<b>“</b><b>But </b><b>going </b>to school will change everything!” York suddenly pped <b>the </b><b>table</b>, making Ivan jump in his seat. Ivan forgot all about the spoon in his mouth<b>, </b><b>staring </b>wide–eyed at York.
“Yeah, getting up early every morning is rough. sses can be boring, and you have do homework after school. But! You get to y ser with other kids, and you can learn to ride horses. I even bought a horse farm just for this—wait till you see my thoroughbred. It’s awesome! Want to see a picture?”
He didn’t really wait for Ivan to answer before whipping out his phone and pulling up his camera roll.
York started to hand over his phone, realized they were sitting too far apart, and scooted his chair over until the armrests bumped together. Satisfied, he gave an approving nod and settled back in his seat.
“Look, this is the little horse I bought. Once I get taller and it grows up, it’s going to look incredible. Judging by your face, I bet you’ve never seen a horse this cool. Next time, I guess I’ll have to take you to the stables and show you what real riding looks like.”
York let out a huff, his proud little disy making Alessiaugh. She pressed a hand to her lips, trying to hide a grin she could barely contain. Cole caught her good mood and chuckled quietly, his eyes soft with affection.
Ivan seemed unfazed by York’s bluster. He just nodded, his big round eyes shining with a gentle light that made everyone feel warm inside.
“If you go to school with me, I could even swing by and pick you up every morning,” York offered, a hint of nerves in his voice.
He was anxious. Inviting Ivan to join him at school had a lot to do with his own wishes, not just other reasons. He didn’t mind Ivan at all–in fact, apart from the “Alessia factor,” he actually liked him.
Sure, Ivan was quiet, but that was fine–York had enough to say for both of them. Best of all, Ivan was loyal, If he ever got in trouble with Alessia, Ivan could help take the heat, and maybe Alessia wouldn’t threaten to delete his game ounts
again.
“And after school, I’ll take you out for ice cream even better than this stuff! How’s that for a deal?”
<b>1/2 </b>
14:43
Chapter 17.1
<b>Okay</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
<b>“</b><b>If </b><b>you </b>don’t like ice cream, we could–wait, what?” York blinked, eyes <b>wide</b><b>. </b><b>Alessia </b>straightened up, surprised herself, and looked at Ivan.
Ivan absentmindedly scraped at the bottom of his nearly empty ice cream cup<b>, </b><b>his </b>face nearly buried in it, and muttered another quiet “Mm.” The tips of his ears glowed red.
York nced at Alessia, still caught off guard, but with a look that clearly said, “See? Told you I could pull this off!”
Alessia tried not tough, nodding her approval, her eyes warm with
encouragement.
“Are you sure you want to start school?”
ルル
“I… want to try.” Ivan had been mulling over this decision alone for a week, never mentioning it to anyone.
“Then give it a shot,” Alessia agreed without hesitation.
That evening, when the family got home and heard the news, both parents froze. Karen’s pen slipped from her hand, and Brendan’s finger hit the calctor’s clear button by ident.
“Ivan, what did you just say?”
Alessia stood just behind Ivan. She patted his shoulder, silently cheering him on.
“I… want to go to school.”
“That’s… that’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Karen stared at Brendan in disbelief.
“I’ll look for a school for you first thing tomorrow,” Brendan blurted, pushing up from his chair, but his hand slid off the armrest as he tried to stand.
“Dad, let me handle the school arrangements,” Alessia said.
“Is it because Ivan’s situation is a bit unique?” Brendan asked.
Alessia shook her head. “The fact that Ivan is ready to take this step is a good sign. Eddie agrees–he needs to experience more of the outside world, but it’ll be better if someone familiar is around. It’ll help Ivan feel safe. Dropping him in apletely unfamiliar environment might do more harm than good.”