Chapter 42

Celestia's expectant gaze made Henry visibly uneasy, a cocktail of guilt and a twinge of resentment bubbling inside him. "No," Henry denied in a fluster, hastily shoving the photo back into the drawer. He lowered his eyes, clearly trying to switch topics. "You hungry? Let's grab something to eat," he said, standing up quickly-only to be stopped by Celestia. "Dad, wait." She blocked his path, her concern deepening at his uncharacteristic reaction. "Hm?" She looked at him, eyes sincere, clearly debating with herself before finally speaking up. "Ever since Mrs. Owens visited, you've been really out of it. Is there something you're not telling me? Please, just let me help you carry the weight." Considering his odd behavior earlier, Celestia was almost certain something major was eating her father up-and he was keeping it from her. Henry looked up slowly. For a moment, as his eyes landed on her ethereal gaze, he seemed distracted, like memories of a complicated past were flashing through hi