Chapter 90: F-Father?
"So... what was your favorite part?" Leo asked with a light chuckle, his eyes moving between them.
He already knew his answer, but he wanted to hear theirs first.
Ophis tilted her head, pretending to think deeply. She tapped her chin dramatically. "I vote for when Raphael screamed so loud, the clown actually apologized," she said, grinning as she scooted closer and sat beside Leo, their shoulders brushing.
Raphael let out a loud groan and playfully shoved her. "No way! That was not even the best part. The best part was... uh... when Ophis tried to win that giant teddy bear and nearly broke the machine!"
Leo laughed. "That was epic. The guy at the booth looked like he saw death."
Raphael turned toward him, her hand casually still resting on his arm, her face glowing with amusement.
"And what about you, Leo?"
He glanced at Ophis’s mischievous grin and Raphael’s bright, genuine smile.
His thoughts threatened to spill out—the truth that this moment, this gondola ride, this laughter, was the happiest he’d felt in years.
So he gave a half-truth.
"Right now, probably."
For a heartbeat, silence blanketed the cabin. The gondola creaked as it began its slow descent, the stars lazily gliding past the glass. Outside, the city shimmered like a dream, but inside... it was calm. Quiet.