Inheritance Redefined

Chapter Three

After a while Elara wandered back inside the house and ended up in the kitchen.

The kitchen held the kind of quiet elegance that didn't ask to be noticed - worn stone floors, a long oak table softened by time, and tall windows pouring in gold-tinged light. Copper pans hung above a cast-iron stove. The air smelled faintly of lemon and espresso, and the low murmur of an Italian radio station drifted through the space. It was beautiful, but it didn't feel lived-in though, not layered with memory like Elara's old kitchen.

No one else was there - there was just a few lingering traces of breakfast, empty cups, a crumpled napkin, a half-full glass jug of milk on the counter. She saw a towel tossed on the back of a chair. An open cupboard.

It was peaceful here.

Maybe, Elara thought, she could help. Just a little. Not to prove anything. Not even to be nice. Just to do something.

She reached for a jug.

It was cold and sweating from the warmth of the room. Elara's fingers slipped.

It happened fast - a blur of weight and movement and a sudden, sharp crash.

Glass exploded on the floor. Milk spread like a blooming cloud.

Elara stood frozen.

Her breath caught somewhere between her ribs.

Then-

Footsteps. Slow. Heavy.

A boy appeared in the doorway.

Not Raffaele. Not the quiet one from yesterday.

This one was younger. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes dropped immediately to the mess.

He didn't look angry.

He looked... annoyed. Like something like this was exactly what he'd expected to happen.

"You shouldn't touch things you don't understand."

Elara blinked. "I'm so sorry. It was an accident."

He raised an eyebrow. "So is a hurricane."

She flushed fiercely. "I was just trying to help."

He exhaled sharply - not a laugh, more like disbelief.

"Help?" he echoed. "You don't know how this house works. You don't even know where the broom is."

"I'm sorry," Elara apologised again.

He turned toward the cupboard, grabbed a roll of paper towels, and dropped it onto the counter with a thud.

"Congratulations. Now you can clean it up and put everything back wrong."

And with that, he walked out.

No slammed doors.

Just silence, again.

Elara didn't move for a moment. Then, she bent down, picked up the largest piece of glass, and folded the paper towel over it.

She didn't cry. She didn't shake.

But inside, something cracked. Elara had really hoped it would be different here.

She was tired of being ignored and hated because she was different.

She sighed. Whatever.

---

Later that night, after Elara had retired to her room, there was a knock at her door.

Seconds later, Elara's mother stepped into her room, looking as relaxed as ever.

"Hello my darling girl," Isabella said walking up to the bed and climbing underneath the blankets next to Elara. "How are you?"

Elara didn't look up at her mother, just stared straight ahead. She shrugged. "I'm fine."

Isabella could tell something was wrong, but she didn't push. She knew Elara would tell her when she was ready.

"Do you like your room? I thought you might like the window with the sun shining through most of the day."

Elara shrugged again. Truth was, she loved her new room, but she missed her old one too.

After a few moments, Isabella broke the silence. "Look at me, my darling girl. I want to see those gorgeous eyes."

Elara looked up slowly and Isabella could see her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Oh, my baby. Please don't cry." Isabella starts soothing her. "What's the matter?"

"I miss home mom. I miss the rink and the smell of rainy air and my room." Elara started sobbing.

"I'm sorry you miss home so much darling."

"I thought it would be different here. I thought if they saw me as normal they wouldn't be mean. Nobody here other than you knows about my eyes. Why do people still think so badly about me here if they don't know about my eyes?" Elara cries.

Isabella's heart pained seeing her daughter so heartbroken. She'd been bullied terribly because of her heterochromia.

"You are beautiful Elara. And you should always know that. The people were only mean to you because they didn't know you and they were jealous that you were more unique than they would ever be. Just be yourself and very soon you will have this whole house wrapped around your finger." Isabella said.

Elara giggled at that idea. She'd always wanted siblings.

"Thanks mom. I love you." Elara said and then closed her eyes, getting comfortable in her mother's arms.

"I love you more than you could ever imagine, my darling girl."

And just like that, the two new additions of the Calviero family fell asleep in each other's arms like they did so many nights back in London.