Luna's face lit up with pure joy. "Yay!" She nuzzled Fafnir happily, her small hands stroking his soft fur as she giggled.
Fafnir, surprisingly, didn't protest. Instead, he let out a tiny huff before nestling into her embrace, accepting his fate.
My mother, who had been silently watching us, finally let out a soft, trembling laugh. I turned to her, feeling my heart ache at the sight of her tear-streaked face.
"Mom…" I started, but she simply shook her head and cupped my cheek with a warm, familiar touch.
"You've grown so much," she whispered, her voice filled with endless love and sorrow.
Hearing those words, my emotions wavered for a moment. Her simple observation caught me off guard—I had carefully hidden almost everything about my current self, yet she still saw through me.
I couldn't help but smile. Hiding something from your mother is almost impossible. Mothers are mothers, after all.