Page 122 of Seeking Shadows

“I never thought anyone would use the word ‘nice’ to describe Pietro.”

“He is,” I say, my voice heavy with sleep, “But you are more. I love having a smart sister like you.”

I see a hint of surprise in her expression.

Maybe because Laura isn’t used to this.

Maybe because she doesn’t understand exactly why I’m so sleepy, but I give up and let sleep take me.

CHAPTER 21

ZANE

I'm finishing coloringwhen I hear my father's heavy footsteps in the hallway. I grip the colored pencil tighter, pressing it against the paper, trying to finish before he tells me to go to bed.

"Zane, it's late, champ," he says, leaning against the doorframe with that usual relaxed manner.

I glance up and give a quick smile. "Wait! Just finishing a drawing."

He steps into the room and leans over my desk, curious. "Let's see what we’ve got here."

Beaming with pride, I push the sheet toward him. "Everyone's happy!"

His eyes scan the drawing carefully.

Taylor wears a blue dress, like Alice’s. Kyle sits at his computer—because he's always at his computer. I’m holding a spray paint can, and my dad stands beside his motorcycle, smiling. But my mom… she’s in bed. Sad.

My father’s smile falters slightly. He points to her. "Why is your mother like that, son?"

I fidget with the colored pencils, my chest tightening, like when I overhear something I shouldn’t. "Because she is sad. Kyle and Tay don’t notice, but I do."

My father is quiet for a moment. Then, he sits on the edge of my bed and gestures for me to come over. I set down my pencils and climb into his lap, and he pulls me close, like I’m still small enough to fit there.

He takes a deep breath. "You know, sometimes people get sick in ways we can’t see. Like when you catch a cold and can’t play properly. But instead of your body, it’s your mind that gets tired. And when that happens, you can stay sad longer than you should."

I rest my head against his chest, absorbing his words. "So Mommy is sick?"

His fingers comb through my messy hair. "In a way, yes. But it's not her fault, champ. She’s just fighting a battle inside herself."

I bite my lip, that tight feeling growing. "Are you going to be sad like that too?"

He squeezes my shoulder gently, offering a small smile. "No. Because I have three beautiful little things that make me happy." He pokes my belly, and I laugh, squirming.

But the question in my head doesn’t go away. I tilt my face up to look at him. "Then why isn’t Mommy happy with us?"

He blinks, as if he hadn’t expected that. For a moment, he just looks at me, and I see something shift in his eyes. But then his smile returns, softer this time. "She is, Zane. Very much. But when you're fighting an illness, sometimes you need time to get better."

I don’t say anything. I don’t like the idea of a sickness that makes you sad for no reason. But I do like the way my father holds me, like nothing bad can reach me while I’m here.

He lifts me easily and carries me to bed, tossing me onto the mattress. I laugh, wrapping myself in the blanket as he tucks me in.

"I’m going to tell you a secret," he says, his voice quieter now. "Something your brother and sister probably wouldn’t understand. But you will—because you see the world differently, my little artist."

I blink up at him sleepily. "What?"

"Sometimes life makes us believe we’re better off alone. But we’re not, Zane."

I frown. "I don’t have a someone."

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