UNMENDED

CHAPTERTWO

A Decision Made Out of Love (Dinner Scene)

The rain drummed steadily against the floor-to-ceiling windows of Elara's penthouse.

She never noticed it anymore.

London was beautiful in the rain. It softened the sharp edges of the city, blurring skyscrapers into silver silhouettes and turning busy streets into ribbons of reflected light. Most people found the weather gloomy.

Elara found it familiar.

She remained seated before six glowing monitors, her fingers resting lightly on the keyboard without moving.

Across the largest screen, one photograph refused to leave her eyes.

Seraphine Evelyn Vale.

The name seemed impossible.

Ten years.

Ten years of unanswered questions.

Ten years of convincing herself she no longer cared.

Yet one photograph had undone years of carefully built walls.

Her reflection stared back from the dark edge of the monitor.

Older.

Stronger.

Far more accomplished than the timid schoolgirl she once had been.

But memories had a cruel way of ignoring success.

They never cared how many awards you had won.

Or how much money sat in your bank account.

Or how many people admired your work.

Memories always found the frightened version of you.

Elara slowly closed the file and leaned back in her chair.

"Iris."

"Yes, Elara?"

"Cancel every meeting until tomorrow."

"Confirmed."

She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"I also need..."

She stopped.

"...silence."

The AI obeyed immediately.

The apartment became still.

Only the rain remained.

Elara rested her head against the chair and closed her eyes.

The years between then and now slowly disappeared.

The polished penthouse faded.

The expensive computers vanished.

The scent of coffee became the comforting smell of her mother's cooking.

And suddenly...

She was fifteen again.

Sunlight poured through the windows of the Ashcroft family home, filling every room with warmth.

Unlike Elara's modern apartment, the house felt lived in.

Photographs covered the walls.

Family holidays.

Graduation ceremonies.

Birthday parties.

Frames filled every available space, each one capturing laughter that never seemed forced.

The kitchen was the heart of the house.

It always had been.

The aroma of freshly baked bread mixed with herbs and simmering tomato sauce drifted through the air.

Amelia Ashcroft stood at the stove humming softly as she stirred a large pot.

"You've been in that book for nearly two hours, sweetheart."

Fifteen-year-old Elara looked up from her mathematics notebook.

"I didn't notice."

"I know."

Her mother smiled knowingly.

"You usually don't."

Elara offered a shy smile before returning to another equation.

Numbers were easier than conversations.

Equations always had answers.

People rarely did.

Around her, the familiar chaos of family life unfolded.

Nathan sat at the dining table reading a thick biology textbook, occasionally making notes in the margin.

Across from him, Ethan had spread architectural sketches over almost every available inch of the table.

"You're using my calculator."

"I'm borrowing it."

"You've been borrowing it for three days."

"I'm still borrowing it."

Nathan sighed dramatically.

"You know that's stealing."

"It becomes stealing tomorrow."

Caleb wandered through the kitchen carrying a football beneath one arm.

"Dad said if anyone asks, I'm studying."

Nathan didn't even look up.

"You're literally holding a football."

"It's educational."

"How?"

"I'm studying aerodynamics."

Ethan burst into laughter.

From somewhere upstairs came Dylan's voice.

"Mum! Caleb's lying again!"

"I'm conducting scientific research!" Caleb shouted back.

Their mother shook her head with an affectionate smile.

"This family..."

Elara couldn't help laughing.

Moments like these happened almost every day.

Arguments that never lasted.

Teasing that never became cruel.

Laughter that filled every room.

She often spoke the least, but she loved listening.

Sometimes she wondered if anyone noticed how happy she was simply watching everyone else.

The front door opened.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway.

"Dad's home," Dylan announced as he raced downstairs.

William Ashcroft entered carrying a leather briefcase and the familiar expression of a man who had worked all day but somehow still had energy left for his family.

"There are my favourite people."

"You say that every day," Amelia teased.

"And every day it's true."

He greeted his wife with a gentle kiss on the forehead before ruffling Dylan's hair.

Nathan stood to shake his father's hand.

Caleb accepted a playful punch on the shoulder.

Ethan immediately began talking about one of his latest designs.

William listened to every one of them before his eyes finally settled on Elara.

Still sitting quietly.

Still reading.

He smiled.

"And how many worlds have you conquered today?"

Elara looked up with an embarrassed grin.

"Only mathematics."

"Only?"

He chuckled.

"I wouldn't survive ten minutes with that textbook."

She closed the notebook carefully.

"You could."

"No."

"I definitely couldn't."

Everyone laughed.

Dinner was almost ready when William glanced toward Amelia.

She gave the smallest nod.

It was subtle.

So subtle that none of the boys noticed.

Elara did.

Something passed silently between her parents.

Not worry.

Not sadness.

Determination.

William placed his glass on the table.

"Everyone..."

The room gradually quieted.

"I need a few minutes with Elara."

The words were gentle.

But they carried unusual weight.

Nathan slowly closed his textbook.

Caleb lowered the football.

Even Dylan stopped talking.

Elara looked from one face to another.

The rich aroma of melted cheese drifted through the Ashcroft home long before dinner was announced.

Elara noticed it immediately.

Her favourite.

Freshly baked wood-fired pizza.

Not the takeaway kind.

Her mother insisted that homemade always tasted better.

The dining table had been transformed into a feast.

Three different pizzas rested on wooden serving boards—one topped with roasted chicken, mushrooms, olives, and caramelised onions; another overflowing with mozzarella, basil, and cherry tomatoes; the last a spicy pepperoni pizza made especially for Caleb and Dylan.

Beside them were bowls of creamy pasta Alfredo, garlic butter bread, grilled vegetables, Caesar salad, sparkling fruit drinks, and a large chocolate lava cake waiting patiently on the kitchen counter.

Nathan whistled as he walked in.

"Mum... are we celebrating something?"

Amelia smiled innocently.

"Must there always be a celebration before I spoil my children?"

Ethan narrowed his eyes dramatically.

"Yes."

William chuckled as he pulled out his chair.

"I agree with Ethan."

Dylan pointed accusingly at the pizza.

"This is suspicious."

Caleb nodded.

"Very suspicious."

Elara laughed softly, the sound barely louder than the clink of cutlery.

"I think Mum just missed cooking."

Her mother smiled at her.

"Exactly."

Dinner began with the familiar noise of a family that genuinely enjoyed being together.

Caleb argued that pineapple belonged on pizza.

Nathan immediately disagreed.

"It absolutely does not."

"It absolutely does."

"It's a crime."

"It's culinary innovation."

Ethan shook his head.

"The two of you argue about this every month."

William quietly helped himself to another slice.

"I've learned that agreeing with neither side is the safest option."

Everyone laughed.

Even Elara.

For nearly half an hour, conversation flowed effortlessly.

Work.

School.

Football.

Architecture.

Medicine.

Family stories.

Elara listened more than she spoke, content simply watching everyone enjoy themselves.

She had always loved evenings like this.

No pressure.

No expectations.

Just home.

When the laughter finally settled, William gently placed his knife and fork on his plate.

The tiny sound echoed louder than it should have.

He exchanged a glance with Amelia.

Her smile faded slightly.

Elara noticed immediately.

Something was wrong.

William folded his hands together.

"Elara."

She looked up.

"We've been meaning to speak with you."

The warmth around the table seemed to cool.

Nathan instinctively sat a little straighter.

Even Dylan stopped eating.

Amelia reached across the table and gently rested her hand over Elara's.

"You know your father and I love you very much."

Elara nodded.

"I know."

William smiled softly.

"And because we love you..."

He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"...we've made a decision."

Her stomach tightened.

"What kind of decision?"

Her father leaned back slightly.

"We've enrolled you at Blackthorn Academy."

The words hung in the air.

For a moment...

No one moved.

No one breathed.

Elara blinked.

"I'm... sorry?"

"A boarding school," Amelia explained gently.

"In the Yorkshire countryside."

Elara stared at her parents.

"I'll... live there?"

"During term time."

"But..."

She looked from her mother to her father.

"...why?"

Amelia squeezed her hand.

"Because we believe you're capable of so much more than you've allowed yourself to become."

William nodded.

"You are one of the brightest young people we've ever known."

"But intelligence isn't everything."

Elara frowned.

"I don't understand."

"You spend almost every free moment reading."

"I like reading."

"And that's wonderful," Amelia said warmly.

"But you've become comfortable hiding inside books."

William continued.

"We want you to meet people."

"To laugh with them."

"To make lifelong friends."

"To discover who you are outside these walls."

Amelia smiled.

"You deserve friendships that challenge you, encourage you, and help you grow."

William added quietly,

"We don't want your world to begin and end with books."

"We want it filled with people too."

Silence.

Elara lowered her eyes to her untouched slice of pizza.

The room blurred slightly.

She reached for her napkin and carefully dabbed the corner of her mouth, though there was nothing to wipe away.

Her appetite had vanished.

She pushed her chair back.

"I'm... not very hungry anymore."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"May I be excused?"

Neither parent tried to stop her.

William simply nodded.

"Of course."

She offered the smallest smile she could manage.

"Goodnight."

Then she walked upstairs.

No one spoke until the sound of her bedroom door closing echoed through the hallway.

Amelia stood almost immediately.

"I should go and talk to her."

William gently placed a hand on her arm.

"No."

She looked at him.

"She needs me."

"I know."

"But she also needs this moment."

Nathan frowned.

"Dad..."

William's gaze remained fixed on the staircase.

"Elara is much stronger than people think."

"She's frightened."

"She's overwhelmed."

"But she also needs the chance to process this herself."

He sighed quietly.

"If we rush after her now..."

"...she'll never learn that she can face difficult moments on her own."

The table fell silent once more.

Upstairs, Elara closed her bedroom door and leaned against it.

Only then did the tears threaten to come.

She blinked them away.

She refused to cry.

Instead, she walked into her elegant en-suite bathroom.

The room smelled faintly of fresh lilies and white tea.

She turned on the warm water and reached for her favourite luxury bath products—a Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia Body Wash, followed by a rich Diptyque Philosykos Body Lotion that left her skin lightly scented with fresh fig and cedar. Finally, she misted a delicate touch of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis, a clean, airy fragrance she adored because it reminded her of fresh linen drying in the summer breeze.

The familiar routine calmed her racing thoughts.

When she finished, she slipped into her favourite nightdress—a soft ivory silk nightie with delicate lace along the sleeves and tiny embroidered stars scattered across the hem. It was impossibly comfortable, and Amelia had given it to her on her fifteenth birthday with the words, "Every girl deserves to feel like she's wrapped in a cloud."

Elara smiled faintly at the memory.

She climbed into the window seat with a thick novel, hoping to lose herself in its pages.

She had barely finished the first chapter when—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

She frowned.

"I'm okay, Mum."

"It's not Mum," came Dylan's voice.

She opened the door.

Standing in the hallway were all four of her brothers.

Nathan balanced a tray of steaming hot chocolate.

Ethan carried two tubs of premium chocolate ice cream.

Caleb held three family-sized bags of her favourite crisps and popcorn.

Dylan proudly lifted a mountain of sweets, cookies, and gummy bears.

Elara blinked.

"...What's all this?"

Dylan grinned.

"We've come to kidnap you."

Nathan laughed.

"He means we're having a sleepover."

"A proper one," Ethan added.

Caleb lifted an eyebrow.

"We've heard girls solve every problem with sleepovers."

"So..."

Dylan spread his arms dramatically.

"...we're officially becoming honorary girls tonight."

For the first time since dinner...

Elara burst into genuine laughter.

The sadness hadn't disappeared.

But for one precious moment...

She remembered that no matter where life took her...

She would never stop being an Ashcroft.