Thomas exhaled slowly, but this time he didn't retreat. "Mother," he said carefully, "I know you don't want to talk about it… But I think we failed her."
Silence.
Luna's expression hardened visibly.
"She's still your daughter," Thomas continued quietly. "No matter what happened. She's still blood."
The words landed heavily inside the room.
Thomas looked down briefly before speaking again. "If we keep handling this with pride and anger… things will only get worse." His jaw tightened faintly. "At some point, there won't be anything left to repair."
Luna's fingers tightened around the knife. "Thomas." Her tone dropped lower now, a clear warning. "Mind your own business and recover properly."
He looked back at her calmly. "I'm serious."
"And I said enough." Her gaze sharpened instantly. "Don't disappoint me."
That was the end of it. A forbidden subject.
Thomas held her gaze for a long second longer before finally exhaling quietly. "Okay, Mother."
He stopped talking.
