They turned off every other light in the room to see it properly.

And there it was: white and gold and nothing else. No red, no green, nothing to break the line. The gold wasn't one gold either — some of it polished, some of it matte, some of it worn on purpose. The glass caught the light and held it instead of throwing it back.

It didn't look festive. It looked expensive, and quiet, and like someone had made a hundred decisions and then removed ninety of them.

Guests kept walking toward it without noticing they were doing it.

Restraint is the loudest thing in a room.