"Sit down," Robby said as they stepped into the apartment. It was late, and the light from the hallway barely illuminated the space before the door shut behind them. The power had been out for hours, and the apartment was getting darker by the minute. Robby moved toward the closet, rummaging through it until he found a couple of handheld lanterns. He clicked one on, a dim glow filled the space.
Tessa hesitated before climbing onto the barstool, arms crossed tightly over her chest. She hated nights like this—cold, dark, and the silence felt heavier than usual.
Robby didn't say anything as he moved to the kitchen, pulling two bowls from the cupboard. The cereal box was already half-empty, and as he reached for the milk, he realized there was barely enough left to fill a single bowl. He poured the last of it over some cereal and slid it across the counter toward Tessa. "You gotta eat," he said, his voice firm but gentle.
Tessa glanced at the bowl but didn't touch it. "Robby, I'm not hungry—"
"Tessa," he interrupted, his eyes steady on her. There was no room for argument.
Knowing she wouldn't win this one, she reluctantly picked up the spoon and took a bite. She chewed slowly, then lifted her gaze to him. "Happy now?" she muttered.
"Very," Robby replied with a small, tired smile. He then poured himself a bowl—but with no milk left, he added water instead.
Tessa scrunched her nose in disgust. "Seriously? That's gross."
Robby shrugged, stirring his watery cereal. "It's fine."
She scoffed, shaking her head. "You're actually insane."
"Insane enough to make sure my little sister doesn't starve," he shot back, raising an eyebrow at her.
Tessa sighed, rolling her eyes as she took another bite of her food. The sudden knock at the door made her freeze, her grip on the spoon tightening as her shoulders tensed. "Who's that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Robby didn't answer right away. Instead, he stood, his movements cautious as he approached the door. He cracked it open, keeping the chain latched.
"Hey, Robby." Mr. LaRusso's voice was calm, but there was something behind it—concern, maybe even sympathy.
"Hey," Robby blinked, clearly caught off guard. Without a word, he shut the door just long enough to unlatch the chain, then pulled it open wider. "Mr. LaRusso?" His voice held a mix of confusion and hesitation. "What are you doing here?"
Tessa shrank into herself when Daniel's gaze shifted past Robby and landed on her. A lump formed in her throat, and she quickly dropped her eyes to her lap. The LaRussos had everything—a beautiful home, stability, a real family. And then there was her. Sitting in this tiny apartment, feeling smaller and smaller by the second.
Daniel sighed, looking around the dark apartment. "Well, I could lie and say I was in the neighborhood," he said, his eyes drifted back to Robby, his voice softening. "Is your mom home?"
Robby didn't respond right away. His jaw tensed, and then—defeated—he looked down.
Daniel gave a small nod, as if he already knew the answer. His expression remained steady as he placed a reassuring hand on Robby's shoulder. "Hey, listen. It's alright, okay?"
Robby gave a small nod, but Tessa kept her head down, her fingers twisting the fabric of her sleeve.
Daniel glanced between them, then exhaled. "Go grab what you need. We'll figure it out from there."
Tessa hesitated. For a moment, she thought about refusing. About staying right there, sinking into the chair, pretending none of this was happening. But her feet carried her before she could stop them. Without looking up, she turned and made her way to her room, her heart pounding the whole way.
Tessa's bedroom was dark, the only light coming from the small handheld lantern Tessa held in her hand. The shadows stretched across the walls as she glanced around her room. She sighed softly, staring at the small, cluttered corners of the room. Slowly, she began shoving clothes into her old, worn-out backpack, the fabric of the bag crinkling as she stuffed it full. Her charger was next, followed by the one item that had been with her through it all—her stuffed bunny. Robby had stolen it from the hospital gift shop when she was born. It always made her smile, thinking about how he'd carefully tucked it into his jacket and had insisted it was for her. It felt silly now, but comforting.
The silence was broken by a soft voice from the doorway.
"Tessa."
She looked up, her eyes squinting in the dim light. Mr. LaRusso stood there, his expression unreadable but kind, leaning against the doorframe.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his tone gentle.
Tessa shrugged, not stopping her packing. "Sure," she muttered, her voice low.
He stepped into the room, careful not to disrupt anything, his eyes softening as he took in the scene. "I just wanted to say... I'm sorry."
Tessa froze for a moment, looking up at him, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What?"
Daniel took a breath, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. "When you told me about the nightmares, I should've known there was more going on. I should've realized sooner."
Her heart sank slightly, and she quickly shook her head. "That's not your fault, Mr. LaRusso," she said, her voice quieter, almost apologetic. "I just—I'm... used to keeping things to myself."
Daniel's gaze softened even further, and he took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Tessa, you can always come to me with anything, anytime, okay?"
Tessa met his eyes, surprised by the sincerity and warmth in his voice. She nodded, her lips curling into a small but genuine smile. "Okay," she whispered, feeling a sense of comfort that she hadn't realized she needed.
Daniel returned the smile and then reached for her backpack, tossing it over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here, kiddo."
She gave one last glance around her room, the flickering light from the lantern casting a soft glow over the shadows of the space that had once been her refuge, but now felt like a place she was ready to leave behind.
With Daniel leading the way, Tessa followed him and Robby out of the apartment, feeling a little lighter.
authors note!
Yay! The Keene kids are saved!! I'm so excited to write more of Tessa's relationship with the rest of the LaRusso family since I've only focused on Daniel for now. A lot is about to happen so get ready :)
ily, daisy