Chapter 16: A Reason to Return

Elias arrived at Lani's house early in the morning, the sun barely up. As he stepped inside, the scent of freshly cleaned floors filled the air. Angel, the housekeeper, had just finished her routine and was gathering her things to leave.

"You're early today," Angel noted, tying her scarf around her hair.

Elias gave a small shrug. "Didn't want to waste time."

Angel smirked knowingly. "Or maybe you just missed your little princess."

Elias shot her a blank look, but Angel only chuckled before heading out the door.

The house was quiet. The twins were still asleep.

Elias set his things down and made himself a quick cup of coffee. He wasn't much of a breakfast person, but he figured he'd need the energy for the long day ahead.

Then, soft footsteps padded down the hallway.

Elias turned just as Lily appeared, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She was wearing pink pajamas, her curls a mess from sleep.

The second she spotted him, her entire face lit up.

"Eli!"

Before Elias could react, she ran straight into him, wrapping her tiny arms around his waist.

A strange warmth settled in his chest.

"Hey, princesa," he murmured, placing a hand on her back.

Lily pulled back slightly to look at him, her lower lip jutting out. "You weren't here yesterday."

Elias crouched down so they were eye level. "No, I wasn't," he admitted. "Did you miss me?"

Lily nodded furiously. "A lot!"

Elias smirked. "I missed you too, pequeña."

She grinned, then tugged on his hand. "Come! I want to show you something!"

Elias let her lead him to the living room, where a small table was covered in her clay art projects.

"This is my new one," she said proudly, pointing to a half-finished figure. "It's you!"

Elias blinked at the tiny clay model. It had messy dark hair like his and was dressed in a little black outfit.

"You made me?"

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! But I need to finish the eyes."

Elias smirked. "Make sure they're handsome, okay?"

Lily giggled. "Of course!"

A shift in the air made Elias glance toward the doorway.

Luca was standing there.

His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable as he watched them.

Elias met his gaze, but Luca said nothing. Instead, he turned and walked away.

Elias exhaled slowly. That kid was going to be difficult.

But for now, he turned back to Lily, whose eyes were still shining with excitement.

"Alright, princesa," Elias said, ruffling her hair. "Let's get you some breakfast."

She held onto his hand the entire way to the kitchen.

Elias led Lily into the kitchen, her tiny fingers still curled around his hand. The morning light filtered through the large windows, casting a golden glow over the room.

"What do you want for breakfast, pequeña?" Elias asked, opening the fridge.

Lily hummed in thought. "Pancakes!"

Elias arched a brow. "Pancakes? Again?"

Lily beamed up at him, nodding. "Yup! With extra strawberries!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Elias grabbed the ingredients. He wasn't much of a cook, but breakfast was simple enough. As he mixed the batter, Lily climbed onto a stool at the counter, swinging her legs.

"Did you eat breakfast when you were a kid?" she asked suddenly.

Elias paused for a moment before continuing to stir. "Not really."

Lily frowned. "Why not?"

He glanced at her, debating what to say. He didn't like talking about his past, especially not with a child. But Lily was different.

"Sometimes there wasn't enough food," he admitted, keeping his voice light.

Lily gasped, looking horrified. "You mean… you were hungry?"

Elias smirked at her dramatic reaction. "Sometimes."

Lily stared at him, then suddenly pushed the plate of strawberries toward him. "You can have mine!"

Elias chuckled, ruffling her curls. "That was a long time ago, princesa. I eat just fine now."

Lily still didn't seem convinced, but she let it go as Elias flipped the pancakes.

Just as he was plating them, Luca entered the kitchen, his expression unreadable as he slid into a chair.

Elias placed a plate in front of him without a word.

Luca stared at it for a moment before mumbling, "Thanks."

It was the first time he had acknowledged Elias directly.

Lily, oblivious to the tension between them, happily poured syrup over her pancakes. "Eli makes the best food!" she chirped.

Luca didn't respond, but he did take a bite.

Elias leaned against the counter, watching them eat. He wasn't sure what kind of morning this was, but it felt… different.

And for once, he didn't mind.

---

After breakfast, Elias helped the twins get ready for school.

Lily, as usual, was full of energy, chattering about what she planned to do in art class. Luca, on the other hand, remained quiet, though Elias could feel the boy's sharp eyes on him whenever he interacted with Lily.

By the time they were dressed, Lani had emerged from her room, looking as put-together as ever.

Her gaze swept over the kitchen, pausing briefly on Elias before landing on Lily. "Did you finish your clay project?"

Lily nodded excitedly. "Yes! And Eli helped me!"

Lani's lips pressed into a thin line at the mention of Elias, but she said nothing. Instead, she turned to Luca. "And you?"

Luca shrugged. "It's fine."

Lani exhaled and checked the time. "You should get going. Elias, don't forget to pick them up on time."

Elias simply nodded.

As the twins grabbed their bags, Lily ran to Elias and hugged his waist.

"See you later, Eli!"

Elias patted her head, his usual smirk softening. "See you later, princesa."

Luca gave him a look before following his sister out the door.

Elias turned back to find Lani watching him, arms crossed.

"What?" he asked, his voice low.

Lani frowned. "You're getting too close."

Elias met her gaze evenly. "She's a kid."

Lani studied him for a moment before sighing. "Just don't make promises you can't keep."

Elias didn't reply.

Because deep down, he wasn't sure if he could.