For the rest of the day, Yuki did not have the best mood, except, no one but herself was aware of how unhappy she was. Despite how draining it was to keep up her polite front, she had no choice but to maintain it till the closure of the day.
After Treyton helped her pack and close up, the two parted ways when they took carriages heading to different destinations.
While sitting without much consideration for courtesy, Yuki sighed again and again whenever Treyton's conduct towards Kaithenn came to mind. Aside all else, Yuki could not wrap her head around the reason why she could be weakened to the extent of losing consciousness whenever she was exposed to overbearing auras. Was it normal to feel the aura of other people in the first place? She really was a strange person, Yuki thought of herself.
…
"I am home," Yuki announced as soon as she walked through the door into her house. She had hunched her back, with a bouquet of tulips for her mother's chambers in hand. Most of her dainty guise crumbled as soon as she walked through the door.
"Mother? Jacek?" Yuki called audibly to her mother and brother who had yet to hear and respond to her.
"Yuki…here," Jacek peeked his head out of his room and beckoned for Yuki to come to him.
Confused, tired and moody, Yuki shuffled into Jacek's room after dropping the tulips on the center table in the living room.
Immediately she entered Jacek's chamber, she picked up an oddity in his mood. Her brows knitted. "What is it?" She questioned without a thought, neared Jacek and sat by him. Yuki studied Jacek's brooding expression with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity.
Jacek thought it wise to not beat around the bushes but be as forward as possible. "Mother is going to speak about your birthday at dinner. I tried to convince her to not bring it up but she refused and I was sure persisting would have made her more curious as to why you never stay home whenever it was your birthday." Jacek looked at Yuki worriedly.
What a tiring day! Yuki thought as her face darkened. She sighed. "What do you suppose I do?" Yuki decided to not trouble her mind further with stressful thoughts. She stared into Jacek's face expectantly.
Jacek averted his gaze and fidgeted with his fingers, "I think it is about time mother knows. She is our mother. I think she deserves to know this much about you, it's been six years already. But of course, I absolutely have your back if you do not want to tell her."
Yuki looked at Jacek's anxious face thoughtlessly.
"She does not need to know," said Yuki, in the shallowest tone. "I don't want her to know. Even if it just for another year, I hope to remain her perfect daughter. She need not know my flaws… I don't want her to see me any differently than she does."
Jacek turned his head swiftly to look at Yuki. "Mother would never look at you any differently by just coming to know the truth! Do you think so little of her?" Jacek's voice and expression portrayed his hurt feelings.
Yuki shook her head slowly with a sad smile. "I can never think little of our mother. I just cannot bring myself to trust anyone but you with my weaknesses; no matter who they are. You are the only one who does not look at me pitifully after seeing me in that state; no one but you. I hate pity. I hate sympathy. Can you assure me that mother will not sympathize with me if she ever witnessed my state on that day?"
Jacek lowered his gaze defeatedly. Their mother wore her emotions on her sleeves, there was no way she could hide her pity. And if she, who always looked admirably at Yuki was to come to pity her…That would break his sister. He could not have Yuki heartbroken, not after a day as grim as her birthday. "I will come up with something. You only need to keep your expression neutral when we speak on the topic, can you do that?" Jacek questioned, his face now appearing firmer with a new found resolve.
"Mmh" Yuki hummed with an appreciative look. "I will try my best."
"Alright. Just leave mother to me." Jacek squeezed Yuki's hand encouragingly.
…
Yuki had changed into a peach-colored chemise, washed off her tan and recovered an ample amount of the strength she had lost during the day.
She helped her mother set the table for dinner, a deafening silence settling between them until they sat along with Jacek to have dinner.
While Mrs. Adlerian sat at the head of the table, the brother and sister pair sat together to her right.
Jacek took and squeezed Yuki's small hand under the dining table as soon as their mother cleared her throat and prepared herself to speak. He glanced at Yuki, who wore an innocent and expressive guise while, her hand in his palm trembled slightly. Jacek's heart clenched.
"Yuki…" Mrs. Adlerian lifted her eyes from her plate to look at her beautiful daughter.
"Mother." Yuki raised her brows with an innocent curiosity as if she was clueless of the topic her mother was going to raise.
Mrs. Adlerian, wishing to not create a tense atmosphere, continued to cut her meat while wearing a neutral expression. "I was hoping we can celebrate your birthday this year, even if it is just us three. What say you? I wanted to throw a debut party on your behalf but I suppose you will not have that."
"Mother, Yuki…"
"Jacek! Let your sister speak for herself!" Mrs. Adlerian interrupted with evident vexation in her tone and face.
Yuki was startled by her mother's unfamiliar mood. It was as though she had expected Jacek to speak up and at the same time hoped he did not. She was truly annoyed this time.
"I am sure you two already discussed how to avoid this topic…" Mrs. Adlerian's face mutated from annoyance to sadness, laced with a little bit of betrayal.
"There is only us in our family. Must I always be left out in everything you do? It gets lonely, you two. I get lonely. You have never celebrated your birthday with me. I know you spend it with your birth mother, there is no need to hide it, can I not join you three in celebrating such an important day? Can I not…"
"Mother please stop," Jacek spoke up calmly, though his face was all but calm!
"Am I not welcome among you three?"
"Mother!" Jacek raised his voice and got on him feet. "I told you to not speak of this anymore. For heaven's sake, look what you've done."
Mrs. Adlerian's eyes shifted to Yuki, she was trembling, almost at the brink of tearing. Her face held all the emotions Mrs. Adlerian had never seen in the girl. Her heart sank at the sight of what her actions had caused.
Mrs. Adlerian rushed out of her seat, reaching out her hand and embracing the girl who was finally crying. "I am so sorry, Yuki, forgive me, my love." Mrs. Adlerian cried remorsefully. Her arms tightened around the girl the more she sobbed.
"Sorry" Yuki repeated again and again amidst her sobs.
She was saddened by her stepmother's words as well as the thought that her own mother was not going to be with her on her birthday as she had when she was younger. Yuki clenched her stepmother's skirt and bawled her eyes out.
"No! I am the one who is sorry. I was not being considerate of you, forgive me and please stop crying!" Mrs. Adlerian sniffled.
Jacek looked at the mother and daughter pair worriedly. He thought it wise to stand aside, because in all honesty, he was completely clueless on what to do or say to the pair at the time.
After what seemed like forever, Yuki and Mrs. Adlerian calmed down at some point.
Jacek wiped the traces of tears from Yuki's eyes and cheeks. Her entire face and even her neck had reddened from crying so much. "Are you two okay now?" Jacek questioned.
Mrs. Adlerian wiped her face with the handkerchief Jacek had given her, blew her stuffed nose and resumed her seat. "Is there more to your absence on your birthdays than I assume?" Mrs. Adlerian looked between the siblings with a serious expression.
"Yes," Jacek responded on his sister's behalf.
"Alright. Then, let us speak no more on the matter." Mrs. Adlerian picked up her cutleries, cut a piece of meat and placed it in her mouth. "The food is almost cold, you two should eat quickly before it loses its remaining warmth."
Jacek and Yuki exchanged looks and then glanced at their mother who was trying to look fine when she clearly wasn't.
"This birthday will be the last I have away from you. Next year… will you celebrate with me next year?" Yuki looked sheepishly at her puff-eyed mother.
Mrs. Adlerian sensed Yuki's sincerity from her lovely eyes and tone. She had waited for six years already; another year would make no difference. She was willing to wait as long as needed, if it meant there would come a day that Yuki would let her into her life completely. Mrs. Adlerian smiled warmly at Yuki and said, "I will always be here to celebrate with you. Be it next year or the next one after that, I will always be here, Yuki."
A soothing sense of warmth filled Yuki's heart to the brim. Her eyes softened, followed by her face, before a beguiling smile made its way onto her petite lips. "Thank you, mother," Yuki uttered genuinely.
It was an intuition, a strong feeling that kept reminding her that her birthday which was in just a week was going to change her life forever. Whether it was a positive or negative change, Yuki was not sure, but then again, what worse thing could happen that she had not yet experienced?