### Chapter Twenty: The Mending Thread
The rain tapered off by evening, leaving a damp stillness that clung to the house. Syan's mother stayed in the armchair, wrapped in a blanket Lila had dug out from the closet, her breathing steadier now but still rough around the edges. His father moved with purpose, unpacking the groceries—canned beans, a sack of rice, a small jar of honey—and setting them on the counter like offerings. Lila watched from the sidelines, her arms crossed but her posture softer, the sharp edges of her doubt beginning to dull.
"You didn't have to come," she said finally, her voice low as she handed her mother another mug of hot water. "Not if you're still sick."
"Wanted to," his mother replied, her tone gentle despite the rasp. "Missed too much already. A little fever's not keeping me away now."
Lila didn't respond, but Syan heard her shuffle closer to him, her hand brushing his arm—a silent check-in. He tilted his head toward her, a small nod to say he was okay, and she relaxed, just a bit.
His father finished in the kitchen and joined them, dragging a chair from the table to sit near Syan. "Dr. Ellis called this morning," he said, his voice gruff but steady. "Test results are in. She's coming tomorrow to go over them."
Syan's chest tightened, a mix of hope and dread coiling there. "Good or bad?" he asked, keeping it blunt.
"Don't know yet," his father said. "She didn't say much—just that there's options. Figured you'd want to hear it straight from her."
"Thanks," Syan said, the word carrying more weight than usual. It was strange, this reliance on them, but it didn't chafe as much as it once had. They were trying—really trying—and the proof was piling up, one small act at a time.
His mother coughed, then spoke up, her voice softer. "We talked to the neurologist too. He's sending specs for a new chair—lighter, motorized. Should be here in a week or two."
Lila's eyebrows shot up, her suspicion giving way to surprise. "Motorized? Like, he can move it himself?"
"Yeah," his father said, a faint pride in his tone. "Thought it'd give you some freedom, Syan. Less hauling Lila around."
Syan chuckled, a dry sound that warmed the room. "She'd probably miss the workout."
"Ha," Lila shot back, nudging him. "I'd miss bossing you around, maybe."
The laughter was light, a thread weaving through the tension, pulling them closer. His parents stayed late, his mother sipping honey-laced water while his father told a halting story about a car he'd fixed at work—nothing grand, but a glimpse into the life they'd built. Lila listened, her guard still up but cracking, and Syan felt the shift—a mending, slow and uneven, but real.
When they left, promising to return with Dr. Ellis, Lila sank beside him, her voice quiet. "They're sticking to it," she said, almost a question.
"Looks like it," he replied, honest but cautious. "One day at a time."
She nodded, leaning against him, and the stillness settled—not heavy, but hopeful, stitched together by the fragile trust they were all learning to hold.
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Let me know if you'd like Chapter 21 or any tweaks here!