Chapter 28 #2
Elowyn, blissfully unaware of the silent exchange that had taken place above her, selected the first screw from the pile resting in her palm and held it beside the illustration in the manual before handing it to William.
The project finally began to take shape.
Several minutes passed with the two of them working in surprising silence.
Elowyn followed each step in the instruction booklet with careful precision while William fitted the pieces together exactly as he read, interrupted only by the quiet scrape of wood across the floor and the occasional metallic click of Phillip-or Greg.
After a while, Seraphina had finally noticed her attention was never on the project. It was on Elowyn the whole time.
The loose strand that had escaped Elowyn's ribbon had fallen across her cheek again, stubbornly refusing to stay in place as she bent over the instruction booklet, and before giving it any real thought, Seraphina leaned forward and brushed it back behind her ear.
Elowyn gave a tiny flinch beneath the unexpected touch but never looked up, her eyes remaining fixed on the page while she absently reached for another screw.
Seraphina's hand, however, didn't leave with the strand of hair. Her fingertips rested against the delicate point of Elowyn's ear, softly tracing its edge with quiet curiosity.
Elowyn gave a small sound of protest, scrunching her nose at the feeling. She quickly moved away just enough to free her ear from Seraphina's fingers before continuing to compare the screws in her hand to the diagram.
Seraphina pulled her hand back as if burned, her fingers curling into her palm as a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. She hadn't meant to intrude on the girl's space, and the instinctive way Elowyn had moved away left a sharp, cold prick of regret in her chest.
?Before she could retreat further into her own head, a cough echoed from across the room making her look up.
?
William was staring at them, his expression carefully neutral, though his gaze held a distinct weight.
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"Elowyn?" he said. "Could you grab me some water, please? My throat's getting a bit dry."
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Elowyn finally looked up from the manual with a slight, distracted nod. "Oh. Yeah, sure." She started to push herself up from the floor, pausing to look back at the couch. "Do you want anything?"
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"I'm okay, thank you," Seraphina forced out.
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As Elowyn stood and disappeared toward the kitchen, the room felt suddenly, awkwardly spacious. William didn't look away from her, he continued watching her for a while then sighed, leaning back against the half-assembled frame of the coat rack.
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"Don't feel bad," he said quietly. "You didn't do anything wrong."
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Seraphina didn't answer. She only shifted her gaze toward him, her expression unreadable and guarded, waiting for him to finish whatever thought he was currently dissecting.
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William held her stare for a second, his lips twitching into a sympathetic smile before he shook his head. "Never mind. Actually-no, scratch that. You did do something wrong. But," he added, his voice dropping, "it's not what you think."
"She's self conscious about her ears," William revealed, making Seraphina furrow her brows.
"She was bullied for all kinds of things in school. Her ears being one of them," he continued.
"Since we were younger, it was something that was constantly pointed out about her. Everyone asking if she was born like that, why her ears look like that, asking if it's a deformity of some type. Just calling her all kinds of names. That's sort of where it started. As a kid,
that kind of stuff just stays with you. It didn't help that her stupid mom would tease her about it too."
"So yeah. She just... doesn't like her ears," William shrugged with a small frown. "Even though I constantly tell her I like them, I mean, who has pointed ears? Even if slightly. I tell her they look "cool" because if I use the word cute, she'd try to kill me," he laughed.
She remained silent where she was, her expression unreadable while she stared at the kitchen doorway. William's explanation replayed in her mind, each detail adding another piece to the puzzle she had been trying to understand.
?
"Her mother," Seraphina started, the words tasting like copper. The thought of anyone-especially a parent-using someone's own features as ammunition made her jaw tighten. "Does she-"
The sound of footsteps approaching made her immediately stop talking.
Elowyn returned with the glass of water in her hand, completely unaware of the conversation that had taken place while she was gone. She handed it to William before lowering herself back onto the floor.
"Thank you," William said, taking a drink. He looked at her for a second before his expression shifted. "Oh, wait. I'm so sorry."
Elowyn tilted her head. "For what?"
"I forgot to ask if you could please bring me some apple slices too."
Her brows furrowed slightly. "Won't lunch be here in a couple of minutes?"
"I just want something sweet before the meal," William lied.
Elowyn looked between him and the kitchen, then nodded as she pushed herself back up.
"Okay," she walked away again, leaving the two of them alone once again.
William waited until she was out of earshot before looking back at Seraphina. "That's not the only thing."
"What do you mean?" Seraphina's attention returned to him.
"The way you touched her ear. It was too soft," Will began.
"It's a sensory thing. If you're going to touch her- if she allows it- it can't be soft, featherlight brushes. That overstimulates her. Like a hug for example, she obviously doesn't like hugs from just anyone, but with the people she's comfortable with? It needs to be a tight hug.
Not just some light embrace. Those freak her out."
Seraphina considered that before giving a slow nod. "That explains the reaction."
"Yeah," William agreed. "I think it was the way you did it more than anything else, since she's obviously comfortable around you."
Seraphina's eyes lifted to him.
"I mean..." He gestured vaguely toward the sofa. "She practically parked herself against your leg. Ellie doesn't exactly do that."
The sound of footsteps approaching made them both stop talking as they watched Elowyn return from the kitchen carrying two small plates. Thin, perfectly arranged apple slices were stacked on one, while the other held neatly cut pieces of pineapple.
"Here," she said, handing the apples before settling back onto the floor beside the sofa.
As naturally as if she'd done it a hundred times before, she placed the second plate onto Seraphina's lap and immediately reached over to spear a piece of pineapple with the small fork.
Seraphina looked down at the plate resting across her lap, then at the girl comfortably seated against her leg. The corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Across from them, William watched the exchange over the rim of his apple slice before flashing Seraphina a smug look.
"I told you," he mouthed, earning another eye roll from the woman before she returned her attention to the girl at her feet.
"So you like pineapple, sweetheart?"
Elowyn nodded, popping another piece into her mouth. "It's my favorite fruit."
"I see," Seraphina murmured, her fingers settling around the edge of the plate to keep it steady as Elowyn reached for another piece.
"What's your favorite fruit?" Elowyn asked, still concentrating on the instructions.
"Cherries or strawberries," Seraphina answered.
Elowyn hummed in acknowledgement before she suddenly whipped her head around to face Seraphina. "Do you want to know something?" She rushed out.
"Tell me," the woman smiled.
Elowyn turned completely where she sat, abandoning the instruction booklet altogether.
Without seeming to realize she was doing it, she scooted closer, practically tucking herself against Seraphina's leg until one arm rested loosely on her knee as she looked up.
Her eyes bright with barely contained excitement.
"Strawberries are technically not a true berry. Did you know that?"
"I did not," Seraphina answered honestly, glancing down at the girl's hand.
"A berry is a fruit that develops from a flower with a single ovary. A strawberry actually develops from a flower with multiple ovaries, which makes it an aggregate fruit. Its seeds are technically individual dry fruits called achenes," Elowyn stopped to take a deep breath before continuing.
"The same goes for raspberries and blackberries. It's kind of crazy because if you ask someone to name a berry, those are more than likely the first fruits one would name."
Seraphina listened without interrupting, the faint smile never leaving her face. "I learned something new today," she said.
"Yeah," Elowyn replied with quiet satisfaction, then just as quickly as the fact had entered her mind, it seemed to leave it again. She turned back toward the instruction booklet, reaching for another piece of pineapple before leaning over the pages spread across the floor.
The rhythmic click of the screwdriver filled the living room once again, accompanied by the occasional rustle of paper whenever Elowyn turned another page. Every so often, she reached up without looking, plucking another piece of pineapple from the plate still resting on Seraphina's lap.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for Seraphina to keep her eyes where they belonged. She found herself watching those small, absent-minded movements far more than the coat rack slowly taking shape. That deep, nagging feeling not leaving her.
She had always possessed exceptional self-control. It had served her well throughout her life and career, in negotiations, in conflict, and in every relationship she'd ever had. Very little rattled her composure, and even less tempted her to act on impulse.
Yet today, that discipline felt unusually fragile and she couldn't explain why.