VIOLET SKY, takigawa chris yuu

━ chapter thirty-four

act iii

life will go on;
together?
no.

chapter thirty-four

❛maybe i'll believe that someday❜

━━━━━━

Amara sees Lucas on Sunday.

Denny's at one, right after church. Belen and her daughter, Lily, are with him.

Amara met her a week after she came back. Belen Contreras, tall, plump, with dark brown skin, long curly black hair, and hazel eyes. Entirely out of her brother's league. Generally quiet but not without a few sarcastic comments to whatever dumb shit Lucas is saying.

They are both in their Sunday best. Lucas is wearing a dark green polo shirt, slacks, and strangely shiny dress shoes, while Belen wears a pretty pastel yellow wrap dress with a sweetheart neckline, her hair pulled up in a bun, likely to fight off the heat. Lily is dressed in a poofy white dress with pink polka-dots, her black hair in two little braids.

Amara feels out of place in her sandals, black shorts, and a baggy olive green t-shirt (one of Chris'; she hasn't been able to wear one since she returned and to have the comforting fabric and scent around her does wonders for her nerves), but she reminds herself that this is a Denny's. No one cares.

After pleasantries are exchanged and Lily willingly settles in Amara's lap, her head resting in the crook of her neck, Lucas apologizes.

She supposes they'll just jump right into it, then.

"It was out of your control," she says, feeling Lily shift restlessly, no doubt sensing the tension that's wound itself into her muscles now. She forces herself to relax.

Lucas looks at the table, frowning. "I still should've —"

"If you'd done anything more, you'd be out of Mom's good graces."

He scrubs his hands over his face. "Just because you're an adult and you're going to be out on your own doesn't mean I stop looking out for you."

Amara doesn't quite know what to say to that.

Fortunately, the waiter comes and takes the order for the drinks.

When they leave, Belen leans back in her chair. "That's not what she's saying. It's just," she sighs, glancing at Amara. "We can't change anything. What has happened, happened. Now we have to move forward." She taps her nails on the table. They are painted a pretty shade of nude. Amara wants to ask where she got them done. And where she got her dress from.

"What I wonder," she continues, Lucas finally lifting his head to look at her. He watches her so attentively sometimes that Amara's throat tightens uncomfortably, wondering if that's how Chris was with her. "Is whether Luna is safe at the house. I mean," she purses her glossy lips, staring at Lily now, who has long since drifted to sleep, exhausted after having to sit through church. "It's clearly not healthy. Shouldn't we do something?"

Amara looks at Lucas. "Take her away, you mean."

He grimaces and averts his eyes.

She sighs. "We can't do that. Not unless she wants to leave."

Belen looks expectantly at Lucas and he shakes his head. "It would do her no good. I mean, I'll be there, mitigating and everything, but until she gives the indication that she wants to leave, we shouldn't do anything. I don't want her to resent us for pulling her out of there against her will."