No amount of warmth and empathy that the orphanage showered him with could wash away the awkwardness and guilt that he felt at that moment.
The Quarrier Orphanage had already mourned for a year. They had, for better or worse, begun entering the phase where they moved on from this tragedy.
Rui did not want to selfishly undo all of their progress and pull all of them back into mourning.
People had a right to heal from the loss of loved ones.
That was why he smiled.
He smiled like he meant it.
Like he wasn't hurting from the loss of his mother.
Like it didn't burn him from the inside out.
"You've grown taller, Kellen."
"Ah, congratulations on your third baby!"
"Good job with your breakthrough to the Apprentice Realm, Lea."
While he wanted nothing more than to mourn for the loss of his mother, she would not have approved if he paid more attention to the dead than to the living who sought him.
"Rui."
