"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.
It didn't take William long to settle into his new temporary home, largely due to the fact that he had traveled light, carrying only a few essential belongings with him. As the evening wore on, Weslyn, Yuna's mother, prepared to leave for her night shift at the hospital, leaving William and Yuna alone in the house.
The little girl had retreated to her room, only emerging occasionally to grab a drink or snack, and William began to feel concerned. He knocked gently on her door, hoping to coax her out of her solitude.
After a brief pause, the door creaked open, and Yuna stood before him, her big brown eyes gazing up at him with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
"Why don't you leave your room?" William asked, trying to sound friendly and non-threatening.
"Isn't it lonely playing alone? How about you let me in and we play together, huh?" He suggested, hoping to entice her out of her shell.
But Yuna's response was unexpected. She cocked her head to the right, furrowed her brows, and said "No" in a little voice that was stern and resolute. "My room is off limits," she added, before shutting the door firmly in William's face.
William was taken aback by Yuna's response, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn't anticipated her to be so assertive and clear about her boundaries. He stood there for a moment, feeling a mix of amusement and respect for the little girl's boldness.
William realized that trying to coax Yuna out of her room was futile, so he decided to occupy himself in the living room.
As the minutes ticked by, he grew bored and reached for his guitar, his fingers deftly strumming the strings to create a beautiful melody. He would pause occasionally to jot down notes, humming a tune as he worked.
Completely absorbed in his music, he failed to notice Yuna's entrance into the room.
She stood quietly behind the sofa, observing her uncle with a curious gaze, her eyes fixed on the way his fingers moved deftly over the strings.