Page 26 of Worthy Promises
“We are,” FK20 Verity said. “Are you a real snowy owl?”
“Yep, and someday I’m going to fly really high.”
“That sounds pretty cool, I wish I could fly,” FK19 Wilde commented.
“Are you here to arrest Oliver?” Orion asked.
“Not tonight,” FK19 Wilde said, rising. “I bet snowy owls have some really cool toys. Maybe you could show me some of them.”
“That’d probably be okay since you guys can’t do bad stuff,” Orion said, cocking his head to the side and studying the woman. His blond hair was in disarray, and he was inexplicably missing a sock. But the kid was sizing up the fallen knight as if he’d be the one arresting someone if anyone stepped out of line when it came to his treasured toys. “I have a puppet theater, want to see it?”
“I’d love to,” FK19 Wilde responded, and Orion raced up the stairs with the fallen knight following at a more sedate pace.
“Mr. Toivonen, is there someone in your family we can call to be with you and your brother tonight?” FK20 Verity asked.
Oliver shrugged and blew out a heavy breath. “We don’t have any family. Oh, shit, it’s just us now. The kid hardly knowsme. How am I…how the fuck am I going to tell him his parents are dead?”
“What about close friends? Can we call one to come over?”
Pushing his fingers into his forehead, Oliver stared at his lap and rocked in place. “I d-don’t even have any friends. You know…you know who my brothers’ only friends are? Fuck. I guesswere. Our parents. Now I have to explain to that kid that they’re gone. How can this be real?”
The fallen knight started talking about resources like grief counselors, and Oliver tuned him out. It was rude, but he couldn’t help it. His own unresolved issues with his parents were irrelevant. Somehow, Oliver had to help his brother deal with his loss. Then perhaps Oliver could mourn the parents who had always found him wanting.
Chapter 10
Present day
St. James, New York
As Oliver jogged down the stairs, he pulled on his suit jacket and discovered a sad little boy waiting for him at the bottom. In the last six months, Orion’s big yellow gaze had been filled with sorrow. No matter how many therapists Oliver dragged Orion to, nothing changed. They shared more than the same shade of eyes and ice-blond hair; Orion was Oliver’s match for stubbornness and independence. His lone sibling refused to talk in his sessions with counselors who tried to help him with the loss of his parents.
Orion also refused to attend any of the extracurricular activities that had been such a big part of his life before their parents died. Since Oliver didn’t have the first clue how to homeschool him as his parents had, he’d signed Orion up at the local elementary school. To his surprise, his brother had top marks and his teachers praised his intelligence and pleasant personality.
However, the kid had made no friends and kept to himself at lunch and recess. He’d sit in a corner reading a book. While Oliver was pleased his brother was devoted to learning, he hatedthe self-imposed isolation. Oliver had grown up lonely, and the last thing he wanted was for Orion to experience a similar childhood.
“Are you going out?” Orion asked after they stared at one another for several moments.
“Yeah, is that okay?” Oliver asked. He’d planned on attending a Dérive event, but he’d stay home if his brother needed him.
“I guess.”
“We could play instead,” Oliver suggested, completely out of his depth but eager to help Orion mend from his loss and find some joy in his life.
“I have to go to bed soon.”
“I know, but I could go later or stay home.”
Orion shook his head and wiggled his bare toes against the tiled foyer. “I got a new book from the school library today. It’s about dragons. I want to read it.”
“Dragons are pretty cool.”
“Yeah. They can fly like you. Is it cool to fly?”
“Absolutely, and when you’re eighteen, we can fly together.”
“That’s a long time from now.”
“I suppose it is,” Oliver agreed. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”
