Juni hadn't expected to step inside Elian's home that day. He hadn't expected the warmth either.
It started with rain—again.
A sudden downpour that turned the late afternoon into a curtain of water. They'd reached Elian's neighborhood just as the sky opened.
"Come inside," Elian said. "You'll get drenched."
Juni hesitated on the doorstep, eyes flicking toward the windows, toward the quiet, well-kept garden.
"…I don't want to intrude."
"You're not," Elian said simply.
He pushed the door open. Juni followed.
The house smelled faintly of tea and something warm from the oven—vanilla, maybe. The space was light, uncluttered, gentle in a way that made his chest tighten with something he didn't have a name for.
"Mom?" Elian called softly. "We're home."
Footsteps approached.
Evelyn Hart Sorell appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel. She smiled the moment she saw them.
"Oh—Juni, right? Elian's mentioned you."
Juni froze.
"I—um—yes."
Evelyn's smile softened further, as if she could sense the tension in his shoulders.
"You're safe from the rain now," she said, voice warm. "I'll make some tea."
She didn't ask why he was there. She didn't ask how they knew each other. She didn't ask anything that might make him shrink.
She just welcomed him.
While she prepared tea, Juni stood near the doorway, unsure where to place himself. Elian nudged him gently.
"You can sit," Elian said, motioning to the couch.
Juni obeyed, hands tightening in his lap.
He looked around the living room—clean, cozy, filled with small signs of a family that took care of each other. Framed photos. Stacked books. A plant that looked like it had been tended with patience.
Evelyn returned with two cups of tea and set them on the table.
She didn't hover. Didn't interrogate.
She simply sat in an armchair with her own cup and let the room breathe.
After a few minutes, she glanced at Juni—not sharply, but with a gentle curiosity.
"How was school today?"
The kind of question adults asked all the time. But the tone was different. Juni answered before he had time to tense up.
"…It was okay."
Evelyn nodded as if that was a perfectly complete answer.
No probing.
No raised eyebrow that suggested she sensed what he wasn't saying.
Just acceptance.
Juni felt something loosen in his chest—and immediately panicked at the sensation.
Evelyn noticed, but instead of leaning in, she softened her posture and looked away, giving him space.
Safety without pressure.
Juni didn't know how to process it. Elian watched the exchange quietly.
He'd always known his mother had a way of making people feel steady, but seeing Juni react to her with such fragile relief made something inside him tighten.
Not protectiveness. Not pity. Recognition.
Juni wasn't used to this kind of gentleness.
The rain had lightened when Juni finally stood to leave. "Thank you for having me," he said quietly.
Evelyn smiled as if he'd offered her something precious. "You're welcome any time."
Juni's breath caught. He nodded, unable to speak. Elian walked him to the door.
Outside, the air was cool and damp, the storm already fading. "…She's nice," Juni murmured.
"She is," Elian said.
Juni hesitated. "…I wasn't scared."
Elian turned to him. "That's good."
Juni nodded again, voice quieter. "It's… new."
That night, Juni couldn't shake the warmth of Evelyn's smile. A kindness that didn't demand anything. An adult who didn't expect him to be less. He didn't know how rare that would feel until it happened.