The room had fallen silent, the kind of silence that felt like a heavy weight pressing on the shoulders of everyone seated around the table. 

Auriella’s question hung in the air, raw and aching, as she leaned toward Kimora, her gaze pleading and expectant.

Kimora looked down, her hands clenched together in front of her, and for a moment, she seemed to shrink into herself. 

“Auriella, dear, please calm down. You’re scaring the children,” she said softly, glancing toward her children, who were clustered together, wide-eyed and clinging to their toys as they watched the adults’ exchange.

Realizing her outburst had startled them, Auriella’s expression softened, guilt flashing across her face. 

She gently adjusted her chair, settling herself as calmly as she could, and gave a small, apologetic smile to the children. “I’m sorry, kids. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said, voice warm and quiet.

Jett, the youngest, shook his head vigorously. “It’s otay, Miss Aurimela! You just wanna find your Papa, wight?”

Auriella’s heart melted, and she nodded. “You’re right, Jett. My Papa has been missing for a long time. I just thought maybe your mom could help me find him.”

Jett’s wide eyes turned to Kimora. “Why don’t you help her, Mommy?” he asked innocently, and soon his siblings joined in, their eager voices filling the air.

Before long, Khrom raised his voice to cut through the chatter. “Kids! Quit bothering your mother and go get ready for school!”

Amid a chorus of disappointed groans and muttered complaints, the children got up and shuffled out, gathering their bags and belongings. 

Khrom stood and placed a gentle hand on Kimora’s shoulder. “I’ll take them over to the school with Oriana and Claude,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head. “Take all the time you need.” 

He gave Auriella a kind nod, then ushered the children out of the house, leaving an air of tension behind him.

Auriella reached down and lifted Cal from his baby chair, holding him close as if his presence alone could steady her nerves. 

She fixed her gaze on Kimora, her voice soft, almost pleading. “Please, Kimora. I need to know. Is Valen really my father?”

Kimora looked away, her fingers lacing together tightly. After a long pause, she spoke, her voice tinged with sadness. 

“Your mother would hate me for telling you this.” A dry, bitter laugh escaped her lips. “But…maybe you deserve to know.”

Auriella’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What happened between them? Why did he leave?” Kimora’s eyes filled with a distant sadness as she shook her head slowly. 

“I honestly don’t know, dear. They both seemed so happy when you were born. Then one day…” 

She snapped her fingers. 

“Just like that, he was gone. He left without a word, and your mother never spoke of him again.”

Auriella’s hands tightened around Cal as she processed Kimora’s words. The shock and confusion were clear in her expression. 

She let out a dark chuckle as she leaned back in her chair, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Well, maybe it’s time I ask him myself.”

Kimora’s face filled with worry. “Auriella, please,” she murmured, almost as if pleading with her to reconsider.

But Auriella’s resolve had hardened. 

This question had haunted her for far too long, and she wasn’t about to let it go. She pushed herself up from the table, Cal still in her arms, but Kimora reached out, her voice urgent. 

“At least read the rest of your mother’s diary first,” she said softly. “It might help you understand her side of things…before you confront him.”

Auriella paused, meeting Kimora’s gaze for a long moment. Then, with a reluctant nod, she handed Cal to Leo, who was watching the scene with quiet understanding. 

She picked up the diary, holding it to her chest. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “I’ll read it. I just…need to be alone.”

With that, she turned and left the room. Cal whimpered, his eyes beginning to water as he watched his mother leave. Leo held him gently, rocking him as he whispered, “It’s okay, my boy. Mommy will be back soon.”

But Cal’s response was not quite so calm; the next moment, an unpleasant smell wafted up as he filled his diaper. 

Leo grimaced, lifting him slightly away. “Um, Miss Kimora? Could you take him while I get the diaper bag?”

Kimora chuckled, taking Cal with a fond smile. “Of course. I’d be happy to hold him; he’s such a sweet little one.”

Meanwhile, Auriella found herself drawn to the hill behind Kimora’s home. She had spent countless days playing here as a child with Oriana. 

The hill, ringed with vibrant wildflowers, had always held a special place in her heart, and now, with the weight of the diary in her hands, it felt like the right place to seek solace.

A chill breeze rustled the leaves of the lone, ancient tree that stood at the hill’s peak. Oriana had always been afraid of that tree, calling it cursed, but to Auriella, it was a place of peace. 

She settled herself beneath its gnarled branches, gazing out at the rainbow of flowers that stretched out before her, then looked down at the diary in her lap.

Flipping through the pages, she finally found the entry she had been searching for:

Entry #60, Day 28 of the month of Kairosia, Year 603 of the Yithian Calendar

Today is Auriella’s 2nd birthday! Valen has been so busy lately, but he left a note this morning on the kitchen counter, saying he’d be home by dinnertime. He promised he’d bring a special gift for our little girl…and one for me, too. I know it’s silly, but I can’t help feeling excited. I love him so much…

A faint smile touched Auriella’s lips as she pictured her mother’s happiness in that moment. But as she turned the page, her smile vanished. 

Written over and over, in jagged, frantic letters, were the words: WHY DID YOU LEAVE US, VALEN?

Each repetition seemed to cry out from the page, the raw pain and betrayal nearly leaping from the ink. Auriella’s heart sank as she realized the depth of her mother’s agony.

Tears stung her eyes, and for a long time, she simply sat there, the words burning into her mind. Her mother’s heartbreak was almost palpable, the despair on the page echoing her own longing and confusion. 

As the wind rustled around her, Auriella felt the weight of her family’s secrets pressing down on her, yet a spark of determination began to stir within her. 

If there was more to know, she would uncover it all—even if it meant eventually confronting the man who had haunted her life for so long.