Chapter 252: chocolate cake
Anna spoke up quickly.
"We haven’t done any drawings these days."
She stood from her seat and walked over.
"Come on, let’s go check out your new crayons."
Before Aimy could protest, Anna scooped her into her arms and headed upstairs.
"Aunt Anna—"
Her voice faded as they disappeared up the staircase.
I released a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
The living room suddenly became eerily quiet.
Aunt Margaret and Aunt Veronica exchanged a look.
Almost immediately, Aunt Margaret stood up.
"I need to check on something in the kitchen. I’ll be right back."
Without waiting for a response, she headed toward the kitchen on the left side of the mansion.
For a while, neither Aunt Veronica nor I spoke.
Then she quietly moved to the couch beside me.
"Alicia."
I looked up.
"Are you alright?"
Her brows were slightly furrowed with concern.
I hesitated before nodding.
"I’m fine."
Aunt Veronica sighed softly.
"Alicia, you know you don’t have to keep everything to yourself, right?"
She paused.
"I know we’ve been absent from your life for many years, but—"
"It’s not your fault that you couldn’t find me, Aunt."
I cut her off gently.
"Please don’t blame yourself."
Her expression softened.
"I know."
She reached over and held my hand.
"I know that."
"But we’ve already lost so many years."
Her voice grew quieter.
"And sometimes it feels like we barely know what you’ve been through."
I lowered my gaze.
"You might not be ready to talk about her father yet," she continued carefully, "and I understand that."
"But it can’t stay hidden forever."
My fingers tightened slightly.
"One day, Aimy will want to know the truth."
I remained silent.
When I first found them and came to Rosewood Town, I never told them about Alexander.
They knew I had been married.
They knew Aimy had a father somewhere.
But I never gave them a name.
Rosewood Town wasn’t in the same region as Velaridge City.
In fact, it was the same reason they had lost contact with my mother years ago after she married my father and left town with him.
Back then, I had been in such a terrible state that I couldn’t bring myself to talk about any of it.
And later...
I simply didn’t want to remember.
So I never said anything.
Aunt Veronica squeezed my hand gently.
"You never told us much about your adoptive parents either."
I looked down at our joined hands.
"And we respected that."
Her voice remained patient.
"We never wanted to force you."
She paused.
"But sometimes sharing the burden makes it easier to carry."
A faint smile touched my lips.
"If only it were that simple."
Aunt Veronica studied me for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"I won’t push you."
Relief washed through me immediately.
"But promise me something."
I looked at her.
"When the day comes that you’re ready to talk..."
She squeezed my hand once more.
"You won’t carry it alone."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I nodded slowly.
"Alright."
Aunt Veronica smiled.
And although the conversation ended there, I couldn’t stop thinking about her words.
One day, Aimy would want answers.
One day, she would ask about her father.
And when that day came...
I wasn’t sure if I would be ready.
The next day was a Saturday.
Anna and I woke up early to work out, just as we always did on weekends.
We left the mansion dressed in comfortable yoga clothes and walked toward the community gym where many of the women in town trained in the mornings.
The air was cool and fresh.
A thin layer of mist still lingered over the streets as the town slowly came to life.
Along the way, we passed several familiar faces.
"Good morning, Alicia."
"Morning, Anna."
"Good morning, Mrs. Dawson."
We exchanged greetings naturally.
Rosewood Town wasn’t very large.
Most people knew one another, and even those they didn’t know personally were usually familiar faces.
We passed a group of young men also heading for work out.
"Who are they staring at?" I heard Anna’s teasing voice.
Instinctively, I turned around and locked gazes with one of them.
His face immediately turned crimson while the others burst out laughing.
I quickly looked away, feeling uncomfortable.
My yoga leggings were a little tight, even though I had a hoodie on over them.
Anna noticed and continued teasing me the entire way.
As we approached the gym, the sounds of laughter and conversation became clearer.
Several women were already there stretching while others finished their morning jog around the field.
"You’re late today."
An older woman teased as soon as she spotted us.
Anna laughed.
"We’re only five minutes late."
"That’s late."
The woman folded her arms dramatically, making everyone around her laugh.
We joined the group and began warming up.
The workout lasted almost an hour.
By the end of it, everyone was slightly sweaty and breathless.
After a short break, we moved to the grassy field behind the gym where the weekly outdoor yoga session was held.
The morning sun had fully risen by then.
A gentle breeze drifted through the field, carrying the scent of grass and flowers.
For a while, the only sounds were the instructor’s calm voice and the rustling leaves overhead.
I closed my eyes during one of the breathing exercises.
For a moment, my mind felt free.
Free from all the worries.
Free from work.
There was only the cool breeze brushing against my skin.
When the session finally ended, everyone rolled up their mats and gathered in small groups.
Some chatted about work.
Others talked about their children or upcoming community events.
We stayed for a while before beginning the walk back home.
The town was much livelier now.
Small shops had opened their doors.
Farmers were loading trucks with fresh produce.
Several children rode bicycles along the roadside while older residents sat outside their homes enjoying the morning sunshine.
A familiar bakery near the town square filled the air with the scent of freshly baked bread and pastries.
We stepped inside to buy a few treats.
My eyes scanned the display case until they landed on something familiar.
White chocolate cake.
