Bedroom tour

Ethan claps Ryan on the shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Don't worry about Luna, kid. She'll come around eventually. Just gotta give her some space, y'know?” His voice is light, but there's a hint of strain in his smile, like he's trying a little too hard to keep things upbeat.

Vanessa nods, “Well, why don't we get settled in? I'm sure you two are tired after the drive.”

She gestures towards the hallway. “Ethan, why don't you show Ryan to his room? I'll go start on dinner.”

Ethan nods, turning to lead Ryan down the hall. “C'mon, kiddo. Let's get you set up.” As they walk, he leans in close, his voice low. “Between you and me, Luna's always been a bit... prickly. But she's a good kid, deep down. Just needs some time to adjust, y'know?”

He stops outside a door, pushing it open to reveal a cozy bedroom, already set up with Ryan's belongings. “Here we are! Your new room,” He grins, stepping aside to let Ryan enter. “Whaddya think? It's not much, but it's yours.”

Ryan shrugs, dumping the last of his belongings on the floor by the bed. It’s enough to make him feel comfortable, once he has time to plug in his Xbox.

He shrugs in response to his father, “It’ll do I guess… when’s dinner?”

Ethan chuckles, giving Ryan a playful punch on the arm. “Dinner's in about an hour, kiddo. Your stepmom's whipping up something special, I hear.” He winks conspiratorially. “And trust me, you don't wanna miss out on Vanessa's cooking. The woman's a magician in the kitchen, I swear.”

With that, he heads out of the room, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts. The house is quiet, save for the distant sounds of Vanessa puttering around in the kitchen and the occasional creak of the floorboards as Luna moves about upstairs.