Alice still had her eyes closed with one hand to hide her tear stains, trying to gather her resolve after a few minutes of sobbing on the bed. Meanwhile, Maria just watched Alice there, holding Alice's hand with her own to accompany her through it all.
I rarely see Alice acting like a child like this.
Maria smiled for a few seconds, but quickly stopped.
I'm torn between feeling happy or sad about this.
Suddenly, Alice said, "Sister, you will really stay with me, right?"
Maria, slightly surprised, smiled gently and replied, "Yes."
"W-what about now?"
Seeing her little sister trying to muster up courage made Maria smile even wider. Firmly, she said, "Let's go find mom now."
They began searching for their mother all over the house. However, they found their grandparents first, calmly dining together in the dining room.
