A MOMENT OF WORRY

Her guilt was overwhelming.The father sat down, his tone gentle yet caring. "It's okay," he said, his voice soothing. "Everything's going to be fine now."He gave her a small smile, his eyes full of warmth. "My little princess," he said."always remember to smile. It makes you look even more beautiful, and your Mom's still inside, and... I don't want her to be upset.".He gave her a teasing look, trying to lighten the mood. "But if you keep crying, no chocolates for you this whole month. What do you think of that?"

The girl quickly wiped her face, trying to hold back tear. "I'm not crying," she said with a small sniffle.He smiled at her, leaning down to wipe the last trace of tears. "Good," he said softly, "but make sure you clean up those tears properly. If your mom sees you like this, she'll start asking questions. And you know what that means—you'll be up all night answering them."

She groaned, looking up at him with a little smile. "I'm not staying up all night. You promised, Dad. You'll handle her, right?"He chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Leave it to me. I'm going full battlefield mode. You won't have to worry."With a warm smile, he opened the door for her, letting her go inside first.The door creaked open, and the girl stepped inside. Her mother saw her immediately and rushed over, worried.

"Where were you? Why are you so late? What happened? Are you okay? Why didn't you call us?!" Her mother's voice trembled as she grabbed her hand, making sure she was alright.The girl stayed quiet, her eyes on the floor, feeling guilty. Her mother looked her over, checking if she was hurt. Then her mother noticed her coat and frowned.

"What's this? Why are you wearing this? Where did you go?!" She asked, her voice sharp with concern.Before the girl could answer, her father stepped in. He gently pulled the girl away from her mother."Don't be like this," he said calmly. "Give her a moment. She just went to a party at a friend's house and forgot to tell us. That's all."

The mother's expression shifted from worry to anger. "A party? A party?! And you didn't tell us? We were so worried! You made us panic!" she said, her voice rising. "I was about to call the magic sorcerers!"

The girl lowered her head, unable to say anything. She could feel her mother's anger.Her father stepped in again, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders, gently pulling her away. "She's fine. Stop stressing. She's been through a lot today. You can scold her later. Let her rest now."

Her father turns to the girl and Said quietly" I'll manage this, go to your room".

The girl nodded, feeling comforted by her father's support but still feeling guilty. Slowly, she walked upstairs, each step heavy with guilt. The upstairs felt like her only escape.

Behind her, her mother called out, "I'm not done with you. We'll talk about this later."

The girl didn't respond. She just kept walking, her thoughts filled with guilt and uncertainty.The father stepped into the bedroom and Said to his wife "Just leave her alone for now," he said gently. "Give her some time, okay?"She turned sharply to him. "Leave her alone? How can you say that? You saw how late she came back. It's not good, right? If we don't scold her, how will she learn? We have to guide her, don't we?"

He sighed, walking over to her and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Listen, my dear queen," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Don't compare her to others or think of what others might say. She's our daughter. She's capable of understanding what's right and wrong. Scolding her every time she stumbles isn't the solution. Sometimes, what they need most is for us to listen first. That's how they grow."

"But—" she started, her voice tinged with both frustration and concern.

He interrupted softly, "If we don't forgive others, how can we expect others to forgive us? Mistakes happen. It's part of growing up. Give her space, and she'll come to us when she's ready."

She frowned, folding her arms. "And now you're giving me moral lessons?" she said, her voice laced with exasperation. "I'm serious about this, and you're trying to make it all sound like an old fairy tale."

He chuckled lightly, guiding her to sit on the bed. "My dear queen, why are you doing this to yourself? Just relax and trust her. She'll be fine."

She sighed, looking down at her hands. "You're always making these situations sound less serious than they are. Don't you understand? I'm upset because I care. I don't want her to make mistakes that hurt her later."

"And I understand that. I do," he replied, his tone softer now. "I'll talk to her tomorrow, I promise. Let's give her tonight to rest. She needs it after whatever she's been through."

For a moment, she didn't say anything, then nodded slowly.

"Good," he said with a smile. "Now, my cutie, my pretty, my beautiful queen—"

"Don't start with that," she interrupted, rolling her eyes but unable to hide a small smile.

"—it's time for you to sleep," he finished, grinning.

She crossed her arms. "I'm not sleeping now."

"Then I'm coming to sleep with you," he said, pulling the blanket over both of them with exaggerated flair.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, laughing softly.

But he just smiled and said, "That's my job."

She lay on his arm, her head resting gently against him as they relaxed in bed. The room was dim and quiet, the only sound coming from their soft breathing.

"She has a holiday tomorrow," she said, breaking the silence, her voice soft but thoughtful. "The school's closed, so I was thinking... maybe we could go out somewhere. Just the three of us."

He glanced at her, a small smile forming on his face. "Going out, huh? That sounds nice. I think I'll have some free time, so why not?"

Her face lit up as she sat up a little, propping herself on her elbow. "Really? Then where should we go? Maybe the park? Or the amusement center? She loves that place. Oh! What about the zoo? She's been asking about that for weeks now."

He chuckled quietly and placed his hand gently on hers. "The zoo? You sure you're ready for all the running around? You know how excited she gets."

She laughed lightly. "Of course! She's a kid—it's normal. Besides, it's been a while since we went anywhere together. I think it'll be fun."

He stared at the ceiling for a moment, his smile softening. "Yeah... it'll be nice to spend some time together. Sometimes, it's good to forget about everything else and just enjoy these moments."

She gave him a teasing smile. "That sounds like an excuse to find a bench and nap while we do all the exploring."

He grinned at her, tilting his head to meet her gaze. "You know me too well. But hey, carrying all the bags is my job anyway. You two can have all the fun."

She rolled her eyes, though her smile didn't fade. "You're impossible sometimes."

The conversation slowed as they relaxed. He glanced at her again. "So... is the zoo settled, then? Or do you have another idea?"

When she didn't reply, he turned to her. "Hey... you still there?"

He saw her eyes were closed, her breathing soft and steady. She had fallen asleep mid-conversation. He adjusted his position slightly and turned to face her, his expression gentle.

"She's still so beautiful," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Just as beautiful as when we first met."

He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and smiled, his eyes lingering on her peaceful expression.

"Goodnight, my queen," he whispered, leaning back as he let sleep take over, the warmth of the moment staying with him as he drifted off.