Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 229

Chapter 229

RILEY

A

‘She’s never coming back!” Ollie yelled. “And that’s a good thing! She-”

“What’s going on in here?”

Both of us froze as Mama Lumina appeared in the doorway, her eyes taking in the scene that just happened- me holding the tablet defensively, Ollie with his hands on his hips looking frustrated and upset with me.

Before I could say anything to deflect it to something else about us arguing about what movie to watch, Ollie immediately started babbling everything to her, pointing at me accusingly as he explained about the phone call that I had made and how I was still calling Sophia my mama and how I didn’t understand that she was bad.

“I just wanted to talk to her,” I said quickly, trying to defend myself before Mama Lumina could get angry at me too. Adults when angry were always mean to me and I didn’t want that.

“I wasn’t going to go back to her or anything. I just… I miss her.”

I watched Mama Lumina’s face carefully, looking for signs that she was going to yell at me or punish me for being disloyal to her. But instead, she took a deep breath and seemed to be fighting to control some feelings that I couldn’t identify.

“Riley is right to want things, even if we don’t understand them,” she said finally, her voice neutral, sounding neither hurt or mad which was a relief for me. She walked over and gently took the tablet from my hands, but instead of taking it away like I expected, she handed it right back to me.

‘Sophia changed her number when she left,” Mama Lumina continued, meeting my eyes directly as she continued speaking.

‘We’re not sure when she’ll be back, and there’s no new number to reach her at right now.”

I felt my heart sink at this news, but at least it explained why Papa had answered the phone. Maybe the phone company had given her old number to someone else.

“Also, Mama Lumina added, “don’t stay up too late tonight. Tomorrow we’re going back to the hospital for your check-up, remember?”

She left the room, closing the door behind her, and I was left alone with Ollie, who was now pointedly ignoring me and playing aggressively with his toys. I could tell he was mad at me, but I didn’t know how to fix it without giving up the one thing that still connected me to my old life.

I moved closer to the door, opening it just a crack so I could hear what the adults were talking about in the hallway. Sometimes listening to their conversations was the only way to understand what was really happening.

“I can’t believe Riley is still seeing her as his mother, Mama Lumina was saying to Aunt Lynn, and I could hear the pain in her voice.

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Chapter 229

After everything we know she did to him, after all the lies and manipulation… he’s still loyal to her.”

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‘You have to be patient, Lumina, Aunt Lynn replied gently. “Riley doesn’t understand everything that happened. He doesn’t

understand the logistics of the situation, and he has every right to miss the person who raised him, even if that person was harmful to

him. Sometimes it’s scary for them to leave the only thing that they have ever known behind even if it’s toxic.”

“I know,” Mama Lumina said, but she sounded tired and defeated as she buried her face in her hands and continued speaking. “I just…

I want to help him, but I don’t know how.”

“I think it’s time Riley started seeing a child therapist here in the city,” Aunt Lynn suggested gently, as she stepped closer, placing a

hand on her shoulder. “Someone who specializes in trauma and abuse cases. Riley might feel more comfortable talking to a professional

than to any of us, especially if he’s worried about hurting your feelings with his conflicted emotions.”

A therapist. Another stranger who would ask me questions I didn’t know how to answer and expect me to explain feelings I didn’t

understand myself.

“That’s probably a good idea,” Mama Lumina agreed. “I’ll start looking for someone tomorrow.”

Their voices faded as they moved away from the door, leaving me alone with the knowledge that everyone thought I was broken and

needed professional help to be fixed.

I closed the door quietly and climbed onto my bed, clutching the tablet against my chest like it could somehow bring Mama Sophia

back to me. The silence in the room felt heavy and oppressive, broken only by the sound of Ollie’s toys being slammed around more

forcefully than necessary.

I buried my face in my pillow and let the tears come, sobbing as quietly as I could so nobody would hear me being weak. Everything was so confusing and complicated, and I didn’t know who I was supposed to be or where I was supposed to belong.

I missed Mama Sophia so much it felt like a physical pain in my chest. I missed knowing what was expected of me, missed the routine

of lessons and training that gave meaning to my days. Even when those lessons hurt, at least I had understood my place in the world.

I wished someone would just tell me the truth about where Mama Sophia was and when she was coming back. I wished someone

would explain why everyone thought she was bad when she’d spent years taking care of me when nobody else wanted to. Mama Sophia

always said that it hurt her more to see me cry than it hurts me, but bad children should always be punished. She never punished me if I did something right and would reward me instead so it was all good to me.

Most of all, I wished I could stop feeling like I was betraying someone no matter what choice I made.

The tablet felt warm against my chest, but it might as well have been a brick for all I cared because it wasn’t giving me what I needed, connection to Mama Sophia and I couldn’t guess her new number at all. Unless I could call Aunty Andy, but this was supposed to

never be an option. Mama Sophia was gone, maybe forever, and I didn’t even know if it was because she didn’t want me anymore or

because something terrible had happened to her.

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Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart