after they met her

fiftynine

Hi everyone,
Sorry for the delay—uni is really stressful at the moment!
(I actually mentioned this on my news board last week, so feel free to check there for schedule changes. (Not that I have one, but still...))
I didn't want to make you wait another week, so I did my best to get this out. It's not my strongest chapter, and I'm not completely satisfied with it, but I thought it was better to share something than to keep you waiting even longer.
I hope you enjoy it regardless!
xx,
Mary

i v a n a

Raymond and Logan actually had fought last night.

Their bruised faces proved it, and to my surprise, both of them were still here this morning, lingering around like ghosts from an unresolved argument.

I sat down at the long breakfast table, positioning myself next to Glenn, who thankfully occupied a spot at the very end. Across from him sat Ethan, whose intense gaze seemed to pierce right through me.

His eyes studied me, unblinking, and I immediately felt small under his silent stare.

"Good morning," I managed, but the words came out much higher and more fragile than I'd intended. My voice sounded like a weak squeak, and I could feel my cheeks grow warm with embarrassment.

"Do you want tea?" Glenn's warm voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked over at him.

I nodded slowly, unsure if I truly wanted tea, or anything for that matter. Everything felt uncertain, suspended in this strange in-between state.

I didn't know what I wanted, and it weighed heavily on me.

Well, I'm should be used to it by now.

I glanced around the table, noting the plates and half-empty glasses. "Where are Asher and Matthew?" I asked, hoping for something to latch onto, to anchor me here in this room.

Glenn's face brightened as he responded, "Didn't Matthew tell you? They went to bring Dad back. He had to repay the families that helped find us, but now he's finally finished. He's coming home."

The happiness in Glenn's voice was almost startling. His eyes sparkled with a childlike joy, and a pang of longing hit me hard.

It was clear he saw our family in a way I couldn't quite grasp—a way I didn't fully understand. For Glenn, family seemed to mean security, warmth, loyalty, things I could barely remember feeling.

Had I grown up here, would I feel that same warmth, that pride in being part of this family?

I sighed, my shoulders sinking. Just then, Gray looked over at me from the other end of the table, where he sat next to Caelum, the two of them speaking in low voices about something that seemed to be work-related.

"Ivana, you're not eating," Gray stated, his tone gentle but firm.

I looked up at him, feeling a sudden rush of shame.

I opened my mouth, searching for words to reassure him, but nothing came. His words weren't meant to hurt me, but a flood of old memories, of past jabs and criticisms, swarmed in my mind, twisting his simple reminder into something heavier, something that stung more than it should have.

I felt so take aback.

I was suddenly aware of every eye in the room—or maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like everyone was watching me.

Embarrassment turned into a hot, prickly sensation crawling up my skin.

The room felt small, claustrophobic.