am now. This, or on this."