Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 254: Affectionate Child

Astrid's

POV

Ryker barged into the room, taking everyone by surprise. All eyes turned to his small figure, momentarily stunned by his sudden entrance.

Full of energy just moments before, Ryker suddenly froze when he saw us, his throat constricting as he took in the unfamiliar faces.

The weight of our gazes seemed to pin him down, and I could see his breath quicken, a flicker of anxiety crossing his features.

Before his emotions could consume him, his gaze suddenly landed on mine. I gazed softly at him and gave him a warm smile to encourage him and calm him down.

As soon as he recognized who I was, a flicker of calm washed over him, and I watched as he focused intently on me, the tension in his body beginning to ease.

After my encounter with him in the garden, I did some research about autism and learned about several symptoms and tendencies that autism might exhibit.

Ryker and I had only crossed paths a few times, but something about him drew me in, igniting a desire to understand him better.

One of the things I discovered was that crowds could trigger overwhelming feelings, leading to emotional distress. I learned that helping him focus on one thing could improve his clarity of mind.

I felt a surge of relief that I was able to help him find that focus. My research was not in vain.

What are you doing here?" Giselle asked, worry etched across her face as she looked at her son standing before us. Her brows furrowed when she realized

speaking, another person rushed into the room, breathless and flustered. It was his

stop running. I'm tired already," she gasped, trying

as she prepared to chase after him again, Ryker took off, darting toward my side. I sensed the sudden shift in the room as his nanny's eyes

tugged at my shirt, looking up at me with a bright smile that contrasted sharply with the tension surrounding

back at me with interest, their expressions a mix of

for Giselle, who shot me a glare that could have melted steel-her protective instincts flaring up at the sight of her

my negligence,

bowed in fear. "Ryker and were just taking a walk outside when he suddenly ran off. I've been trying to chase after him, but he's so fast! He looked like he was searching for something; I didn't think he was looking for Miss

attention shifted back to Ryker as he held up a shiny rock, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He wanted

spread across my face. "Is this for me?" I

his expression serious

him, holding the rock up to the light to showcase its

joy at my words, the anxiety from earlier dissipating as he took in my

take Ryker out of here. You are disturbing the guests,"

Ryker and Giselle. She hurriedly moved to take

a

through the tension. "This is new! Ryker never shares his

let alone

borrow his things from him. Yet here he is, running around to find

realizing just how significant his gesture truly was. It filled me with warmth to know