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"Bye, girls", Nora and I exclaimed, waving our hands as the driver closed the car door in which Zia and Lia were sitting together.
Even their names are similar.
After dedicating a lot amount of time to pursuing Lucas and Shawn, Nora and I were successful in persuading them to enrol both girls in a private school. This way, they could socialise with more children their age.
When I say a lot, I mean, A LOT of time. Is the school safe? Of course, it is, with exactly one hundred guards on board outside the campus and five snipers, 'just in case,' as per Lucas and Shawn.
With time Zia has gotten comfortable with all of us. She speaks very little but has fit into our house perfectly. I haven't really mentioned anything about this to Lucas, but I don't think I want to part ways with her anymore. Her silence has never felt uncomfortable to me, maybe because I've been where she is now in the past. Over the last week, since she has started going to school with Lia, I have also begun sending Zia to a child therapist. Her well-being came first, and Lucas agreed.
Surprisingly, the duo have also formed a close relationship with each other. Zia doesn't really speak to him as much as she does to me, but she has grown far more comfortable with Lucas over time.
Lucas has been doing better after getting proper rest and medical attention but tends to tire himself out pretty quickly. A few days ago, I returned to my room to find both the girls, Lia and Zia, resting their heads on each of Lucas's shoulders, peacefully falling asleep while he held them gently but firmly.
My heart.
It felt like everything was finally falling back into place, and life had regained its peaceful rhythm.
Well, mostly.
Other than the occasional texts from who I assumed was my beloved stepbrother from Italy.
The only reason I refrained from discussing the topic with Lucas or Shawn was that they had been overworking themselves, and being involved in the daily operations, I understood the measures necessary for our safety.
There was no way they would target the girls. Of that, I was confident. The Italians were aware of the irreparable damage it would cause if anything happened to them.
Nora and I strolled around the foyer for a while before finally heading back inside the house.
"Athira?"
I turned around to see Lucas descending the stairs to where I stood. He continued to try and button up the sleeves of his dress shirt with all his concentration on the same.
