CHAPTER 58: FELT LIKE A DREAM

Rhea’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as she lowered the paper, her gaze flicking toward the door. "He really just walks into people’s rooms now?" she muttered.

She sighed, shoulders slumping as her attention drifted back to the covered plate. "At least he brought food," she said under her breath, lifting the lid. "And it seems my two new friends didn’t ditch me after all."

The rich scent of roasted meat filled the air, instantly pulling a groan from her stomach. The plate was neatly arranged, succulent slices of grilled steak glistening with a faint sheen of sauce, a side of mashed potatoes whipped smooth, and a small bowl of seasoned vegetables tucked beside it.

Rhea blinked, mouth watering despite herself. "Meat for dinner?" she said with a faint laugh, picking up the fork. "Well, it’s not really dinner anymore. Should I call it early breakfast?" She shrugged. "Whatever. I’m starving."

Rhea sank into the chair, fork in hand. The first bite hit her tongue, and she closed her eyes briefly, humming in satisfaction.

*******

"Rhea! Rhea, wake up! "

Rhea’s name echoed through the fog of her sleep, the voice distant but persistent. Someone was shaking her shoulder, firm but not rough. She groaned, swatting weakly at the hand. "Five more minutes," she mumbled, rolling over and burying her face into the pillow.

"Rhea! Wake up already! Mom and Dad are back!"

Her brows furrowed. Mom and Dad? The words tugged at something deep in her chest. And that voice, why does it sound so familiar.

She blinked one eye open, then the other, and froze.

The walls were different. Gone was the new room she had been given in the pack house. Instead, posters lined the cream-colored walls and red-patterned décor of her real bedroom. Her soft red curtains fluttered gently in the fan’s breeze. Her heart stumbled.

"I’m... back?" she whispered, sitting up too fast. The blanket tangled around her legs as she scanned the room like someone waking from a dream that still clung to her skin.

"Finally," came the teasing voice again. "For a second, I thought you were dead or something."

She turned sharply toward the sound and saw him, Rick, her younger brother, sitting on the edge of her bed, a smirk tugging at his face. His messy hair stuck up in every direction, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Rhea’s confusion deepened. "Rick?"

He frowned. "Yeah, last I checked. What’s with you? Come on, Mom and Dad just got back. You gonna make them think you’ve forgotten them or what?"

"Mom and Dad are back?" Rhea echoed, blinking. "What’s... going on?"

Jake raised an eyebrow. "They’re back from their trip. What do you mean what’s going on? Have you lost it?" He stood up and motioned for her to hurry. "Get moving."

Rhea slid out of bed slowly, her bare feet brushing the familiar softness of her rug. The ordinary details, the hum of the AC, the faint scent of her favorite candle, felt almost surreal. She followed Rick out of the room, still dazed, picking up her pace when she heard laughter drifting from downstairs.

"Finally, Everyone!" Rick called as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "The princess’s up!"

Their parents turned from where they stood in the living room, faces lighting up when they saw her. Her mother’s dark hair was pinned back neatly, her father’s gray streaks catching the light as he smiled.

"Rhea," her mother said warmly, arms open.

Rhea didn’t think, she ran into them, throwing her arms around both of them in a tight embrace. "I thought... I thought I’d never see you guys again." Her voice cracked.

Her father laughed softly, pulling her in closer. "Why on earth would you think that?"

Her mother smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Rhea’s face. "It was just a trip, sweetheart, not an exile."

Rhea sniffed, her throat tightening as she blinked away the blur in her eyes. Everything felt too vivid to be a dream, the warmth of her mother’s touch, the scent of her father’s cologne, the teasing hum of her brothers’ voices.

"Are you going to keep staring at them like that," Eddie, her eldest brother, teased with a grin, "or at least ask if they brought souvenirs?"

"This is so unlike you," Jake added, chuckling from where he lounged on the arm of the couch.

"She must have really missed them," Rick chimed in, smirking. "Didn’t even look our way."

Their parents laughed softly, exchanging amused glances as Rhea sat between them. The familiar weight of her mother’s arm around her shoulders grounded her, yet her mind was spinning. She couldn’t bring herself to respond to the teasing; all she could think was how impossible this felt. Does this mean the fall never happened? That I never left this world?

Her mother’s smile faded, concern etching into her face. "Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"Yes, dear," her father added, brow furrowing. "Did the boys give you trouble while we were away?"

"Dad!" the three brothers chorused in protest, each wearing matching looks of outrage.

Rhea shook her head quickly, her lips curving into a shaky smile. "Nothing like that. I just... missed you all so much."

Her mother’s expression softened. "Aww, my darling," she said, pulling Rhea closer. "I missed my babies too. Being away that long nearly drove me crazy."

"I can’t believe you’d think we’d hurt her," Jake muttered, pretending to look offended.

Their father chuckled, smiling fondly at them. "Hurt her? Please. I know you three would trip over yourselves just trying to protect her."

Laughter filled the room, soft and bright. Jake grinned, nudging Eddie with his elbow. "Now that’s more like it," he muttered, earning another round of chuckles from their parents.

Rhea tried to join in, her lips parting for a laugh that came out faint and shaky. The warmth of their voices wrapped around her like a familiar song, yet something about it all felt unreal. Her brothers’ laughter, her mother’s hand resting gently on her shoulder, her father’s easy smile, it all felt like a dream.