It was defiance. Loyalty.
And it terrified her. And surprised her at the same time.
Before anyone else could speak, her mother broke the silence. Mariana’s voice was soft, laced with the kind of maternal worry that even time couldn’t dull, and her eyes, glassy with uncried tears, watched River with a gentleness that cut deeper than any scolding ever could.
“River, sweetheart,” she said carefully, almost as if approaching a wild animal.
“We just want to make sure that you’re all right. We could barely sleep these past nights, not knowing what happened to you. Try to understand our shock, please. This… this wasn’t what we expected.”
River exhaled shakily, the tension easing just enough to let her shoulders fall. She reached for her mother’s hand, holding it tightly as she met her gaze
