Chapter 16
Silence took over the house for just a moment before Elowyn’s father spoke again.
“Elowyn, do you have any idea what time it is?”
The girl glanced to the right, where a clock hung on the wall.
“Ten–thirty six,” she answered, slightly confused as to why her father stood there just to simply ask for the time.
“Ten–thirty six,” he repeated. “And you didn’t think it was necessary to let me know you would be out this late?”
“What do you mea—” Elowyn started before her brother walked into the living room.
Atticus crossed his arms. “I didn’t know where you were, Elowy—”
“Hey, Dan!” Elowyn’s voice came out enthusiastic as she ran over to her big brother, throwing her arms around him.
“Hi, gremlin,” the man replied, ruffling her hair.
“What are you doing here?” the girl asked, her hazel eyes shining as she looked up at him.
Daniel glanced at his father, seeing him run a hand through his hair while pacing, growing increasingly frustrated.
Situations like this were always difficult.
Elowyn overall had been a good kid growing up.
Never went out to parties, never got mixed up in the wrong crowd. But when she did do something wrong, that was a different story.
It was never anything too wild, just simple things like losing track of time at the library or forgetting to check her phone.
The craziest thing had to be that one time she rearranged an entire store display, which the managers weren’t too happy about. Still, the girl claimed that they had done it incorrectly and that if they wanted to have any sales, they should put more effort into their work.
She meant well, she really did. But the world didn’t always bend the way her logic did, no matter how certain she was.
And all those times, she didn’t realize she was doing anything wrong.
Just like now.
Daniel looked back to their father, who had stopped in place, and simply let out a sigh.
“Ellie, you really scared us,” Daniel gently stated.
“Scared? What happened?” the girl asked, turning to her dad.
“Is your phone on, Elowyn?” Atticus questioned.
Elowyn opened her bag and took out her phone.
“Yeah, it’s on. Look.” She flipped the phone so her dad could see the screen.
Atticus let out a deep sigh, trying to reel in his anger.
“Did you check your messages?” he asked calmly.
“Oh, um,” she mumbled, opening the messages app. “Oh…”
“Oh? Is that all you have to say for yourself?” Atticus scolded, his voice cracking mid-sentence.
“I—” Elowyn paused, trying to assess her dad’s facial expressions. “Are you mad or sad?” Elowyn questioned, trying to understand what was happening.
“Both!” her father said sharply.
Elowyn flinched, eyes widening. This was the first time her father had ever raised his voice at her. He wasn’t yelling or screaming, but it still stung her deeply.
“Dad…” Daniel cut in.
“I couldn’t get a hold of you, Elowyn. You didn’t answer any of my messages or calls, and I had no idea where you were,” Atticus started, his tone gradually becoming sharper.
“I called Miss Loretta to see if you were over there, I rang the shelter, but you were nowhere to be found. I had to call your brother, in the middle of a work night, mind you, just to find out you weren’t over there either!
You had both me and Daniel driving all over town, to all of your little spots, looking for you—”
“That’s enough!” Daniel spat sharply, careful not to raise his voice.
Atticus stopped.
The room fell quiet in a way that felt heavier than the raised voice ever had.
Elowyn stood frozen where she was, shoulders drawn in tight, hands tapping faintly at her sides like she was trying to bleed the energy out of them. She hadn’t spoken. She hadn’t defended herself.
Silent tears slid down her cheeks, steady and unbroken. Her bottom lip trembled despite her best effort to hold it still, jaw tight as she tried not to make a sound. She stared at the floor, blinking too fast, breath shallow and uneven.
Atticus looked at her.
Really looked.
And suddenly, she wasn’t twenty anymore.
She was small again. Wrapped in a blanket far too big for her. Crying the same way she always had, silent, lip quivering, tears following like they’d been waiting their turn. Even back then, she’d tried not to make a sound. Like she thought being quiet might make things easier for everyone else.
His chest tightened painfully.
“Elowyn…” His voice faltered.
She flinched slightly.
That did it.
The anger drained out of him all at once, leaving something raw and shaking in its place. His shoulders sagged, hands curling into fists at his sides as his eyes burned.
“I was scared,” he said, quieter now. Broken. “I thought something happened to you.”
Her fingers twitched.
Atticus swiped at his face roughly, but the tears slipped free anyway, tracking down the same lines worry had carved there over the years.
“I don’t care that it was late,” he continued, voice thick. “I care that I couldn’t find you.”
Elowyn’s breath hitched. Her hands finally curled into her sleeves, knuckles white as she whispered, barely audible, “I didn’t know…”
Daniel stepped closer, not touching her yet, just there. A steady presence.
Atticus took a slow step forward, then another, careful like she might bolt or shatter if he moved too fast.
“I know you didn’t,” he said softly.
Elowyn finally looked up.
Her eyes were glassy, red-rimmed, confused and hurting all at once.
“I wasn’t doing anything bad,” she whispered, like that mattered most.
Atticus nodded immediately. “I know. I know you weren’t.”
His voice cracked again, worse this time.
“I just need you to send a text once in a while to let me know you’re okay,” he said. “I need to know you’re safe.”
Elowyn nodded quickly, tears spilling faster now. “Okay... I’m sorr—”
He pulled her into his arms before she could say anything else.
Elowyn folded into him instantly, like her body had been waiting for permission, her forehead pressed into his chest as she clutched the fabric of his jacket. A quiet, broken sound escaped her, halfway between a sob and a breath she’d been holding the moment she started being scolded.
Atticus held her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head the way he had when she was small, his own tears soaking into her hair.
Daniel watched from a step away, jaw tight, relief and concern tangling in his chest.
The house settled around them again.
Not silent this time.
Just held.
?
Light footsteps could be heard as Elowyn exited the bathroom, making her way into her bedroom.
She was exhausted.
Pulling back her blankets, she quickly slipped under them, ready to finally get some sleep.
Then a knock was heard at her door.
“Come in,” she called out lightly.
Daniel stepped into her room, quietly shutting the door behind him before walking over to Elowyn’s bedside.
“Can I sit?”
Elowyn stared him up and down, taking in his outfit. Baggy sweatpants, running shoes, and a thin long sleeve.
She paused, really contemplating for a while.
These look like his pajamas, but they could also be considered workout clothes.
“Are you sweaty?” the girl genuinely questioned.
Growing up in a house with two men, Elowyn knew exactly how bad they smelled after a long day. It was disgusting.
Daniel chuckled. “No, I’m not sweaty, you gremlin. I’d already showered by the time Dad called.”
Elowyn squinted her eyes at the man, trying to see if he was lying.
“I’m not lying, Ellie. Here, smell.”
He lifted his arm and grabbed the back of her head, attempting to shove her face into his armpit.
Elowyn screamed, trying to push herself away.
“Okay, okay!” she gasped when she finally broke free, completely out of breath.
She huffed out the most dramatic sigh she could muster, then gave her brother a death glare.
“I guess I’ll allow it,” she mumbled.
Daniel smiled, the corner of his mouth lifting as he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.
“You good?” he asked, quieter now.
Elowyn shrugged, pulling the blanket up to her chin. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone.”
“I know,” he said easily.
She picked at the seam of the blanket with her fingers, eyes fixed on it like it might offer answers.
Daniel watched her for a moment, then reached out, resting his hand over hers. He didn’t stop her fidgeting. Just anchored it.
“Dad was scared,” he said. “But he’s not mad at you, even though it might have come off that way.”
Elowyn nodded as silence took over the room.
“Where were you, Ellie?” Concern was evident in Daniel’s voice. “I just—you’ve never stayed out this late before. Not that it’s wrong. Just… not really like you to do this.”
Elowyn sighed, knowing what he said was true.
The latest she’d ever come home before was around seven. Any later felt scary. She preferred blankets and movies over parties or wandering around.
Reaching across the bed, she grabbed the first plushie her hand touched and pulled it to her chest, hugging it close.
“I was eating chicken nuggets,” she mumbled.
“Chicken nuggets?” Daniel echoed. “You were eating chicken nuggets for five hours?”
“Not really…” Elowyn trailed off.
Elowyn didn’t answer right away.
The room settled into that familiar nighttime hush again, broken only by the faint hum of the house and the slow rhythm of her breathing. She hugged the plush tighter to her chest, fingers kneading into the fabric like she was winding herself up… or maybe trying to unwind.
Daniel didn’t push.
He stayed where he was, elbow resting on his knee, eyes on her hands instead of her face. Waiting the way he always had.
He understood her silence wasn’t avoidance. It was preparation.
After a long moment, Elowyn spoke.
“There was a bookshelf,” she said quietly.
Daniel blinked. “A… bookshelf?”
She nodded, still staring at the plushie. “At the company. The one Dad’s working at.”
“Okay,” he said carefully.
“The books were alphabetized,” she continued. “But I needed them to be color-coordinated.”
Daniel paused.
“…You needed them to be?”
She nodded again. “Yes. The colors were everywhere. It was distracting.”
He waited.
“So I fixed it.”
Her voice lifted just a touch at that, not proud exactly, but certain.
“I reorganized the whole thing. Reds together. Blues faded into greens. The darker spines balanced the lighter ones so it didn’t look choppy. It looks better now,” she added softly.
Daniel’s chest tightened.
A memory flickered unhelpfully to life. A very annoyed store manager. A very small girl standing her ground beside a perfectly symmetrical display.
He kept his voice even. Calm.
“El… were you supposed to do that?”
Elowyn’s fingers stilled.
“She said I could,” Elowyn replied quickly. “From the beginning. She told me I could organize them however I wanted.”
“Who’s… she?” the man questioned.
“Seraphina,” Elowyn said casually.
“And Seraphina is…”
“Dad’s boss… I think. Ms. Monroe.”
Daniel lifted his brows slightly. “And she let you rearrange her shelf?”
“Organize,” Elowyn corrected. “She invited me back to finish too.”
That helped. A little.
He exhaled through his nose, reaching out to gently nudge her foot with his own.
“Okay,” he said quietly. “Then that’s different.”
Her shoulders loosened a fraction.
“I didn’t mean to stay so late,” Elowyn murmured.
“She took me to get food after. Chicken nuggets.”
Daniel huffed a small breath of a laugh. “There it is.”
She tilted her head. “There what is?”
“The missing hours.”
Elowyn shrugged again, smaller this time. “I lost track.”
He nodded. That part made perfect sense.
Daniel looked at her for a moment, really looked, then softened his voice even more.
“Dad doesn’t mind you staying out late, Ellie. He just wants to know you’re safe. Wherever you are,” he said gently. “Just… send him a text once in a while to let him know you’re okay before you go wild organizing bookshelves and eating nuggets all night.”
Elowyn giggled. “Okay.”
Silence settled again.
“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” Elowyn asked, guilt written all over her face.
“No, I’m off for the next three days.”
“Is it because of me?” Elowyn whispered. “Did I mess up your schedule?”
Daniel took notice of the way his sister’s voice wavered slightly and knew she felt guilty. The truth was, he did have work the following day. But once his father had called in a panic, Daniel had emailed his boss, saying he might be a bit late the next morning.
Luckily, he had an amazing boss who responded almost immediately, telling him to take the next three days instead. He’d added that Daniel was one of his hardest workers and deserved a break.
Daniel hadn’t argued. He accepted without hesitation.
“Nah,” Daniel reassured. “I’ve been needing to take a small break for a while now. My neck has been killing me from being hunched over paperwork constantly.”
The girl let out a sigh of relief before excitement took over her features.
“So what do you wanna do? You’re staying here, right? We can do puzzles, or play video games all day. Or we can watch movies, or play board game—”
Elowyn stopped, looking over at her brother.
“Or you can just relax if you want to,” she added softly.
“We can do it all,” Daniel grinned. “Whatever you want.”
Elowyn’s smile widened, dimples pressing deep into her cheeks as she threw her arms around the man.
Daniel hugged her back tightly, feeling himself get a bit emotional.
He missed his sister.
Work had been… a lot lately. Early mornings blurred into late nights, and he’d barely had time to visit at all.
He found himself genuinely looking forward to the next few days.
“Okay,” Elowyn whispered, slightly pushing him away. “Get out,” she said.
“Wow,” Daniel scoffed playfully, watching the girl burrow herself into the mountain of blankets. “We were just having a beautiful heart-to-heart moment, and now you kick me out so carelessly?”
“Yes,” Elowyn casually agreed. “I’m beyond exhausted. Please vacate the premises.”
Shaking his head, Daniel stood up, chuckling.
“All right. Good night, El.”
“Night, Dan. I love you,” she mumbled, already half asleep.
“Love you too, gremlin.”
?
Walking into the kitchen, Daniel startled slightly, not expecting his father to still be up.
"Everything alright?" Daniel asked.
Atticus lifted his head from his hands, looking at his son before letting out a gentle sigh.
"I'm still a bit shaken up, I guess."
Daniel took a seat next to his dad, waiting for the man to continue.
"I shouldn't have raised my voice at her," Atticus voiced.
Daniel let the silence linger for a bit before speaking up.
"No, you shouldn't have. Especially knowing she would never do something like this on purpose."
Atticus let out a deep breath.
"She's okay, though." Daniel added.
"She is?"
Daniel let out a brief chuckle. "Yeah, she's excited for these upcoming days."
"She misses you a lot," Atticus smiled sadly.
Daniel paused.
"I miss her too. Both of you."
Atticus wrapped one arm around his son in some sort of side hug, patting his back.
"Did she tell you where she was?" He added after a moment.
"She was eating chicken nuggets," Daniel laughed.
"Chicken nuggets?" Atticus said in disbelief. "She was eating chicken nuggets for five hours?"
"That's exactly what I said," Daniel added, still laughing. "She then clarified that she was organizing a bookshelf at the company for Ms. Monroe, then the two went to grab something to eat after."
"Again?"
"What do you mean again?" Daniel questioned.
"Well, a couple of days ago, Ellie had gone to the company for reasons I still don't know about, and she panicked with the construction noise on Floor Six. Ms. Monroe took Elowyn to her office to calm her down, and it wasn’t until I had called her that she told me she was even in the building."
This made Daniel pause for a moment.
Elowyn willing went to the office of a woman she was supposedly afraid of, not once, but twice?
The thought lingered, uneasy and persistent.
Daniel leaned back slightly in his chair, staring at the kitchen counter without really seeing it.
He thought back to that night on the couch.
Elowyn wrapped in blankets. Half-asleep. Voice small and uncertain.
I think I’m scared of Ms. Monroe.
His lips pressed together faintly.
Scared hadn’t been the right word. He’d known that even then.
She’s really pretty.
Daniel exhaled softly through his nose.
That had been the moment he realized it wasn’t fear at all, but something tangled and unfamiliar. The kind of emotion Elowyn always struggled with most.
She never recognized her feelings right away. They came to her sideways. Disguised as nerves. Or irritation. Or sudden silence.
And now she’d willingly gone back. Twice.
Not only that, she’d stayed. Organized shelves. Ate dinner with the woman, and lost track of time entirely.
That wasn’t something Elowyn did with just anyone.
“She trusts her,” Daniel said quietly, more to himself than his father.
Atticus glanced over. “What?”
Daniel shook his head lightly. “Nothing. Just… thinking.”
He rubbed his thumb against the edge of the table, brows knitting.
Maybe Elowyn still believed she was scared of Ms. Monroe.
But fear didn’t look like color-coordinating books side by side.
Fear didn’t invite you back to finish.
And fear definitely didn’t make you forget the time.
Something warm stirred in Daniel’s chest. Not worry this time, but a cautious sense of relief.
Whatever was going on between his little sister and the woman at the company, it wasn’t dangerous.
If anything…
It seemed gentle.
And for someone like Elowyn, gentle meant everything.
Daniel shifted in his chair, glancing toward the hallway that led to Elowyn’s room, as if he could still sense her presence there.
“Dad,” he said quietly.
Atticus hummed in response, still staring into his untouched mug.
“I think… maybe it’s time you loosen your grip a little. Just a bit.”
Atticus looked up then.
Daniel met his eyes, voice calm but certain.
“I know she’ll always be your little girl,” he continued. “That doesn’t change. It never will. But the truth is… she’s twenty now.”
Atticus’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.
“She needs to go out,” Daniel said. “Make mistakes. Figure things out on her own. Even if it takes her longer than most people. Especially then.”
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
“I know it’s harder for her. I know you worry more because of that. I do too.” A small breath left him. “But when she does try… when she pushes herself to try something new, or scary, or unfamiliar… that should be celebrated. Not scolded.”
Atticus’s shoulders sagged.
“I was scared,” he admitted quietly.
Atticus swallowed, fingers curling tighter around the mug in front of him.
“You know she doesn’t catch on to things the way most people do,” he said after a moment. “Not because she isn’t smart. God knows she is. But she… processes slower. Especially with people.”
Daniel stayed silent.
“She can’t always tell when someone’s intentions are good,” Atticus continued, voice roughening. “She takes things at face value. Believes what she’s told. Assumes kindness means safety.”
He shook his head faintly.
“And she has such a hard time naming what she feels. She doesn’t always know if she’s scared, or nervous, or excited, or… something else entirely. By the time she figures it out, she’s already overwhelmed.”
His gaze drifted toward the hallway.
“She’s so small, Danny,” he said quietly. “She always has been. And I can’t help thinking how easy it would be for someone to take advantage of that. One wrong person, one bad intention… and she wouldn’t see it coming.”
His voice cracked, just slightly.
“Some creep could sweep her away without her even realizing she should run.”
Atticus’s voice cracked on the last word.
Daniel swallowed.
“I know,” he said quietly. “That thought scares me too. When you called, my heart dropped.”
He leaned forward slightly, forearms resting on his knees.
“But that’s exactly why tonight didn’t have to turn into that,” he continued gently. “It could’ve just been a reminder. A ‘hey, Ellie, check your phone.’ A ‘shoot me a text so I know you’re okay.’”
Daniel offered a faint, lopsided smile.
“She’s not reckless. She’s not sneaking around. She just… loses track of time when she’s comfortable."
Silence settled between them again.
This one heavier. More thoughtful.
“She didn’t do anything wrong,” Daniel added softly. “She just forgot to tell us where she was.”
Atticus stared down at his hands.
After a long moment, he nodded once.
“…I don’t want her to feel like she’s done something bad,” he said quietly.
Daniel’s expression softened.
“Then we’re on the same page.”
He glanced toward the hallway again.
“She’s growing, Dad. Slowly. In her own way. But she is growing.”
And for the first time that night, Atticus allowed himself a small, tired smile.
“I suppose… chicken nuggets and bookshelves aren’t the worst ways to start.”