Chapter 17. Supporting Family

There was silence for the next few days that went by. It wasn’t the usual silence; it had more to do with readjusting. Since discovering Lionel’s painful breakup, Zera has divided her time between him, work, and home. He didn’t have many friends.

Sesi was his all, and she was his sister, and the Harts were the only friends or family he had, so with all the recent heartbreak, he had kept to himself. Knowing his history with substance abuse, she didn’t want to give him any reason to relapse. His art has become a source of escape for him, and he spends most of his hours painting and going for submission.

She disclosed Aaron and Ivan’s plan to unmark him and also wipe his memory of Sesi away. When she asked him if he wanted that, he answered yes without hesitation. It felt almost as if he had been thinking about it himself. He told her he would take anything that would make him think less of his mistake. She didn’t want to believe it was a mistake; they shared so many happy