Someone in the room laughed out loud.
Isadora's expression turned complicated. "Lucien, what is going on? Where did this child come from? And why is he calling Scarlett 'Mom'?"
"How should I know?" Lucien looked equally surprised. He reached out with one long arm to grab the child by the collar. "Aurelia, I told you to greet your grandmother, not call random people Mom!"
Aurelia clutched Scarlett's hand and called out again, flatly, "Mom."
Scarlett sensed something unusual and asked, "This child isn't... typical, is he?"
"Right, mild autism." Lucien raised an eyebrow. "You actually noticed? Aurelia's expressions don't stand out as different from other kids. It takes prolonged contact to pick up on it."
Scarlett explained, "My work involves contact with patients who
