Maria raised her hand to wipe her tears and smiled at Avery. "That day, I secretly swore that in this life. I would be a member of the Carter family as long as I lived and a ghost of the Carter family if I died."
Avery nodded gently and used the towel to lightly wipe the tears from Maria's face.
Maria sniffled and said in a low voice, "I didn't intend to talk about my biological parents ever again."
"But you're Mom and Dad's biological daughter. You're their precious child. I don't want you to misunderstand or for anyone to sow discord between us in the future, so I think I should tell you this."
"Well, thank you for telling me this. Avery caressed her head again and said firmly, "Believe me, you're already grown up and can decide your fate."
"No one can control your life anymore. Don't feel hurt because of what happened in the past."