Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73

XENOIS

I herded both boys toward the stairs, listening to Ollie chatter excitedly about their “cooking adventure” while Riley remained silent. In the bathroom, I ran the shower and helped them both get cleaned up, I kept on noticing how different their personalities were now that I was paying closer attention to

them.

Ollie was his usual talkative self, narrating every step of the washing process and making grand plans for what they could do with the rest of their

Sunday.

Riley, on the other hand, seemed content to let Ollie make all the decisions and do most of the talking.

“Riley doesn’t have any clean clothes,” Ollie announced as we finished up. “Can he borrow some of mine?”

“Of course he can,” I said, watching as Ollie immediately began pulling items from his dresser. “Pick out whatever you think will fit him.”

It was interesting to watch the dynamic between them. Ollie clearly felt responsible for Riley, making choices on his behalf without even asking what he preferred. And Riley seemed comfortable with this arrangement, accepting whatever was offered without protest.

–

The clothes fit surprisingly well they were exactly the same size, down to shoe size. Looking at them standing side by side in matching outfits, the resemblance was striking now. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were brothers.

‘What flavor toothpaste do you want to use, Riley?” I asked, holding up the two options we kept in the boys’ bathroom.

Riley stared at the pastes for a long moment, his face blank. He didn’t seem confused by the question, it was almost like he was waiting for someone to

answer him.

The blue one is minty,” Ollie helpfully added to help Riley decide what he wanted.

“The red one tastes like strawberries. I like the strawberry one better.”

*I’ll use whichever one Ollie thinks I should use,” Riley said quietly, looking down at his fingers.

I frowned at his response. Most kids his age had strong opinions about things like toothpaste flavors. The fact that he seemed unwilling or unable to

express a preference was… concerning.

“What do you think, though?” I pressed gently. “Which one sounds better to you?”

Riley looked between me and the toothpaste tubes, something almost like panic flashing across his face before Ollie jumped in to rescue him.

“Let’s both use the strawberry one so we match!” Ollie declared, taking the decision away from Riley entirely.

As we finished getting ready, I noticed that Riley kept glancing toward the stairs, as if he was listening for something. Or someone.

When are you going to call my mama to come get me?” he asked for the third time since we’d come upstairs.

“Whenever you’re ready to go home,” I replied looking at him to see if I would be able to guess what he wanted. “Are you ready now, or would you like to stay for breakfast?”

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“I should probably go home soon,” he said, but his voice laqked willingness to leave. If anything, he looked like he wanted to stay exactly where he was.

“Do you want to go home?” I asked directly.

Riley’s mouth opened, then closed. He looked at Ollie, then at me, then down at his feet, “I should,” he repeated, not really answering the question.

I made a mental note to have a conversation with Sophia about Riley’s behavior. Something about his reluctance to express preferences, his formal way

of speaking to people, always making sure that his words were polite, his anxiety about going home it all painted a picture that made me uncomfortable.

–

Downstairs, Lumina had worked her usual magic, as she changed our damaged kitchen back to its normal state and preparing a breakfast that smelled

incredible. Both boys brightened when they saw the stack of pancakes waiting for them.

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