His eyes held a warmth that contrasted with his stern exterior, and a smile played on his lips as he watched the celebration unfold. He occasionally ruffled the boy's hair affectionately, a gesture totally different from how the girl remembered him.
Inside the room, the girl watched the scene outside with a mix of pain and longing. Her eyes traced the joyful expressions of the people celebrating, a pang of bitterness mixing with her physical agony.
The girl's nose twitched as a tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, triggering her hunger pangs. Her stomach growled in protest, a reminder of its emptiness.
Despite the delicious scent teasing her senses, she knew deep down that there wouldn't be any food for her today.
It was a harsh reality she had come to understand well—whenever her mother unleashed her anger with physical blows, the day's meals were off-limits. It of her mother.
