"For loving them," he said softly. "Your new family. For giving Evelisse a better ending than the one the world gave her."
Evelisse went quiet.
The petals fluttered between them. The silence was not heavy. It was...safe.
"I didn't expect you to be nice," she whispered.
He chuckled. "Why?"
"Because everyone who knows something about me either wants something, or they just *assume* I want something too."
He nodded. "It's hard to trust anyone when you don't even trust your own past."
Fluffy floated nearby, lounging dramatically on a hovering petal.
"Oho ~ this is suspiciously close to emotional vulnerability. I approve. Very cinematic."
Evelisse ignored him. 'This doesn't mean anything, Fluffy. I still have to figure out how to avoid putting people in danger. Especially boys my age who are clearly magnetized to weird destiny strings.'
Fluffy gave a sarcastic yawn. "Right. Because you're just soooo good at keeping things simple and uneventful."
