Chapter 26

Marissa first met Gabriel 20 years ago. Before they reached the Colman residence, Joshua had been describing Gabriel to Marissa. "My brother fell very sick when he was younger. It left some long-term effects, so he's quite weak and scared of almost everything. His health isn't the greatest either." The moment she entered, a small figure crashed against her torso. She was dizzy from the impact and needed a moment to steady herself before she could properly see the boy in front of her. He was extremely skinny. His white shirt was buttoned all the way up to the collar. He looked down whenever he was speaking, and his voice never went above the volume of a murmur. The tips of his ears would turn red if anyone stared at him for a moment too long, and he'd look as shy as a startled fawn. He was so adorable that nobody could bear to speak too loudly around him in case they frightened him. Marissa had been showered with love and praise growing up. That resulted in a cheerful, outgoing dem