Heartfelt Conversation

The house felt whole again.

Ashton had just returned from spending the weekend at Lydia's, and now he sat comfortably on the couch, his small hands gripping a glass of juice as he swung his legs absentmindedly. Delphinia sat beside him, watching him closely.

Oh, how she missed him.

It wasn't unusual for Ashton to go off for weekends with family—he had done it many times before, to his grandparents. But this time felt different.

"So?" she prompted gently. "How was it?"

Ashton took a sip of his juice before setting the glass down on the coffee table. "It was… fine." He hesitated, shifting slightly as if unsure how to explain further.

Delphinia tilted her head, smiling at him. "Just fine?"

He sighed, playing with the hem of his sweater. "It was nice. She was really trying, I guess. She made my favorite breakfast, and we played some board games."

"That sounds good," Delphinia said, nodding encouragingly. "Did you have fun?"