Chapter 55 – Champagne Galore

Anastasia and Billy came to a halt as they entered the house, holding two enormous boxes of champagne bottles. The dining table was beautifully set with candles flickering in exquisite holders, delicate floral arrangements, and napkins folded into exotic patterns found only in restaurants, making everything dreamlike.

"Damn, did you raid the whole yacht of champagne?" Bastian asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly puzzled as he glanced at the two bulging boxes. "Why do you have enough bubbles to open a nightclub?"

"Shh! They'll hear you, and you'll hurt their feelings!" Billy clutched the boxes to his chest dramatically, as if shielding a pair of new-born babies, and then leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "If you don't want any, that's perfectly okay...more for us."

Bastian blinked at him in disbelief. "You've officially lost it, man."

Before anyone could continue with this champagne debate, Wyatt descended the stairs. His boots thudded heavily on each step, and his expression was that of a stern father about to ask who crashed the car. When his eyes landed on the boxes of champagne, he folded his arms, eyebrows raised high in silent judgment.

Wyatt didn't have to say anything; his whole presence shouted, "What have you done?" But then he spoke, his voice full of fatherly authority. "Those better be here for decoration only."

Anastasia, a quick thinker, straightened up and grinned cheekily. "Absolutely not, Dad! We are going to celebrate tonight!"

"And what exactly are we celebrating?" Wyatt inquired, his brows narrowed with suspicion.

You'll find out soon enough," she teased, creating just enough tension to keep him guessing.

Wyatt let out a deep sigh, arms still crossed. "As long as you know I won't be easy on you if you all have a hangover tomorrow. I expect full effort in training tomorrow.

Just then, Matt and Sean bounded down the stairs, their eyes locking on the treasure trove of champagne like kids spotting Christmas presents under the tree. Sean's mouth dropped open and Matt rubbed his hands together ready to make some questionable life decisions.

"Oh yeah!" they said together as their excitement beamed on their faces.

"Alright, let's eat," Wyatt said as he shook his head with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

They all made their way to the dining room, and the chef outdid himself as Wyatt requested and even he was very impressed because what waited for them was a banquet fit for royalty. The table was covered in food platters filled with roast meats, sizzling veggies, and sides that smelt so amazing they made everyone's bellies rumble.

As they all took their seats, Billy immediately popped the first bottle of champagne where the cork flew through the air with a satisfying pop, narrowly missing Matt's head before bouncing off a wall and landing somewhere behind the curtains.

"Nice aim, Billy," Matt said with a straight face, shaking his head and pouring himself a drink.

"I like to keep things exciting, you know, keep you all on your toes." Billy shot back with a grin, filling Anastasia's glass next. "

Wyatt took his seat at the head of the table, looking at the glass of champagne that Matt had just set in front of him. "I'm not saying I'm old, but if I wake up tomorrow with a headache, you're all running laps."

Anastasia lifted her glass as a mocking toast. "Cheers to Dad, who can't handle his booze."

Wyatt gave a loud, theatrical grunt, yet the corners of his mouth twitched with amusement. "Be careful, Ana. I could include additional push-ups in tomorrow's program just for you."

"I'd like to see you try," Anastasia said, sipping her champagne with a sneer.

Bastian leaned back in his chair and drank his own drink while observing the conversation. "Is this how family meals usually go around here? Threats of push-ups and competitive champagne consumption?"

"Pretty much," Matt said between chews of his steak. "It is a combination of survival and amusement. "Think of it as family bonding."

Sean, always the practical joker, reached across the table and grabbed a champagne bottle. "Speaking of bonding," he said, waggling his eyebrows mischievously, "let's see how fast we can make Dad regret letting us have this much champagne."

"Sean, no," Wyatt warned, but it was too late.

Sean poured Matt's glass to the brim, followed by his own, then tilting the bottle toward Anastasia's glass as if about to perform the world's greatest magic trick.

"Oh, go on then. Just don't drown me." Anastasia laughed, holding out her glass.

The champagne flowed freely, and the room was soon filled with laughing, clinking glasses, and the occasional moan at a poor joke that fell flat. As the talk continued, Billy abruptly got up, tapping his glass with his fork to draw everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, before we continue stuffing our faces, I'd like to propose a toast!" he announced in a posh, British accent, 

Everyone turned toward him and all the faces at the table were curious about what nonsense Billy was about to spout.

"To the greatest battle of all. The battle of us trying to outdrink each other without Wyatt making us do squats at 6 AM," Billy said, holding his glass up. "

The table roared in laughter, and Wyatt shook his head but couldn't disguise his grin.

"I mean it! We are a family bonded by sarcasm, bad decisions, and much too much champagne. So, here's to us...may we make it through tonight without throwing up in the bushes before dessert - well since Bastian and I are celestial beings, we can still get drunk off human liquor but we certainly don't throw up. That's for you lot!" Billy exclaimed while dramatically placing his palm over his heart and smirking at everyone.

"To not hurling!" Sean echoed, raising his glass.

"To not doing squats tomorrow!" Matt added suppressing a little bit of a chuckle.

"To not get caught sneaking the last slice of pie," Bastian chimed in with a smirk letting people see how he was eyeing the dessert table already.

"Cheers!" everyone shouted as they clinked their glasses together in one chorus.

As they settled back into their seats, Rose's banter resumed with full force. Wyatt picked up a bread roll and threw it at Matt, who dodged it with the grace of a man who'd had to avoid many flying objects in his life. The bread roll hit Sean square in the chest, and he gasped.

"I've been hit! A son, struck down by his own father. What has this world come to?" Sean wailed, falling back in his chair.

"Don't be so dramatic. You have survived worse," Wyatt said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, that bread roll was deadly," Sean said, taking it up and shaking it in the air like a prize. "I'm going to frame it after dinner."

"And put it where? Your wall of 'Things That Almost Killed Me?'" Anastasia teased.

"Exactly. It'll be right next to when I fell over a garden gnome and hurt my ankle."

Matt snorted. "That gnome had it out for you, man."

"I swear, it moved!" Sean persisted, but the entire table burst out laughing once again.

The remainder of the evening consisted of more food, drinks, and light-hearted jokes at each other's expense. They laughed about anything from the most recent training fails to who had the worst hair day in high school (according to Matt, Sean "hands down, no contest").

As dessert was delivered and the hilarity subsided, Wyatt sat back in his chair, observing his family with a rare, pleased smile. "Alright," he murmured, his voice softening. "I believe I can manage a couple more glasses of champagne tonight. But remember, laps tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," everyone mumbled, already feeling the weight of too much food and drink settling in.

Anastasia grinned while looking around the table because despite the mocking, jokes, and the odd food fight, this was her family. Crazy and completely perfect even though there was a huge war that was hanging over them, tonight was worth celebrating.