By the time Liora and Tessa stepped back through the village gates, the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the village.
They made their way straight to the guild hall, the heavy wooden doors creaking as they pushed them open.
Inside, the place was as lively as ever. Adventurers leaned over tables, swapping stories, clinking mugs, and scanning the quest board for their next jobs. A few heads turned as Liora and Tessa entered, slightly dirtied from the forest but clearly uninjured, with the scent of fresh herbs still clinging to them.
Liora approached the counter where the guild clerk, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and an ink-stained vest, looked up and gave a short nod.
"Back from Mistwood?" he asked.
Liora opened her satchel and presented the herbs. "Clean, fresh, and undamaged."
He examined them, impressed. "Better than most gatherers manage. You two make a good team."
Tessa beamed slightly, but stayed quiet.
Nearby, a pair of older adventurers murmured to each other.
"Isn't that the solo from a few months back?" one said. "The one who adopted that kid?"
"Guess she finally stopped running solo jobs. About time."
Liora heard them, but kept her expression neutral.
One younger adventurer leaned over with a grin. "You training a new recruit, Liora? Or building a guild daycare?"
Tessa tensed at that, but Liora only offered a cool smile.
"She pulls her weight. Try doing a Mistwood quest without whining, then talk."
The grinning rookie flushed, muttered something, and turned away.
The clerk stamped the completion scroll and handed over the reward, modest but fair.
"Good work," he said. "You've got eyes on you now, Liora. Not a lot of stable parties around here, let alone ones that function like yours."
Liora gave a small nod and turned to Tessa. "Let's go home."
The sun had just begun to dip below the rooftops when they arrived at the inn. As they reached the front steps, the door flew open, and a blur of motion launched from the entry.
"Mommy!"
Aria ran full speed into Liora's legs, nearly knocking her over with the force of her hug. Liora dropped to one knee and scooped her into her arms, spinning her once with a quiet laugh.
"You're back!" Aria said, clutching her tightly. "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you, too, little bean," Liora murmured into her ear.
Then Aria turned and looked at Tessa, eyes wide.
"You came back too!"
Tessa blinked. "Of course I did."
Aria grabbed her hand and tugged it eagerly. "Come on, come on! I saved some honey cakes! You have to try them!"
Tessa glanced at Liora, who gave her a small, warm nod.
"You heard her," Liora said. "Let's not keep her waiting."
Later that night, the three of them sat around the small table in the corner of the room. Aria was already wearing her sleep tunic, crumbs on her chin, smiling brightly as she told Tessa all about her day helping Marna.
Tessa, half-laughing, listened patiently. Liora leaned back in her chair, watching the two with peace.
Aria eventually crawled into Liora's lap, sleepy and full.
"Mommy," she murmured, eyes half-closed, "you and Tessa are the best."
Tessa looked away, pretending to focus on her tea, but the tips of her ears were red.
Liora gently brushed Aria's hair back. "We're just getting started."
The room settled into silence as the sky outside darkened fully.
In a world of monsters and quests, danger and coin, it was rare to find something soft, something whole. But tonight, under the soft flicker of the lantern, Liora realized they had carved out something precious.