Olive's joy was a wonderful sight as she rushed to embrace her mother. The room seemed to light up with her happiness, their reunion a bittersweet moment amid the heavy atmosphere. Scarlett returned her daughter's hug, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and longing.
"I missed you so much," Olive said, her voice shaking.
Scarlett's gaze lingered on Olive, her heartache apparent. "I missed you too, sweetpea. I'm so sorry I missed your birthday."
Olive shook her head. “Evie helped me celebrate. They even recorded it, so you can look back and see everything that happened!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Scarlett said breathlessly.
As they held each other, Scarlett's eyes found mine. "Evie, thank you for taking care of her."
I offered a soft smile, though my anxiety about the situation remaine
