Veyra, noticing the interaction, shot her a playful smile over her shoulder. "Oh, so now we're shy about it? How long has it been since you first started talking about him?"
"That's different, Mom, he… he has a lot of people who… who are always around him. I'm just waiting for him to notice ," Lila protested, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Notice you? Don't tell you are listening to advice you heard from so drama again."
Lila blushed deeply, embarrassed. "Th—That's not it, Mom!"
Daren chuckled. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I get it. It's nerve-wracking to take that first step. But you can't just wait around for him to figure it out. You have to make a move."
Lila rolled her eyes, though her heart thumped faster than she cared to admit. "I-It's not that easy."
Her father's expression softened. He set down the tablet, walking over to her and resting a hand on her shoulder. "I know. But trust , if you wait for the perfect mont, you'll be waiting forever. Sotis you just have to take a chance." He paused, a knowing look in his eyes.
"Patience doesn't just an waiting. It's about knowing when to act. Life moves in monts between the waiting, and you don't want to miss them."
Lila snorted, shaking her head. "You're starting to sound like one of those fortune cookie ssages, Dad."
Her dad laughed, clearly amused by her reaction. "I'm serious, young lady. Life's not a ga where you can just push buttons and hope it works out. You have to make your move before ti passes you by."
Veyra nodded from the stove. "What your father ans is… be brave. Don't wait for the world to align perfectly. Sotis, you have to make things happen."
Lila smiled wryly, still skeptical, but secretly appreciative. "I'll think about it."
…
…
Lila stood, her heart still breaking with each passing second. The sound of her breath—ragged, uneven—was the only noise that filled the space.
But sowhere, amidst the sorrow and the shock, the words her father had said weeks ago ca crashing back into her mind.
'Patience doesn't just an waiting. It's about knowing when to act…'
She clenched her fists, her chest tightening with the weight of those words. In that mont, they no longer sounded like a silly fortune cookie. They didn't sound like just another one of her father's goofy, well-aning pieces of advice.
Lila closed her eyes briefly, fighting the swell of emotions. The sting of tears threatened again, but she held herself steady, just as her father had taught her.
You don't wait for things to happen to you. You make them happen.
Her hands gripped the fabric of Alister's coat, her knuckles white.
"Now they're gone… I—I don't have a family anymore."
"I'M NEVER GOING TO SEE THEM AGAIN!"
"I… I… didn't even get to say goodbye…"
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do…"
Alister swallowed, his expression tightening as he looked at her. He couldn't imagine it—couldn't begin to fathom the pain she was going through.
Although he initially thought it was similar to the thought of losing Fria.
But this was different, that was due to his poor choices and lack of initiative.
This was sothing completely beyond Lila's control.
The grief.
The loss.
The absolute devastation of having everything ripped away from her in an instant.
"Lila," he murmured as he placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them lightly as if trying to anchor her.
"I can't even begin to imagine how much this hurts. Losing your brother… and now your parents… I won't insult you by pretending I understand what that kind of pain feels like to you."
He exhaled slowly, his own chest feeling heavier just from watching her suffer.
"But what I can do—what I will do—is offer you comfort, in whatever way I can. And I promise you this, Lila…"
He locked eyes with her.
"I will find out who or what is responsible for this…"
"...And I will put an end to it."
For a long mont, neither of them spoke.
The room was still, the silence heavy, but it no longer felt suffocating.
Lila stared at him, her breath hitching, her tears still falling freely—but sothing shifted in her gaze.
A flicker of sothing else.
Not hope.
Not yet.
But… sothing to hold on to.
Then, without a word, she tightened her arms around him, clutching him as tightly as if letting go would shatter whatever fragile pieces of her still remained.
"Thank you…" she whispered against his chest, her voice barely audible. "Thank you…"
And for that mont, Alister simply held her, letting her grieve, letting her break—because right now, that was all she could do.
He cast a glance toward Mar'Garet, who stood silently beside them, arms crossed.
But she didn't speak.
Even she understood—this was an emotion that didn't need words.
Just grief.
And grief needed ti.
…. ….
Lila sat quietly in the sleek, minimalist office. The alchemist placed a tablet in front of her, its smooth surface reflecting the cold, artificial lighting of the room.
"You'll just need to sign a few things, Lila," he said. He swiped across his own tablet, bringing up a new list of docunts.
"First, the dical release form. It'll allow us to finalize the details of your parents' death certificates."
He glanced up, eting her eyes. "Then, the insurance claim form to process any benefits owed to your parents. After that, we've got the funeral arrangents authorization, so we can start preparing for that."
Lila nodded numbly, her hand reaching for the tablet as the doctor swiped through the screen again. "Lastly," he continued, "there's a property transfer docunt. This will give you control over your parents' assets and holdings."
The tablet slid toward her, the screen now displaying the first docunt. Lila stared at it for a mont, taking in the words. With a weak sigh, she placed her thumb on the scanner, confirming her identity.
The alchemist stayed quiet, giving her space. He didn't push. She signed each form in turn: first the dical release, then the insurance claim, followed by the funeral arrangents, and finally the property transfer.
Once she finished, he gathered the tablet from her, nodding in approval. "All set," he said, standing up. "If you need anything else, just let us know."
Lila barely acknowledged him, the weight of what she had just signed pressing down on her shoulders. She left the office, her thoughts elsewhere.
She had sothing she had to tell Alister.
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