The basic gameplay of Pretty Pretty Princess was simple but humiliating (especially for male players). Players used a spinner to move around a circular board, collecting jewelry.

Players could choose pink, purple, blue, or green game pieces. To win, a player had to collect a pair of earrings, a necklace, a bracelet, and a ring in their chosen color, plus the single crown. A black ring automatically disqualified a player, regardless of other collected pieces. The goal was to collect everything except the black ring.

Violet chose purple, as she always did when available, a habit formed years ago after Kaleb suggested it because of her name. Noah chose blue, and Nathan chose green to avoid the embarrassment of pink.

Though clearly unenthusiastic, Nathan won, becoming the Pretty Pretty Princess. He momentarily dropped his composure to brag about his victory, allowing Noah to secretly take a picture—a photo Violet would use to tease him for years.

Feeling her revenge complete, she let Nathan choose their next video games until he noticed the time and realized their parents would be home.

He stretched as he stood. "Well, it's been fun, lovebirds, but I feel less like a third wheel around Mom and Dad. Never thought I'd say that."

Violet rolled her eyes. Their parents were far more affectionate than she and Noah; Nathan knew this. He likely felt guilty about intruding and wanted to leave, which she appreciated.

She hugged him goodbye, feeling more goodwill than earlier. He was a tease, but not her least favorite brother. Their large age gap notwithstanding, they were quite close.

After Nathan left, Noah grinned. "I'll gladly play any 'little girls' game for blackmail material on Nate. Usually, he's the one messing with people."

That summed up Nathan perfectly. Kaleb was also a skilled teaser, but Nathan had a slight edge. They often competed to annoy each other into submission, much to Violet and Oliver's amused disdain.

Violet was glad something good came from the disastrous evening. At least Noah didn't seem upset; he was such a good person.

She sighed, leaning against his shoulder. "I'm sorry about tonight. I meant to do something nice to show my appreciation, but Nate ruined it."

He kissed her head. "Don't worry, Vi. I had fun. And it means a lot that you put so much effort into cooking and baking, considering you almost never do it for yourself."

This was true. She and Noah frequently ate out, relying on their mother's cooking while she lived at home. While not inept in the kitchen, she'd never prepared anything like this alone.

Since moving out, Keeley often brought leftovers to ensure her daughter wasn't starving. Otherwise, Violet usually ate simple boxed meals.

She'd enjoyed a less restrictive diet, but to rejoin her company in six to seven months, she'd need to eat like a dancer again. She hadn't gained much weight, still exercising regularly, but dancers have specific dietary needs due to muscle exertion.

She'd return to her limited diet when working with the dance rehabilitation specialist—a couple of months away. Until then, she could eat normally.

She should practice cooking more; she'd need those skills someday, even if she was managing fine now. As a mother, she'd need to feed her children three meals a day.

The thought felt strange. At nearly twenty-six, many of her peers had children. Her mother had her and Kaleb at the same age.

But to have children, she'd need to be married—to Noah, whom she was still getting used to kissing.

He was great with kids—his karate students adored him—so she knew he'd be a good father. This was all so weird! She'd never imagined her future family with Noah.

She'd chosen to spend her life with him, but imagining him as a husband and father was different. Though, she admitted, any child of his would probably be adorable. He'd been a super cute kid.

Her cheeks flushed; thankfully, he couldn't see her face. Admitting her thoughts could only end awkwardly.

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