The room was dim, the fire now reduced to soft, flickering embers. Aria lay sound asleep in the smaller bed near the window, a gentle rhythm to the peaceful night. Outside, the muffled sounds of the village tapered off, one by one, until stillness filled the air.
Tessa woke up about an hour later and sat on the edge of the larger bed. Liora stood by the window, gazing out at the moonlit streets in thoughtful silence.
"…You're not going to sleep yet?" Tessa asked softly.
Liora turned, her silver hair catching the firelight. "Not yet. Just making sure the night stays quiet."
Tessa gave a small smile and set her sword aside. "You really don't rest unless you know everyone's safe, huh?"
Liora shrugged lightly. "Old habit. Comes with the job."
She crossed the room and sat beside Tessa. The bed creaked faintly beneath them, the only sound between them for a few moments.
"…Thank you," Tessa said at last, voice barely above a whisper.
Liora glanced at her. "For what?"
"For everything. For letting me come with you. For bringing me into your home. You didn't have to."
Liora looked back toward the fire, expression unreadable. "You've earned your place in this home, Tessa. You showed strength. You didn't give up. That's what matters."
Tessa's gaze dropped to her hands in her lap. "You know, before I met you, I didn't really have anyone. My parents didn't want me around. The guild in my old town only saw me as another body to throw at a problem."
She hesitated.
"But then… You saw me. Not just as an adventurer. But like, like I was a person worth keeping around."
Liora said nothing, waiting.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Tessa's voice caught. "Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking of you as just my party leader."
She looked up, eyes glistening in the low firelight.
"I think… I started seeing you as… kind of like a mom, too."
The words hung in the air, vulnerable and fragile.
Liora blinked slowly. Her posture didn't shift, but her eyes softened. She reached out and gently placed a hand on Tessa's shoulder.
"You've come a long way," she said quietly. "You don't have to walk it alone anymore."
Tessa wiped her eyes with the edge of her sleeve. "Sorry… I didn't mean to be weird or anything."
"You weren't," Liora said simply. "Aria called me 'Mommy' before she even knew what it meant. I think some bonds are made by choice, not blood."
Tessa nodded, her throat tight with emotion. "Then I'm glad I chose you."
They sat there for a while, neither speaking, just sharing the warmth of the fire and the weight of quiet understanding.
Eventually, Liora stood. "Get some sleep, Tessa. Tomorrow's another festival."
Tessa smiled and slid under the blanket, heart lighter than it had been in years.
"Goodnight… Mom."
Liora paused, then gently reached over and tugged the blanket over Tessa's shoulders. "Goodnight, Tessa."