The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows that danced on the walls. Elena found solace in the pages of a novel, slowly she fell in sleep.
Elena still half-dreaming in the warmth of her cozy chair, found herself abruptly awakened by the sweet voice of her daughter.
"Mom'ma."
Elena's eyes, heavy with sleep, widened in surprise as she looked at Paulina standing before her. Weariness clung to her like a heavy shroud, but there was something in Paulina's gaze that demanded attention.
"Why are you here? It's time for you to go to bed," Elena murmured, avoiding direct eye contact, as if afraid of the emotions that lurked beneath the surface.
Paulina, undeterred, took a step closer, her small fingers reaching out to touch Elena's legs. Elena, feeling the gentle caress, leaned back, a nervous tension settling in the air.
"Mom'ma."
