"Let me guess, the 'my room is off limits' rule?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Kaida nodded, a 'how did you know look' sneaked into her expression.
William chuckled, handing her the first aid kit. "She really hasn't changed" he mused, leaning against the wall, his eyes lost in memories of the past. "She's like that with everyone, you know," he added, his voice filled with a warm nostalgia, recalling the times he had first met Yuna.
- - -
(Flashback)
10 years ago...
Six-year-old Yuna, hid behind her mother's protective embrace, her big brown eyes watching warily as her mother introduced the stranger standing before them.
"Yuna, sweetie, this is your Uncle William" Mrs. Pearce (Weslyn) said, her voice warm and welcoming. But Yuna remained hesitant, her small hands grasping her mother's dress tightly as she peeked out at the unfamiliar face.
William, at eighteen-year-old had a lanky build and a charming smile, thanked his sister for her hospitality, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.
"Thanks, for letting me stay" he said, his deep voice gentle and reassuring.
He had just been accepted into college and needed a place to stay close to campus, and his sister's warm invitation had come as a relief.
As William bent down to Yuna's level, his eyes locking onto hers with a warm and gentle gaze, Yuna retreated further behind her mother, her eyes fixed on the stranger with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
"Hi, I'm William, your uncle," he said, his voice soft and inviting. "But you can call me Uncle Willy, okay?" He smiled, trying to coax a response from the shy little girl. But Yuna remained silent, her eyes fixed on him with a mixture of wonder and fear.
Mrs. Pearce encouraged her daughter to greet her uncle, but Yuna only managed a faint whisper of "Hello" before hiding her face again, her tiny hands grasping her mother's dress even tighter.
William's smile never wavered, his eyes shining with warmth and understanding as he gazed at his little niece. He had missed out on half of her childhood, stuck in a different state for highschool.
"Oh, come in, William, you've been standing for so long," Mrs. Pearce said, helping her brother carry his suitcase as they entered the house, Yuna still clinging to her leg, her eyes never leaving the stranger who was now a part of their lives.