"Louisa? What brings you here?" a stunning woman with lustrous black hair and amber eyes asked as she descended the stairs, taking a seat on the same step. A nine-year-old girl, Louisa, sat beside her.
Louisa turned to her left, her gaze meeting the woman's. "Aunt Oryanna..." she murmured softly, her voice barely audible.
Concern etched across her features, Oryanna gently placed her hand on Louisa's auburn hair. "What's the matter, Louisa?" she inquired, her touch soothing and comforting.
"I miss them... I miss my father and mother..." Louisa's voice trembled as she spoke, her face hidden in her knees. "I... I wish I could see them again..."
Oryanna's smile wavered, bitterness creeping into her expression as she pulled Louisa into a gentle embrace. "I, too, had a family, Louisa... but I lost them three years ago, just like you."
Louisa shivered slightly in Oryanna's arms, yet the warmth she felt was reminiscent of her mother's loving embrace.
