Outside, the school bus stood in the gentle, balmy breeze as Richie and Anya climbed aboard under Twilight and Yor's watchful eyes.
Richie looked back at his father and mother, who had already grown distant from each other, and felt a headache coming on.
How was he supposed to tell his father that his mother really wasn't dangerous? He also hoped that whatever tests his father put her through wouldn't hurt her.
The morning sunlight was warm without being harsh, falling across Twilight and Yor's backs.
Richie and Anya both stared at Twilight and Yor. The school bus was right in front of them, yet they strained to twist their heads around, their slightly aggrieved gazes wandering.
Sure enough, children were always the first to notice when their parents weren't getting along, and they were the ones it affected most.
Twilight was the first to sense that Anya and Richie seemed to have something to say. "What's wrong, you two?"
"Papa and Mama have to get along." Anya's clear voice pulled Richie out of his thoughts.
He planned to follow either his father or his mother today and see how his father tested her, so he could stop him from going too far.
If his father accidentally hurt his mother, Richie wanted to be there to make things right.
Twilight and Yor were visibly startled by Anya's words. Both gave a soft gasp, then explained:
"W-we're not fighting!"
Twilight and Yor smiled at the same time. "That's right!"
The two of them chimed in together, successfully playing the part of a happily married couple.
"And you two need to get along with your classmates!" With a single sentence, Twilight tossed the issue right back at Richie and Anya.
Richie mentally gave his father a thumbs-up. That was his dad for