I opened a random cabinet, scanning for bowls, trying to act casual while my brain kicked into overdrive.
“Okay,” I finally said, voice even. “You wanna tell me now or after soup?”
“After,” she said softly.
I nodded without turning. “Alright.”
I found a couple bowls in the cabinet and filled them up, grabbed two spoons, and pulled the nearest stool out beside hers. We ate quietly, side by side. She didn’t look at me much, and I didn’t push her.
“What else is in the bag?” she asked, nudging the paper sack still half folded on the counter.
“Nah,” I muttered, not even glancing over. “For later.”
She nodded, eyes flicking down to her bowl, and set her spoon down.
“I don’t know how to do this,” she murmured. “How to be honest and open about things.”
“Luna girl,” I crooned, trying to coax her out of whatever memory she was drowning in. “It’s me.”
She shook her head. “You don’t get it. I bounced around foster homes. I had bags packed more times than I hadbirthdays. I never felt like I had a home until I met Nova and her mom. And even then, I wasn’t living with them. I practically did, but I wasn’t theirs.”
My chest pulled tight.
“I was never wanted enough to stay, so I never told people when things mattered. I never said anything real because if I didn’t say it, I couldn’t lose it. Couldn’t lose them. When I found out she was moving back, part of me panicked because I didn’t know how to let you in without feeling like I was betraying her.” She finally looked up at me. “You were one of the first to ever see me. After all the years apart, I think I was still trying to figure out if you being here was real. Ifwewere real.”
I reached out, but she pulled back slightly. Not pulling away completely but almost... hesitating.
“T-there’s more, and I want to tell you, I do. I haven’t figured out how yet. It’s not just about Nova. Or Scarlette. I’ve been carrying something huge, and not telling you makes me feel sick, but I’m scared that saying it out loud might ruin this. Whateverthisis.”
My stomach clenched, but I forced myself to nod. “Okay.”
“I know you probably hate me right now,” she added, lips trembling. “Maybe I deserve that. I spent my whole life bouncing around places, learning how to protect myself with silence. Secrets made me feel safe. I don’t want to live like that anymore.”
“I get it. You’ve had to protect yourself. You’ve lived your whole life learning that silence keeps you safe.”
She opened her mouth, but I cut her off gently. “But I’m not them. I’m not temporary, Luna.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed hard.
“You’re asking me to stay. To be patient. To trust that there’s something more. But how can I do that if you’re still hiding the parts of you I’m supposed to love?” I softened my voice. “I needto know your secrets. Not to hold them over you. Not to fix them, but toseeyou. To understand you. Because I can’t keep guessing where I stand with you. Not after all this time.”
She blinked fast, and I saw her walls shifting. Cracking. Her fingers twitched by her side.
“You want me to be honest,” she whispered.
“I want you to be real with me, even if it’s messy and hard to say.”
She looked at me, and there was something in her eyes I hadn’t ever seen. It was the aching truth trying to claw its way out.
“There’s one more thing,” she breathed. “And it’s not small. It’s big. Bigger than Nova. Bigger than Scarlette. It’s something I’ve never told anyone... except for him.”
I nodded once. “Then tell me. Whatever it is... I want to carry it with you.”
She looked off toward the small window over the sink. Her shoulders started shaking, and I saw the tears on her cheeks.
“Hey . . . Luna . . . ”
“It’s so much,” she whispered. “It’s too much.”
