Chapter 190: Ma-ma
Mara arrived home from the office just as the sun was folding itself beneath the horizon, leaving behind streaks of tangerine and violet that bled through the sky like watercolor. The air inside the house smelled faintly of warm bread, a scent the maid had thoughtfully made routine to welcome her back with.
She dropped her handbag and keys on the glass table by the door and, without even glancing toward the living room, headed straight for the sink. The cool water danced over her fingers, washing away the sterile touch of paperwork, handshakes, and the clinging stress of the day. She watched as it slipped down the drain, a silent ritual she’d come to rely on shedding the weight of her other life before stepping fully into this one.
A small chorus of laughter echoed from the sitting room, light and untamed. Her heart gave a tender lurch.
Mara dried her hands on a soft towel and made her way toward the source of the sound, and there they were her babies. Her whole world contained in two tiny, giggling bodies. Audrey sat cross-legged on the rug, her curls a stormy halo around her face as she stacked blocks. Andrew toddled nearby, a stuffed rabbit clutched in one hand, his little cheeks flushed the color of rose petals.
The moment they spotted her, their faces lit up in a way that no salary, no corner office, no well-worded email ever could match. Audrey squealed in delight, running at full toddler speed into Mara’s open arms. Andrew followed a beat later, his gait still wobbly, like a boat learning the rhythm of the tide.
"My babies," Mara whispered, gathering them both against her chest. She buried her face in their hair, breathing them in one smelled like soap and crayons, the other like warm milk and sleep.
"The school delivered this," the maid said gently, stepping forward and placing a small, neatly folded parcel on the coffee table.
Two tiny school uniforms, ironed crisp and perfect. A pair of miniature futures waiting to be worn.
Mara’s breath caught. She reached out with trembling hands, fingertips brushing the fabric as though it might vanish. Navy blue and soft white, with little buttons that would be impossible for small fingers.