Chapter 232: Bringing Riley Home

LUMINA ''I'm saying that by tiptoeing around his trauma, we're essentially abandoning him to fight this battle alone. And I'm saying that I've been so caught up in wishing Riley could be like Ollie -- innocent and trusting and easy to love -- that I've missed who he actually is."   The words hung in the air, heavy with implications none of us wanted to examine too closely.   "Riley isn't like Ollie," I continued, my voice growing stronger with each word. "He never will be. He's been through things that would break most adults, and yet he's still fighting to protect the people he loves. He worried about everyone else's wellbeing even while Sophia was conditioning him to be a weapon. He protected Ollie before he even knew they were brothers. He saved Ollie's life during the city invasion, put himself in harm's way without hesitation. He freaking threw himself off a  roof twice, to give Ollie a chance of survival."   I began pacing the room, my thoughts racing as pieces clicked into place