Chapter 10: The weight of careless words…
Willow immediately stood up, closing the distance between herself and their mother in two long strides. She gently took Elina’s arm, her strap gaze scanning her for any sign of injury.
"Mum, are you okay? You didn’t burn yourself, did you?"
Elina blinked as if only just registering what had happened. Her heart, which had clenched tight from those words, gradually loosened.
Those words... they had struck something deep inside her. She did not understand why, but the very idea of abandonment... the idea of Micah not being her son...felt like a taboo to her, something she couldn’t bear to acknowledge.
She did not want to hear them ever again.
It was as if they were magical spells, speaking them aloud would burst the bubble of her happy life and their perfect family.
It felt ominous.
Only a few hours ago, she had laughed while telling the story of Micah’s childhood, joking with her son. But she didn’t think it would remind Micah about that incident. Now, it was heart-wrenching to hear the word of abandonment coming from her son...
Why did it hurt so much?
Elina swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself to speak.
"I am fine..."