The next morning, after freshening up, Zed stepped into the hall for breakfast. There, Rita and Hansen were sitting with "the family."
Noticing his arrival, Stina introduced him to his family members. In a polite tone, he greeted Rita, June, and others, and they all responded warmly, even hugging him as if he was their younger brother.
Though not related by blood to each other, the affections made it seem "the family" was far more perfect than even those related by blood.
The Ivies proved blood doesn't have to be thicker than the water…
At least, that was the impression they wanted to give to Zed.
…
In the afternoon, as the family gathered for lunch, Stina asked, "What do you plan to do?"
It was an open secret that his home was destroyed and that he had to leave Delta City due to the threats there. And while they didn't know the details, they were aware he has no functional relationship with the House of Hestia.
