Sunlight poured through the large windows of the living room, bathing the wooden floor in a warm golden hue. The soft murmur of birds outside the window mixed with the occasional honk from passing cars, reminding Alice she wasn't in her quiet hometown anymore. This was Australia—a new place, a new life.
And a new language.
Alice sat cross-legged on the carpet, a notebook open in front of her and a large pencil clutched tightly in her hand. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to copy the wobbly letter "C" that Chris had just written on the whiteboard he dragged into the living room from the garage.
"No, no—look, Alice," Chris said, kneeling beside her with exaggerated seriousness. "It's not a spiral. It's a curve. Like a crescent moon."
Alice tilted her head, pouting. "It looks like a C…"
Chris raised his eyebrows. "It looks like a cinnamon roll that got smushed."
She giggled, trying again. This time, the letter was only mildly crooked.
"There! Progress!" Chris grinned, giving her a double thumbs-up.
"Progress?" she repeated shyly, testing the new word.
He nodded. "Yeah. It means you're doing better than before."
Alice smiled proudly and carefully wrote "A B C D" again. Chris leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "Now, can you guess which letter is the most evil?"
Alice blinked, puzzled. "Evil?"
"Yeah." He pointed at the letter "S." "This one. It hisses like a snake. Ssssss!"
Alice burst out laughing. "Chris! That's not in the book!"
He winked. "Who needs books when you have me?"
From the kitchen doorway, Elvin leaned against the frame, arms crossed, watching the two with quiet amusement. Alice's laughter was a sound he hadn't heard often—not since the accident. But now, as Chris made exaggerated snake sounds and Alice clutched her stomach in laughter, Elvin felt something loosen in his chest.
She was healing.
And Chris was helping in his own chaotic way.
"I heard that," Elvin called out dryly when Chris tried to teach Alice that 'Z' was the sound a bee made.
Chris looked up, not missing a beat. "Commander, we're having an advanced linguistic session here. Don't interrupt."
Elvin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you're teaching her that 'M' stands for 'Martian invasion' now?"
Alice's giggle filled the room again.
Chris winked at her. "He's jealous he wasn't invited to the fun class."
Elvin walked in slowly and took a seat on the couch behind them. "I'll be the silent observer."
Chris shrugged. "Fine, but no judging my teaching methods."
Turning back to Alice, Chris held up a flashcard. "Okay. What letter is this?"
Alice squinted. "E?"
"Yes! And what word starts with 'E'?"
She paused, then looked at Elvin, a shy smile curling her lips. "Elvin."
Chris exaggerated a gasp. "Ooooh, she used your name!"
Elvin blinked, clearly caught off guard. But then, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Correct answer."
Alice glowed with pride. She began flipping through the flashcards with renewed enthusiasm. "F for… flower?"
"Yes!" Chris said. "And G for?"
"Gun?" she asked innocently.
Chris snorted. "Technically correct, but let's go with 'Giraffe.' More peaceful."
Elvin smirked behind his coffee cup.
Alice carefully wrote each letter in her notebook, occasionally glancing at the flashcards Chris handed her, correcting herself with a soft mutter when the letters wobbled too much. Her small hands grew more confident with each stroke.
When she reached 'Z', she turned to Chris and said proudly, "Z is for… Zipper!"
He gasped dramatically. "You've surpassed the master!"
She giggled again, the sound sweet and clear.
As the lesson ended, Chris leaned back and gave her a high five. "You did awesome, Princess."
Alice's cheeks flushed at the praise. "Will you teach me again tomorrow?"
Chris nodded. "Only if you promise to bring cookies."
"I don't know how to bake…" she whispered.
Chris grinned. "Well, then I'll teach you that too. Multitasking older brother, at your service."
From the couch, Elvin quietly watched the bond strengthening between them—Alice, laughing freely, her trauma easing little by little under Chris's playful guidance. And Chris, who usually found lessons boring, now putting his full energy into helping her learn.
This wasn't the life Alice had planned.
But maybe, just maybe, it was the one her heart could grow to love.