✓ Chaos Theory | Diego Hargreeves [1]

【CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO】

—chapter thirty-two.

❛ the day that wasn't. ❜

WHEN ELODIE FINALLY MADE IT HOME, it was well-past dark. The sun had fallen hours before and it was only through her own efforts that she could make it up the steps to her house, holding her hands out like mini torches to light the way. She made sure to tread carefully when she made it inside, slipping her shoes off and jacket to the appropriate hook like a teenager would when sneaking back from a party.

Luckily, Elodie had a lot of experience from her adolescence to work with.

It wasn't hard for her to find her little brother. He was collapsed on the living room sofa, curled up and fast asleep. He hugged a book to his chest, Eugene Onegin. He must tried to stay up waiting for her, but had failed to keep his tired eyes open long enough and dozed off. 

It was a sweet sight, even if she felt some regret, leaving him alone for so long. It was easy to forget how young Ellis really was from the way he talked and how much knowledge his tiny head could store. But in sleep he returned to his boy state, innocent and softly snoring away on whatever classic literature he had chosen for a bedtime story that week.

After taking a moment to reminisce -- and another to shake the cheesy moment off and to wipe her eyes, Elodie moved forward. She knelt by the couch and shook his shoulder carefully. "Ellie? Ellie, it's me..."

The boy grumbled awake, blinking rapidly until his eyes could focus on her. She watched as they widened then half-shut again in weariness. "What...I...whe..."

"It's okay buddy. You fell asleep," she told him, smiling as he rubbed away the ebbs of sleep. Her hands patted his knees reassuringly. "I just got back. Wanted to make sure you were okay."

Ellis nodded and stifled a yawn. "I got the call from Claire, she said you would be late coming home. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Sometimes Elodie thought she was strong; but it only took that soft, heartfelt remark to totally unravel all her emotional bonds. She could have cried right then and there. It took a lot not to, covering up her sniffle with a sharp cough.

"I'm okay. You ate and everything, yeah?"

Ellis nodded again. As he woke up more, his look sharpened and turned curious. That soft sleeping boy of moments before was set aside for his logical mind as he pieced together more of the puzzle. "Is everything okay?"