### Chapter Eighteen: The Shadow of Doubt
The next day dawned with a drizzle that tapped against the roof, a soft patter that matched the unease settling over the house. Lila was quieter than usual, her chatter replaced by the rustle of pages as she flipped through the dragon book without reading. Syan could feel her tension, a taut wire stretched between them, and he hated that he couldn't bridge it with more than words.
His father returned alone again, the van's engine cutting off with a sputter outside. "She's still down," he said as he stepped in, shaking rain from his coat. "Fever's high. Doctor's coming to see her later."
Lila's head snapped up, her voice sharp. "She's that sick? Why didn't you say yesterday?"
"Didn't know it'd get worse," he said, his tone gruff but not defensive. "Thought it was just a bug. She's tough—she'll pull through."
Syan listened, the shadow of doubt creeping deeper. His mother had always been the softer one, the one who'd lingered longest before they left. If she faltered now, if this broke her resolve, would his father follow? The thought gnawed at him, a quiet echo of the past.
"You're staying with her?" Syan asked, keeping his voice even.
"Yeah," his father said, meeting the question head-on. "Got a neighbor checking in too. I'm here for you two, though—brought some stuff." He set a bag on the table—canned soup, a pack of batteries, a folded tarp. "Roof's leaking again. I'll patch it."
Lila watched him haul the tarp outside, her arms crossed tight. "He's acting like it's fine," she muttered to Syan. "But what if it's not? What if she doesn't get better, and they just… disappear again?"
"Then they're gone," he said, blunt but steady. "And we're still here. Like we've always been."
She didn't reply, but her hand found his, gripping it briefly before she let go. His father worked through the drizzle, the thud of his hammer a stubborn rhythm against the rain. When he came back in, soaked but finished, he lingered by the door. "She'll be okay," he said, more to himself than them. "We'll be back tomorrow—both of us."
"Better be," Lila said, her tone a challenge.
He nodded, a flicker of something—guilt, maybe—crossing his voice. "We will."
As the van rumbled away, the doubt lingered, a shadow neither Syan nor Lila could shake. It wasn't just about his mother's fever—it was the fear that this was the first real test, and the cracks in their rebuilt trust might split wide open.
---
Let me know if you'd like Chapter 19 or any tweaks to this one!