Echoes in silence

Mr. and Mrs. Micawber returned home in silence. Both were tense, their thoughts clouded by the unexpected encounter with Kay. Mr. Micawber had an urgent meeting, so after dropping his wife at the house, he left.

Now alone, Mrs. Micawber sat quietly, replaying the day in her mind. The past flashed before her eyes like a broken film reel—flickering, painful.

Her head throbbed from the stress. She lay down on the bed, trying to quiet her thoughts, but Kay's face hovered behind her closed eyes.

Kay.

Her only daughter.

The way she had treated them in the past… the words, the betrayal… they echoed like a haunting melody.

"I never expected such a surprise for myself," she whispered to the empty room. "She's my daughter—my own blood. So why does she feel more like an enemy than family?"

Yet, as a mother, her heart still held a soft corner for Kay. That small voice inside her kept wondering: What if she really missed us? What if she has changed?

If that's true… maybe she deserved a chance.

She's our only daughter, she thought. I'll speak to him. I'll try to make Mike understand.

As her thoughts consumed her, she drifted into sleep.

Evening came.

Mr. Micawber returned and knocked on the door. No response. Using the spare key, he let himself in and walked to the bedroom.

He found her fast asleep. He approached quietly and sat on the edge of the bed.

She stirred but didn't open her eyes—pretending to be asleep, perhaps to avoid burdening him.

He gently held her hand and kissed it. He knew she was hurting. He was too. That encounter with Kay had left a scar that hadn't even started to heal.

He looked upward and whispered, "Oh God… please have mercy on us."

Then he kissed her forehead, stood up, and headed to the washroom.

When he came out, she was gone. Suddenly, he heard the clinking of dishes in the kitchen. He assumed she had gotten up to prepare something for him.

Moments later, she returned, holding a dish.

She set it on the bed and asked softly, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I thought you must be tired," he replied gently. "That's why."

They both sat on the bed. Mr. Micawber began eating. She watched him quietly for a moment, then he looked up and smiled.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "Come join me."

"No, no, please continue," she replied.

But her mind was elsewhere—trying to find the words to talk about Kay. She chewed nervously on her nail.

He noticed.

"You want to say something?" he asked. "If there's something on your mind, just ask me."

She hesitated, then spoke.

"Actually… I was thinking about today's meeting with Kay. I wanted to talk to you about her. But please—don't get upset."

"I don't want to talk about her," he replied sharply.

"I know you're disturbed right now," she said softly. "But we need to talk. It might help."

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not," she insisted. "I know you better than anyone. You're lying."

He sighed. "Then what should I do?"

"Listen, Mike…" she said, using the nickname only she called him by. "She's our only daughter. She said she's sorry. Don't you think… maybe we should give her a chance?"

"No. I don't think so. And you know why?" His voice cracked. "Because she's our daughter. I know her better than anyone."

"How can you be so heartless, Mike?"

"Heartless?" he said, his voice rising. "You want me to forgive a girl who called her own parents selfish? Who walked away from us like we were nothing?"

"You want me to accept her again?" He leaned closer, voice low and bitter. "Listen carefully. You can forgive her if you want. I can't."

Tears welled in Mrs. Micawber's eyes. She reached for his hand and held it tightly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I really am."

Just then, his phone rang.

He picked it up. It was their son, Stephon.

Stephon:

"Hello Dad. I wanted to let you know I'm also coming home, so you don't need to travel back. Kevin's free these days too—we thought we could all spend some time together."

Mr. Micawber:

"Ah… okay. Not a bad idea. But son, don't you think this isn't the best time for a vacation?"

Stephon:

"Is everything okay? You sound… off. Is there something I should know?"

Mr. Micawber:

"No, no. Everything's fine. Take care of yourself. We'll wait for you and Kevin."

He ended the call and sighed deeply.

"Stephon and Kevin are coming to visit," he said. "What if they run into Kay again?"

They both fell silent.

No matter what Kay had done, the truth remained—Stephon would be hurt all over again, and Kevin… poor Kevin had never even met his selfish mother.

Mrs. Micawber broke the silence gently. "If she tries to contact us again… I think you should meet her. Just once."

Mr. Micawber didn't reply. He simply lay down and closed his eyes.

She quietly picked up the food tray and left the room.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Kay was already scheming.

She began searching for information about her parents, determined to see them again. Soon, she discovered they had returned for some property work.

"There's no time to waste on useless things," she muttered to herself.

She tried calling their old numbers—but they had been disconnected. Still, she wasn't discouraged.

At the Stevenson Mansion, Miss Dora and Lara were deep in thought—concerned about Kay and what it might mean for David's second marriage.