C193 Her Mother

I quietly looked at Alicia. Her eyes moved from one elder to another. Confusion... Fear... Anxiety... Everything was written across her face. Seeing all of them crying without saying a single word made my own heart tighten. Whatever had happened... It had wounded this family far more deeply than I had imagined.

Feeling that this was something only family should discuss, I slowly stepped backward. "...Maybe..." "I should go back to our room." The moment I turned around. Peter suddenly called out. "No." I stopped. He looked directly into my eyes. "You don't have to leave." His voice was calm, but filled with sincerity. "You are family now." "You have every right to know." I slowly nodded before remaining where I stood.

Alicia gently took my hand. Her fingers were cold. She looked toward Peter again before forcing a small smile. "If that room carries so many painful memories..." "...then let's not use it." She looked around once more. "I don't want to erase the memories Aunt left behind." "But this one shouldn't carry any memories right?" Mark still insisted. "Wait..." But before he could continue. Peter gently stopped him. He slowly shook his head. "Let them go inside."

Mark looked confused. "But Dad..." Peter sighed deeply. "They deserve to know." Georgia stepped closer. Her own eyes were still red from crying. "Maybe..." "...it's finally time." "Alicia is no longer a little girl." "She has her own family now." Peter slowly nodded. "Yes." "I think so too." He looked toward Alicia. "My child..." "Look around." The moment Alicia looked around inside the room... She froze. Completely.

Her grip around my hand suddenly tightened. Her breathing became uneven. She stared around the room without saying a single word. The room looked untouched. Everything inside was elegant yet simple. Cream-colored curtains gently swayed with the evening breeze. A large bookshelf stood neatly beside the window. Fresh flowers rested on a small table. The bed was perfectly made. Even the pillows were arranged with remarkable precision.

For some reason... The room didn't feel abandoned. It felt... Lived in. Loved. Alicia slowly took another step. Her eyes carefully examined every corner. Then she whispered, "...Why..." "...does this room feel so familiar?" I looked around again. It looked beautiful... But to me it was simply another bedroom. Yet Alicia stood completely still. She looked around as though she had returned to a place she had once known.

She turned toward the three elders. "Dad..." "Have I..." "...been here before?" Nobody answered. Mark lowered his head. His lips trembled. His breathing grew heavier. The memories he had buried for years were clearly resurfacing. Suddenly. His knees weakened. He stumbled backward. "Dad!" Alicia rushed toward him. Luckily, Mark caught himself against the doorframe before collapsing completely. "I'm fine..." "I'm alright."

Although he said those words... Nobody believed him. He looked anything but fine. After steadying himself, he forced a smile. "I'm just..." "...remembering old things." Alicia slowly nodded. Still unconvinced. She turned away once more. Almost unconsciously... Her feet carried her deeper into the room. She gently brushed her fingers across the wooden wardrobe. Then over the bookshelf. Then the dressing table. Everything felt strangely familiar. Like fragments of forgotten dreams.

Her gaze finally landed on a silver photo frame resting on the bedside table. She slowly picked it up. The moment she saw the photograph. Her breathing stopped. Inside the frame... Was a beautiful young woman. She had long black hair. Gentle almond-shaped eyes. A warm smile. Deep dimples. Round cheeks. For one terrifying moment... I thought Alicia was looking into a mirror.

The resemblance was unbelievable. "...Who..." "...is she?" Nobody answered. Alicia couldn't take her eyes off the photograph. Something stirred deep inside her mind. A faint image... A tiny little girl laughing... Running across a wooden floor... Tiny footsteps echoing through a bright room. She blinked. The vision disappeared. She frowned. "...What..." She pressed a hand against her forehead.

Another blurry image appeared. A little girl... No older than two... Running into a large office. A man sat behind a desk covered with documents. Before she could reach him. Someone lifted her into the air. A gentle feminine voice laughed. "Don't disturb your father." "He's busy." "We'll play with him later." The memory vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Alicia gasped. Her eyes slowly widened. She turned toward one corner of the room. Her breathing became faster.

Then she pointed toward a closed wooden door. "This..." "...this room..." She swallowed. "...Is that..." "... study room?" The three elders froze. Mark's eyes widened. Peter looked at Georgia in disbelief. Finally... Georgia slowly nodded. "...Yes." "It is." She frowned. "But..." "How did you know?" Alicia didn't answer. Almost as if someone invisible was pulling her... She slowly walked toward the door. Her trembling hand rested on the handle.

For several seconds... She simply stood there. Then. She slowly pushed it open. The study appeared almost untouched. Bookshelves lined the walls. Stacks of files rested neatly on the desk. Sunlight poured gently through the tall windows. The moment Alicia stepped inside... Another forgotten memory surfaced. A tiny girl running between the shelves... A beautiful woman chasing after her while laughing. "You little troublemaker." "If you disturb Daddy again..." "...he'll make you help him with paperwork." The little girl laughed louder. The woman scooped her into her arms. Then kissed her forehead lovingly.

Alicia's entire body trembled. Her eyes filled with tears. She slowly looked toward a smaller framed photograph resting on the desk... And her heart stopped. Alicia slowly picked up the small silver photo frame from the desk. Her hands trembled uncontrollably. Inside the photograph stood three people. A much younger Mark... The beautiful woman from the bedroom photograph... And between them, a tiny little girl with sparkling almond-shaped eyes and dimples stretching across her cheeks.

The little girl was laughing happily while the woman held her in her arms. Alicia's breathing became uneven. "...Mother..." The word escaped her lips almost unconsciously. The room fell silent. Tears slowly blurred her vision. Fragments... Tiny fragments... Long-forgotten memories began resurfacing one after another. A little girl running through the hallway... Small footsteps echoing across the wooden floor... A gentle pair of hands lifting her into the air.

A familiar lullaby. Warm laughter. Someone brushing her hair every morning. Someone kissing her forehead before bedtime. Someone carrying her whenever she fell asleep. She squeezed the frame tighter. "...Mom..." Another memory flashed before her.