Fight for them.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

"They said three more days."

"Yeah, I'm not staying that long." Elara tugged her hair into a loose bun, glancing over at Rex, still propped up in the hospital bed. She and Livhad stayed there the last 2 nights.

"Why not?" he whined, his voice carrying just enough to make her look back.

"I'm not leaving Adria alone with all six of my siblings," she replied flatly, picking up Olivia as the toddler reached for her.

"Why? She raised you," Rex teased, smirking,

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, arching an eyebrow as she placed Olivia gently on his chest. The little girl giggled, nestling against him as if she'd done it a hundred times before.

"Besides," Elara continued, ignoring his grin, "your mom's staying, and she'll be plenty of help."

"Yeah, but—" Rex's protest was cut short as Olivia smacked both of his cheeks with her tiny hands, her giggles bubbling over.

"Get him, Livvy!" Elara encouraged, laughing softly as Olivia erupted into another fit of giggles, gleefully smacking Rex's cheeks again.

"How old is she?" Rex asked, his voice softening as he looked at the toddler.

"About a year and a half... maybe older," Elara answered, though there was hesitation in her voice.

"You don't know how old your own sister is?" Rex's tone turned teasing as he gently tapped Olivia's tiny hand, earning another laugh from her.

"Listen," Elara chuckled, shaking her head. "There's five of them plus Faron and Ethan, okay? I can't keep track of everything."

Rex raised an eyebrow but didn't press, instead turning his attention back to Olivia, who was now leaning against his chest, her fingers lightly patting his arm.

"She's never like this," Elara muttered, watching her sister curiously. "She's usually running around like a maniac."

"She knows how to pick her moments," Rex said with a small smile, his voice warm as Olivia settled more comfortably on him. He rested a hand on her back, rubbing gently.

Elara leaned against the wall, arms crossed, letting herself take in the quiet moment. "Maybe she's not the only one," she murmured softly, her gaze drifting to Rex but before he responded Alicia walked back in.

"Doctors came in, they said I'm stuck here for three more days." Rex informed her while Elara looked at Rex who was rubbing Livs back glad that she seemed to gain his approval

                 ₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚

Adria was sitting in Elara's living room, half-watching the news while the boys filed inside, fresh from playing soccer—or whatever had occupied them outside. They piled into the room, each absorbed in their own tasks or ideas of fun. She did a quick headcount out of habit but paused when she didn't immediately see Tyson.

Shrugging it off, she switched the channel to something more kid-friendly, hoping to keep the boys from complaining about how boring the news was. As the room filled with chatter and movement, Tyson finally appeared, stepping in quietly, almost unnoticed.

He clutched a sweatshirt to his chest as he made his way to the chair in the corner, curling up and pulling the hoodie closer. Adria was the only one who seemed to notice him—or rather, notice how different he was acting. The usually talkative boy didn't greet anyone, didn't try to join the others. He just sat there, quiet, withdrawn, and almost distant.

She kept an eye on him, her curiosity piqued. The subtle rocking motion of his body, the way his hands clutched and rubbed the sweatshirt with rhythmic intensity, stood out to her. It wasn't fidgeting or idle movement, it felt deliberate, almost like he was trying to soothe himself.