No Worries

The ride home was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Delphinia stole glances at Ashton from time to time, trying to read his expression. She had been worried—worried about how he felt after meeting Lydia, worried that he would withdraw into himself, but to her relief, he acted like nothing had changed. He sat behind them, looking out the window, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of his shirt.

Delphinia let out a quiet breath, her fingers resting lightly on her lap as she gazed out the window. Though the meeting had been awkward, it wasn't anything unexpected. Lydia had been polite—too polite, even—but there was always an underlying tension in her words. Delphinia could feel it, sharp like a knife just waiting to cut through the fragile peace they had managed to maintain.

Still, nothing bad had happened. That was what mattered.