Chapter Eight: The Choice
The hours dragged on after his parents left, each minute stretching into an eternity. Syan's mind churned, replaying their words, their voices, the faint hope and heavy guilt woven into every syllable. He couldn't shake the image of Lila's face—not the real one he couldn't see, but the one he imagined: wide eyes, torn between the past she barely remembered and the present she'd fought so hard to hold together. He hated that it had come to this, that she'd have to carry this decision when she'd already carried so much.
The wind had died down by the time the door banged open, Lila's familiar chaos breaking the stillness. "Syan! You won't believe it—it snowed so hard at recess we made a fort, and Timmy got stuck in it!" Her voice was bright, breathless, but it faltered as she stepped closer. "Syan? You okay?"
He forced his tone to steady, hiding the storm inside. "Yeah, just cold. How was school?"
She dropped her bag with a thud and flopped onto the chair, the usual routine. "Fine. Messy, but fun. You sure you're okay? You sound… weird."
He couldn't lie to her, not about this. She'd hear it in his voice anyway—she always did. "They were here," he said, blunt and quiet. "Mom and Dad. Earlier, while you were gone."
Her breath caught, a sharp little sound that cut through the room. "What?" she whispered, and he could feel her leaning closer, the air shifting with her movement. "They… they came here?"
"Yeah. Said they've got a place now, jobs. Want to 'make it right.' Said they'll come back tonight to talk to you."
She didn't speak for a long moment, and he wished more than anything he could see her, could read the shock or fear or anger on her face. "What did you say?" she asked finally, her voice small.
"I told them it's up to you," he said. "They don't get to decide. You do."
"Me?" She let out a shaky laugh, not her usual bright one. "Syan, I don't… I don't even know what to think. They left us. They left you. And now they just show up like it's nothing?"
"I know," he said, his own anger simmering beneath the words. "I don't trust them either. But they're here, and they're not going away until you tell them what you want."
"What I want?" Her voice rose, trembling now. "I want them to have never left! I want you to be okay, and for us to not have to scrape by with burnt toast and Mrs. Carter's jam! But that's not how it works, is it?"
"No," he said softly. "It's not."
She went quiet again, her breathing uneven. He heard her shift, the chair creaking as she pulled her knees up, curling into herself. "What if they take me away?" she whispered. "What if they say I have to go with them, and you can't come?"
"They won't," he said, fierce despite his helplessness. "I won't let them. You're not going anywhere you don't want to."
"But you can't stop them," she said, the truth raw and brutal. "You can't… you can't do anything, Syan. And I hate that. I hate that I have to do it all, and now I have to decide this too."
Her words stung, not because they were cruel, but because they were true. He was a weight, a burden she'd carried since she was seven, and now he was useless again, stuck while she faced this alone. "I'm sorry," he said, the only thing he could offer. "I'd fix it if I could."
"I know," she said, her voice breaking. "I didn't mean it like that. I just… I don't know what to do."
He swallowed hard, forcing down the ache in his chest. "You don't have to know yet. They're coming tonight. You can hear them out, see what they say. Then decide. Whatever you choose, I'm with you."
She didn't answer, but he felt her hand brush his, resting there like an anchor. They sat in silence, the weight of the day pressing down, until the faint crunch of tires on snow broke through. Headlights flickered through the window—he couldn't see them, but he heard Lila's sharp intake of breath.
"They're here," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
The door creaked open moments later, and his parents' footsteps filled the room again. His mother spoke first, tentative. "Lila? Syan? We're back."
Lila didn't move, her hand still on his. "Why now?" she asked, her tone hard, older than her eleven years. "Why should I believe you?"
"We know we failed you," his father said, his voice rough but steady. "We can't undo that. But we've got a home now, a real one. We want you with us—both of you. We'll get Syan help, real care. You won't have to do it alone anymore, Lila."
Syan felt her tense beside him, her fingers tightening slightly. "And if I say no?" she asked.
"Then we'll go," his mother said, her voice thick with tears. "We won't force you. But please… give us a chance."
The room went still, the air heavy with Lila's silence. Syan waited, his heart pounding, knowing this was her moment, her power. Whatever she chose, he'd follow—because she was his light, and he'd never let her face the dark alone.
Let me know if you'd like Chapter Nine or any changes here!