Episode 11: Stories and Smiles

When Aurelia peeked into her room, Deni was curled into a ball, deeply asleep on her bed. He sure was adorable like that.

Keith came out of his moon with a coffee mug in hand. "Where's your brother at right now?"

Aurelia had a slight smile as she gestured to her room.

"Would you like some tea? I'm about to brew some coffee."

Aurelia frowned. "Are you in for a long night?"

Keith gave a small smile. "I don't know. I hope not."

"Let me and Yolie take care of everything tomorrow."

Keith chuckled. "I'll be fine, I promise. Can I make you some tea while I'm downstairs?"

"I'll go with you. I don't want to bother Deni right now."

Keith chuckled again. "Okay. Let's go then."

Aurelia's eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked.

"I need to buy Deni's brew! I don't have any!"

Keith laughed lightly. Aurelia pouted. That made Keith laugh harder. She glared at him. His laughing stopped but he still had an amused look on his face.

As Keith brewed the coffee and tea, Aurelia sat at the table watching him.

Once the beverages were ready, Keith carried both mugs to the table. He sat Aurelia's mug in front of her. She immediately picked it up and blew gently across the surface before taking a sip. Keith did the same with his coffee mug. After several sips, Aurelia broke the silence.

She whispered, "Deni looks so cute when he sleeps."

Keith chuckled. "Are you sure that you're not a little biased?"

"Oh, shut it!" Aurelia growled playfully. Keith laughed. She continued whispering. "He does though! He looks so innocent...so pure..." Her voice trailed off. She stared at her mug.

Keith watched Aurelia quietly for a few moments before speaking. "You really love your brother, don't you?"

Aurelia nodded. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Keith reached across the table and held her free hand gently. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Aurelia sniffled. Keith released her hand and stood from the table. He walked over to where she sat. As soon as he stood next to her, she leaned towards him. He wrapped his arms around her gently as she cried softly against him.

"Deni is such a sweet boy. Why did he have to be born a prince? If he wasn't royal, we wouldn't have to deal with Mother's stupid expectations." Aurelia sobbed softly.

"Shhhh..." Keith stroked her hair softly as he attempted to comfort her. "Deni is a sweet boy. You're absolutely right about that. But he loves being a prince because it gives him purpose... a reason for existing. It's important to him. Don't be upset about it."

Aurelia sniffled again. She pulled away from Keith slightly. He handed her a napkin from the kitchen counter. She dried her tears then blew her nose.

Keith smiled warmly at her. "Feeling better?"

Aurelia nodded. Keith hugged her briefly then returned to his seat across from her.

After a few minutes of silence, Keith spoke up again. "I should get back to work. I'd rather not have a long night if I can help it."

"Good luck."

Aurelia took a sip of her tea before ordering a small box of tea bags for Deni. She paid with her phone and had it delivered. Her terminal buzzed as a box of tea popped up. She smiled and put it on the table.

These things sure were handy. Before they were invented, people had to wait for a drone to drop off the package. And that could take hours sometimes.

Ring-ring!

Rel blinked. Why was Aesia calling? Deni called way more often than she did.

Aurelia then picked it up. "Hello?"

"Deni is at your house, right?" the high-pitched voice replied.

A smile crossed her face. "Deni worked very hard and got very sleepy, so he's sleeping right now."

"Oh…"

"Did you need something from him?" Aurelia asked.

Aurelia could faintly hear another voice, but she couldn't place who it belonged to.

"Deni promised to read me a bedtime story before I went to bed…"

Aw. What a good big brother Deni was!

"I know I can't take his place, but I could do it if you want."

There was a pause. "Okay, but it better be a fun one!"

"Ask one of the grown-ups to send me the story you want."

Aurelia heard the muffled voice from earlier reply.

Aurelia's terminal buzzed, signaling the arrival of the story. She glanced at the screen and saw the file had been sent over. She opened it and skimmed through the pages quickly, ensuring she could do a good job for Aesia.

"Alright, I've got the story. Are you ready?" Aurelia asked, smiling as she imagined Aesia's eager face on the other end.

"Yes, I'm ready!" Aesia's voice squealed with excitement.

Aurelia began reading, putting on different voices for the characters, making the tale as lively and engaging as she could. She could hear Aesia giggling and reacting to the story, which made her heart swell with warmth.

Halfway through, Keith popped his head into the room, curious about the animated storytelling session. He smiled, watching Aurelia as she continued reading with enthusiasm.

As Aurelia reached the climax of the story, her voice grew softer, building suspense. Aesia was silent, completely absorbed in the tale. Finally, Aurelia delivered the story's resolution with a flourish, and Aesia clapped her hands in delight.

"That was awesome! Thank you, Aurelia!" Aesia cheered.

Aurelia chuckled. "I'm glad you liked it. Now, it's time for you to get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay! Good night, Aurelia."

"Good night, Aesia. Sweet dreams."

As Aurelia ended the call, she noticed Keith still standing in the doorway, smiling at her.

"You're really good with kids," he remarked, stepping into the room.

Aurelia shrugged modestly. "I just want them to be happy."

Keith nodded. "You have a big heart, Aurelia. It's one of the things I admire about you."

Aurelia blushed slightly at his compliment. "Thanks, Keith. I just wish I could make everything easier for Deni and Aesia."

"You're already doing so much for them," Keith reassured her. "And that makes a world of difference."

Aurelia smiled, feeling a sense of comfort and encouragement from Keith's words. She looked at the box of tea she had ordered for Deni, feeling a renewed sense of determination to support her family in any way she could.

"Let's make sure tomorrow is a good day," she said.

Keith raised his coffee mug in a toast. "To a better tomorrow."

Aurelia clinked her tea mug against his, and they both took a sip, ready to face whatever challenges the next day might bring.