Chapter 84

The emotional toll of Grace's accident weighed heavily on Julia. Whether it was the shock or simply exhaustion from so many tears, she found herself drained by the end of dinner. She decided to wash up early and retreat straight to her room.

Nevertheless, she refused to let her nightly ritual slide. Bringing a mug of warm milk to Grace before bed had become almost sacred-a habit rooted in her belief that her daughter, still too thin from her difficult years before joining their family, needed every ounce of nourishment and care.

Evenings always saw Julia knocking on Grace's door,milk in hand and a ready excuse to share stories or simply linger together a bit longer.

Fatigue,however,left Julia spent tonight.

Passing the baton, she asked her son to deliver both the milk and a bit of brotherly warmth-to use this

moment to grow closer to Grace.

James, ever the dutiful and thoughtful son, never hesitated when his mother called on him. He gave a quick nod and set off down the hall.

It wasn't long before he stood outside Grace's room,mug in hand, tapping softly at the door.

"Come in."

Seeing James enter instead of Julia caught Grace off guard. That nightly ritual of milk and quiet conversation was Julia's domain, a rare, cherished moment they both looked forward to.

James crossed the threshold, offering a gentle smile."Mom's wiped out tonight, so she asked me to take over milk duty," he explained, his tone calm and kind,his eyes soft with warmth.

Yet, behind the kindness, Grace detected something else-a faint but unmistakable sense of distance.

She'd sensed it for a while now. Outwardly, James acted as loving as any brother, his gestures echoing

their parents' affection, but something always felt held back. His gaze, steady and quiet, never quite lost that subtle reserve.

Perhaps it was all just a performance for Julia's sake,James putting on the mask of the attentive older brother because that was what his parents expected to see. Or maybe, at his core, he was simply the kind of person who kept a subtle barrier between himself and the world.

Grace found herself leaning toward the former,suspecting that genuine affection wasn't part of the equation for James.

Honestly, she couldn't blame him. She was still the newcomer here, and expecting him to treat her like real family right away would have been naive.

She lifted the mug with a small nod. "Thanks,James." The words were simple, but polite.

A sip brought comfort-Julia's careful touch evident in every warm, familiar swallow.

James quietly observed, eyes catching on the milk's pale mark on the edge of her lip-a fleeting glimpse of innocence, making her seem much younger than she usually did.

For a heartbeat, the urge to reach over and wipe it away nearly won out, but awkwardness crept in, and he pulled back.

There she sat, swaddled in pink pajamas, her hair damp and curling softly over her shoulders-a gentle domestic scene.

He weighed the idea of offering to heIp dry her hair,the words on the tip of his tongue. The part he was meant to play was obvious, but stepping into it felt somehow false. Better to stay silent than force a gesture that wasn't real.

Grace sat quietly, as unbothered by the hush as ever,but she could tell James was uncomfortable with the stillness. Determined to keep the peace in the Holden household, she considered breaking the silence, hoping to ease whatever tension lingered between them.

Oddly enough, she never experienced this kind of strained silence whenever Colton was nearby. Even in wordless moments, his presence felt easy-natural,like breathing.

Yet with James, and truthfully with most people, that comfortable feeling just never seemed to settle in.

Eventually, James broke the hush. "Go ahead and finish your milk. Then get to bed early. You've got classes in the morning."

Grace responded with quiet courtesy, "Alright. You should get some rest too. Work comes early. Good night." She always tried to mirror politeness, still hoping to carve out her own place in this family.

He gave her a brief nod, turning to leave-then stopped short, seemingly on impulse. Reaching for the towel tossed over the chair, he set it gently atop her wet hair.

"You really shouldn't wash your hair so late," James scolded, keeping his tone soft. "And make sure to dry it off next time, or you'll wind up sick." With that,

he slipped out of her room.

For a moment, Grace paused, rubbing the towel into her hair, a flicker of surprise lighting her face.

Just now, she'd caught something unfamiliar in his gaze-an absence of the usual distance, maybe even a hint of warmth.

Was it possible he'd changed his mind about her? Or had she been reading him wrong from the very start?

Grace never wasted energy obsessing over questions that had no clear answers. Letting go of uncertainties was one of her quiet strengths; she never saw the point in tying herself up with needless worry.

Nevertheless, she reached for the hair dryer,diligently drying her hair before climbing under the covers for the night.

Meanwhile, in the house, James had barely stepped into the hallway before being grabbed and yanked sideways into the next room.

Johnny,waiting just outside his own door, was the culprit. His grip was firm and his glare sharper than usual. "James, what's with you suddenly acting so friendly toward her?"

Sharing a wall made these late-night ambushes all too easy.

With a steady voice, James replied, "She's part of our family now. That's what Mom wants, and I'm just following her lead. Why does it bother you if I treat her kindly?"

Patience laced James's words as he tried to bridge the gap with his younger brother. "You might not be Grace's biggest fan, but she's always respectful and never gives anyone trouble. There's no harm in showing her a bit of sibling care."

Johnny cut right through the explanation, saying,"Cut it out. I've watched you. That's not how someone looks at a real sister."

For a split second, something complicated flickered in James's expression-something too fast to pin down.

"Getting used to someone new in the family isn't automatic," James admitted, voice turning earnest as he slipped into his big brother role. "Still, it's up to us to make her feel like she belongs. That's what I'm going to do-and you should try,too."