As the sun started to set, the air inside the mansion turned peaceful.
Aurora had spent the evening preparing a beautiful meal for her kids and Daemon.
It felt strange, sitting together like a family at the dinner table again, but she had to keep her mask up, acting like everything was fine.
The triplets were happily munching away, especially Leo, who usually gave Daemon the cold shoulder.
Tonight, though, even Leo seemed to forget his usual anger towards his father, laughing along with his siblings while ignoring Daemon entirely.
Aurora caught a glimpse of Daemon watching Leo, clearly wanting to connect, but he stayed quiet.
Once dinner was done, Aurora tucked her kids into bed, one by one.
They were all smiles, telling her how happy they were.
It warmed her heart, but there was always this lingering ache inside her, knowing things could never be as perfect as they seemed.
Still, she kissed them goodnight and made sure they were comfortable before stepping out of the room.
As she walked down the hall, the rain started pouring outside.
It wasn't just a little drizzle; it was one of those heavy, loud storms where thunder rattled the windows and lightning lit up the sky.
For most people, it might just be annoying, but for Aurora, it was terrifying.
The last time she had been in a storm this bad, her life had been torn apart.
The memories came flooding back—running away in the middle of the night, heartbroken and scared.
The rain had been just like this, pounding on the streets.
And then... the truck. The river.
The feeling of drowning, cold and helpless. Her body began to tremble just thinking about it. She hated storms.
They made her feel small again, like that weak girl who had been crushed under the weight of the world.
Aurora tried to calm herself down.
She didn't want to scare the kids, so she quietly huddled under her blanket, pulling it over her head.
She rocked back and forth, trying to focus on her breathing, but every time the thunder boomed, she let out a tiny screech.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been there, shivering and trying to keep herself together.
---
Downstairs, Daemon was pacing around, feeling more frustrated than ever.
The night hadn't gone as he had hoped.
His family had slipped through his fingers five years ago, and it seemed like he could never get them back.
He was just about to pour himself a drink when he heard something strange.
It sounded like a muffled cry, like someone was terrified. His heart raced as he followed the noise upstairs.
He reached Aurora's room and gently pushed the door open.
There she was, curled up in the middle of the bed, shaking under the blanket.
She didn't even notice him come in; she was too lost in her fear.
He hesitated for a second, unsure if she'd want him there, but the sight of her like this shattered something inside him.
Without thinking, he crossed the room and pulled the blanket off her head.
"Aurora," he whispered softly, his voice barely audible over the storm.
She flinched at first, startled, but when she saw it was him, she didn't push him away.
Daemon sat on the edge of the bed, slowly reaching out to pull her into his arms.
She was shaking so badly, her body tense like a tightly wound spring. "It's okay," he murmured, stroking her hair gently.
"It's just a storm. I'm here. You're safe." His words were soft, soothing, but he could feel the fear still gripping her.
Aurora didn't say anything. She just let herself be held.
For a moment, the anger and pain she usually felt around him seemed to fade, replaced by pure exhaustion.
The thunder cracked again, and she buried her face into his chest, her body trembling harder.
He tightened his arms around her, not saying anything more, just being there.
They stayed like that for a while. Daemon's hand kept moving through her hair, down her back, in slow, calming strokes.
Aurora's breaths eventually started to slow, the tension leaving her little by little.
She still felt afraid, but the warmth of his embrace was... comforting in a way she hadn't expected.
"I'm sorry," Daemon whispered into her hair, his voice thick with regret. "For everything."
Aurora didn't respond. She didn't have the energy to dive into all the things she could say—how sorry wouldn't fix the years of pain.
How it wouldn't change the fact that he'd left her alone when she needed him most.
But for now, just for tonight, she let herself stay in his arms, letting the storm rage outside while they sat in silence.