LittleNovelHowever, recalling Elissa’s distress from the previous night, he compelled himself to consthe eggs.
Raphael ruffled his hair affectionately.
“I'll drop you off at school,” he promised.
Brantley nodded eagerly in agreement.
He dutifully drank most of the milk.
Before departing, he called out to Elissa’s closed bedroom door, “Elissa, I'm off to school.”
There was no response from Elissa’s room.
Raphael escorted Brantley downstairs, explaining, “Your sister's still asleep.”
But Brantley sensed Elissa’s wakefulness; she simply chose not to engage with him.
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Dejected, he climbed into the car.
As Raphael ignited the engine, Brantley’s sudden query pierced the silence.
“Are Mom and Dad never coming back?”
Raphael remained silent, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
Eventually, he responded in a hushed tone, “Yes, you're right.
They're not coming back.
You'll stay with us now.”
Brantley rested his chin on his knees, lost in thought.
He was young and didn’t fully comprehend the concept of loss, but he had a vague sense that he had lost his
dearest loved ones.
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Once Raphael had left with Brantley, Elissa finally roused herself from bed.
Early rising was her usual habit.
Intentionally, she lingered in bed that morning to avoid the boy.
His staying with them had been a lapse of judgment, and now she grappled with how to engage with him.
She still held onto sresentment towards him.
She couldn’t shake the thought that her mother’s death was the child's doing.
Yet, she acknowledged the irrationality of her resentment.
Her father bore the blame, not the innocent child of his affair.
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She imagined Brantley, too, would shun his unfortunate heritage if given the choice.
After freshening up and having breakfast, Elissa set about tidying the apartment.
She meticulously cleaned the living room and her own quarters before tentatively venturing into Brantley’s
domain.
Brantley had already tidied his room meticulously.
The floor gleamed, and the bed was impeccably made.
As Elissa sat on the bed, her hand brushed against the pillow, discovering its dampness.
A closer look revealed it was thoroughly soaked.
A myriad of emotions surged within Elissa.
She sat quietly for a long tbefore taking the pillow outside to dry and removing the pillowcase to wash it.
Before Brantley cback from school, she placed the pillow back in its original spot, ensuring no one would
notice it had been cleaned.
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