"He does." Riley smiled a little, tapping her nail against the glass of the frame. "Even if he spends most of his time being an unbearable little gremlin."
Ethan chuckled at that. "And your parents?"
The smile on Riley's lips faltered just a bit. Not because she didn't love them — she did. But because, she realized how far away they felt. She had tried to take her mind off it, maybe she would go see them once in a while… Yeah she would.
"They don't live here," she admitted softly. "They moved out of the city a few years ago. My dad got a job in a smaller town, and my mom wanted a quieter life. Oliver went with them, but I stayed here."
Ethan tilted his head. "Why?"
Riley swallowed. "Because… I felt like I had to."
The words hung in the air for a moment before she continued.
"I grew up in the kind of household where expectations were clear. Work hard, do well in school, get a stable job, and build a life that makes sense."
