Lariette bit her lower lip as the heat of unshed tears swelled in her eyes. She tightly gripped the mug, her hands shaking. She lowered her gaze, unable to look at Felicia.
Silence filled the kitchen as the ladies were swept by a turmoil of emotions. Despite not being spoken out loud, their feelings and thoughts were similar.
Indeed. Ruediger was too young back then, too naive when he was forcibly dragged to witness how dirty the world could be.
"Lari."
Felicia lifted her eyes, breaking the silence by calling Lariette softly. The young lady blinked in a daze before she looked up, her eyes glazed with tears. Her lips trembled, but she said nothing as she waited for the former to speak.
"My parents, too, have loved him like our own ever since he came to us. I'm thankful, because he needed every care and support he could get. But no matter what, it's still different from having a partner by his side."
Someone to share his days, his dreams and even his silence.
