Chapter 62
LUMINA
The dining room had never felt more like a battlefield in my life than it did that evening. I sat in my usual chair, the one I alwayss used when coming here for countless family dinners over the past six years, but tonight it felt like I was sitting in the enemy’s territory.
The table was swinging a precise setting seven place settings instead of our usual five, with Sophia who was seated directly opposite me and Riley was
seated beside Ollie.
Samuel had taken his usual place at the table. As the head of the family although I could see the tension in his shoulders and the way his eyes kept
moving between his wife and the rest of us, searching for something..
It was clear to anyone that would pay attention that he was clearly uncomfortable with whatever game Silvia was playing, but he wasn’t going to call
her out on it publicly because she was still his mate first and foremost.
Xenois sat beside me, sitting tense as his jaw were grittee together tight enough that I worried he might crack a tooth. He’d barely spoken since we’d left the guest bedroom, and I could feel the anger that was pouring out of him in waves.
him.
Whether that anger was directed at his mother, at Sophia, or at the situation in general, I couldn’t tell yet
The children, thankfully, seemed oblivious to the tension that was happening around the table.
Ollie was speaking quietly to Riley about his favorite video games, as he was a bit more social to Riley as they met before in our house.
His friendliness was working hard in overriding any of the quiet reservations he’d said earlier about coming tonight.
Riley, for his part, was responding in single words and double words sometimes, as, his attention was focused intently on the meal that was in front of
“This lamb is so good, Silvia,” Sophia said, breaking the silence that had settled over the table.
“You’ll have to give me the recipe.”
“Oh, it’s nothing special,” Silvia replied with false modesty although she was clearly pleased by the compliment that she got.
“Besides it’s just something I picked up during our trip to Provence last year. Cooking has always been a great hobby of mine.”
I bit back the urge to point out that Silvia’s idea of cooking meant giving detailed instructions to her professional chef, rather than attempting in the preparation herself.
Instead, I focused on cutting my food into smaller pieces, trying to pretend I wasn’t affected while my stomach was turning me with nausea and anxiety.
‘Riley, sweetheart, you’re being very quiet,” Samuel observed gently, leaning forward to catch the little boy’s attention as he stopped eating and looked at Samuel with cautious eyes like he was observing something important.
“How are you finding your first dinner with us?”
Riley’s eyes that were so green in an odd way similar to mine and yet, so different from his mother’s blue ones..
1/3
Chapter 62
For a moment, something passed quickly across his face, it was an expression I couldn’t quite read before he managed a small smile.
“It’s very nice, sir,” he said politely, his voice so low that we had to strain our ears to hear him. “Thank you for having us.”
“Such beautiful manners,” Silvia gushed happily beaming at him like he’d just recited Shakespeare off script as she pressed a hand against her chest in blatant adoration as she turned to Sophia.
Sophia, you’ve done such a wonderful job raising him. It can’t have been easy, doing such a stressful job all on your own all these years.”
The comment hung In the air as I could feel Xenois tense beside me as Sophia beamed at the praise as she responded.
“It has been challenging,” Sophia admitted, sounding vulnerable to Garner sympathizers to her side.
“Especially in those first few years after my mate passed. Riley was so young, barely two, and there were times when I wondered if I was strong enough to give him everything he needed.”
“A child needs both parents,” Silvia said, her tone filled with hidden meaning as her eyes glanced briefly at Xenois.
“A strong father figure is so important for a young boy’s development.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Sophia replied smoothly. “Riley has been asking about his father lately. He sees his friends with their fathers and…” She trailed off, shaking her head as if trying to dismiss the thought.
“But we manage. We have each other, and that’s enough.”
It was a beautiful performance, really. For Even I found myself almost sympathizing with her fate, and I knew exactly what game she was playing here.
“Well, you don’t have to manage alone anymore,” Silvia said with an amount of confidence that showed that she was certain of what, reaching across the table to pat Sophia’s uninjured hand.
“Now that you’re back in Silver Creek, you have family here who are solidly behind you no matter what happens. We’ll make sure you have all the support you need.”
“That’s incredibly kind of you,” Sophia said, her eyes filled with what might have been genuine tears or maybe she was just that good at manipulation.
“I’ve felt so isolated and alone since coming back here to start a new life for me and my son. It’s wonderful to know there are people who care about Riley’s wellbeing as well as mine and promises to keep an eye on us.’
“Of course we care,” Silvia replied warmly, beaming at her.
“Speaking of which, have you given any thought to Riley’s education? A bright boy like him needs to be in a good school, with his friends so that he doesn’t miss anything important.”
“Actually, I’ve also been a lot fortunate in that regard,” Sophia said, as I caught a pleased look on her face that suggested satisfaction with what she was saying. “I was able to secure Riley a spot at Silver Creek Elementary. In fact, he’ll be starting this Monday.”
2/3

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart