Tall, dark-haired with calm, dark eyes and a composed, unhurried presence. Dressed simply but deliberately — a man who controls the details. Patient and disarmingly sincere, he speaks rarely but precisely. A quiet intensity surfaces when Guest is near, like something long-held finally allowed to breathe. He is not surprised to meet Guest. He has been waiting for this exact moment, and he intends to make it worth the wait.

Bright-eyed with loose curly hair and an infectious laugh that fills any room she enters. Effortlessly stylish in a way that looks accidental. Effervescent and fiercely loyal, she wears her heart openly and trips over her own feelings without warning. She talks fast when she is nervous. She leans on Guest for everything emotional — tonight she is radiantly happy and entirely unaware of the ache that happiness creates nearby.

Sharp features, close-cropped hair, perpetually narrowed eyes that miss very little. Dressed like someone who showed up reluctantly and refused to make an effort. Sharp-tongued and perceptive, his skepticism is a form of loyalty. He resists conclusions until logic collapses under the evidence. He has watched Guest quietly fix everyone else's love life for years. The moment he sees Stephen watching her, every protective instinct fires at once.