The Roots Beneath

Chapter 15: A Day of Distractions

The air was crisp with the sharp bite of winter as Seren wandered through the snow-dusted park. Her boots crunched softly against the frozen ground, the cold seeping into her cheeks as she tried to escape the argument that still rang in her ears. The tension at home was unbearable, and last night, it had reached a breaking point.

Her parents had fought before, but the harshness of their words lingered in the silence of the frosty morning, weighing heavily on her chest. It felt like the entire foundation of her world was shifting, and all she wanted was to escape.

Seren barely noticed Elijah and his younger twin brothers, Sam and Leo, until they were right in front of her. She blinked in surprise as the boys' excited voices broke through her thoughts.

"Seren!" Sam called, his voice muffled by the thick scarf wrapped around his face. "Look at the snow fort we're building!"

Seren looked up, trying to force a smile despite the dull ache inside her. Elijah stood a few paces behind his brothers, watching her with quiet concern. His dark eyes were sharp and observant, and though he hadn't said anything yet, Seren could feel the unspoken question in his gaze.

"Hey, Seren," Elijah said, stepping closer. His breath formed soft clouds in the icy air. "You alright? You look... off."

She nodded, but the movement felt heavy. "Yeah, just... family stuff," she mumbled, not wanting to go into detail.

Elijah glanced over at the twins, who were now focused on packing more snow into their growing fort. "Do you want to hang out with us for a bit? We're just running some errands and trying to keep these two from freezing."

Seren hesitated, but the thought of spending time with Elijah and the twins, of escaping her thoughts for a while, was too tempting to resist.

"Sure," she said, her voice lighter than she felt. "I could use the distraction."

They started walking through the snowy streets, the twins bouncing ahead, laughing as they tossed snowballs at each other. Elijah kept close to Seren, occasionally brushing snow off his coat as he tried to make her smile with his dry humor.

"What's really going on?" Elijah asked after a few minutes, his voice low. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I can tell something's up."

Seren sighed, her breath fogging up in the cold air. "It's my parents. They've been arguing a lot, and last night it got really bad. I overheard them talking about things I didn't even know were bothering them. It just... threw me off."

Elijah's expression softened, though he didn't pry for more. "That's tough," he said simply. "But sometimes things sound worse than they are. You can't carry it all by yourself."

Seren appreciated his words more than she could say. He had a way of understanding without pushing her to explain everything, and right now, that was what she needed.

"Thanks," she said quietly, her mood beginning to lift.

As they walked, the twins ran ahead, stopping only to kick at piles of snow or dive into fresh, untouched patches to make snow angels. It was hard not to get swept up in their energy, and before long, Seren found herself laughing as they tried to outdo each other with the best snowball throws.

Eventually, they reached the small grocery store in town. Elijah handed each of the twins a basket, giving them the responsibility of picking out snacks. They took the job seriously, darting through the aisles as they debated which chips and candy would be best for the upcoming weekend.

Seren trailed behind Elijah, her earlier worries melting away in the warmth of the store. "They're a handful," she remarked, watching as Leo attempted to sneak a giant bag of marshmallows into the basket without Elijah noticing.

"They are," Elijah said with a grin. "But they keep things interesting."

When they finally checked out, the twins were buzzing with excitement about the snowball fight they were planning for later, bags of snacks clutched in their hands. As they left the store, the wind picked up, blowing fresh flakes of snow into their faces.

As they made their way back to Elijah's house, Sam suddenly slowed his pace and fell back to walk beside Seren. His face was half-hidden beneath his scarf, but his curious eyes were bright as he looked up at her.

"Seren," he said, his voice serious in that way only a child's could be. "Are you and Elijah mates?"

Seren blinked in confusion, momentarily thrown by the question. "Uh, mates?"

Leo joined in, coming to a halt in front of her, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Yeah, mates. Like our mom and dad! You know, like... special."

Seren's cheeks turned pink, partly from the cold but mostly from embarrassment. She glanced at Elijah, who was still walking ahead, seemingly oblivious to his brothers' conversation. She wasn't sure what they meant exactly, but she figured it was just their way of asking if they were close.

"Oh," she said with a light laugh, brushing it off. "Yeah, we're friends."

But Sam and Leo exchanged a knowing look, their faces lighting up as if they'd just uncovered a great secret. "See?" Sam said, nudging his brother. "I told you they were mates!"

Elijah must have heard them because he stopped abruptly, turning to face them. For a moment, his face was unreadable, and the easygoing air between them suddenly shifted. His gaze flicked to Seren, then back to his brothers, and something in his posture tensed.

The silence stretched, awkward and heavy, before Elijah cleared his throat. "Alright, enough with the questions. Let's get home before we freeze out here."

The twins seemed satisfied with their answer, but Seren couldn't help noticing how quiet Elijah had gotten. The lighthearted energy from earlier had disappeared, replaced by something heavier, something she couldn't quite understand.

As they reached Elijah's house, the twins rushed inside, their arms full of snacks, leaving Seren and Elijah standing outside in the cold. She could feel the tension lingering between them, even as he opened the door for her.

"Sorry about them," Elijah muttered, his voice low as they stepped inside. "They get carried away sometimes."

Seren smiled, trying to ease the sudden awkwardness. "It's fine. They're just curious."

Elijah nodded, but his expression remained distant. The warmth of his usual demeanor was gone, replaced by a quiet seriousness that made Seren wonder what, exactly, had shifted between them.

As they stepped into the cozy warmth of the house, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed—something that had been quietly growing between them for weeks, but that neither of them had yet acknowledged.

And for the first time, Seren wasn't sure what it all meant.