Separated

Athena sighed softly as she watched Kendra and Kathleen cry on each other's shoulders, their tears glistening in the sunlight streaming through the window.

Nathaniel stood by the side, watching the emotional display with an air of detachment that might have seemed cold to an outsider.

However, Athena knew better. The intermittent pinching of his eyebrows betrayed the sadness lurking beneath his stoic demeanor. Kendra had become their closest friend, and the impending separation clearly weighed on him.

"Kendra, don't worry. You can visit them anytime you want. You can even do sleepovers," Stella said, trying to comfort the girls while throwing a worried glance at Athena.

But it seemed to Athena that Kendra needed more reassurance than that in the moment.

She sighed again, reclining deeper into her seat as she realized it would likely take a while for the two girls to disengage from each other.