Five-year-old Lynette opened her eyes to the faint sunlight.
Before her, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling, warm-colored wooden walls, and a cozy scent enveloping her in the blanket.
But…
"Mommy?"
Lynette rubbed her eyes, sat up, and looked around. In the guest room, she was alone, but from outside the door, she could hear Ethan and his siblings making noise.
"Mommy… Daddy…?"
Whispering with a hoarse voice, she kicked off the blanket, and got out of bed.
'If I open the door and go outside, will Mommy and Daddy be there?'
'Are they thinking about where to go next?'
But the moment she left the room, an unfamiliar scene overwhelmed her.
Lynette didn't know exactly where she was. But she knew how she got there.
The night before, as she fell asleep in her parents' arms, they entered a house. When she woke up in a daze, her parents were whispering something in quiet voices. Even in the darkness, their warm touch enveloped her.
After that, she fell into a deep sleep, and when she woke up in the morning, her parents were not by her side.
"They were… right next to me…"
Lynette steeled her watery eyes and clenched her small fists. Lynette didn't cry for one reason: there was a staircase at the end of the hallway outside the room.
Little Lynette carefully descended the stairs.
But unfortunately, the voices coming from downstairs were not those of the people she knew.
"Ah, you're awake!"
"Did you sleep well, young lady?"
Unfamiliar people were looking at her with bright faces.
In front of the fireplace, a middle-aged man was holding a newspaper, smiling softly, and in the kitchen, a woman with her hair tied back was placing freshly baked, warm bread on the dining table.
Their faces were filled with a warm welcome. But her parents were nowhere to be seen among the adults.
Lynette's heart sank.
As she stood frozen on the stairs, unable to move, several small footsteps rushed towards her.
"Wow, a girl!"
"She's smaller than us! How old are you?"
Children with brown hair surrounded Lynette as they ran out from under the stairs.
The oldest boy approached first and said.
"I'm Ethan. What's your name?"
Next to him stood two children with similar faces.
"I'm Luca!"
"I'm Mila!"
Behind them, the youngest girl followed and said.
"I'm, Flan!"
Ethan pointed to the precocious boy next to his father. He was the only one who hadn't run over.
"He's George."
The siblings surrounded Lynette without any reservations and welcomed her. They waited for her to come down the stairs, looking at her with curious eyes. But Lynette couldn't move.
She just rolled her eyes, searching desperately for her parents among the children. She thought if she looked hard enough, her parents might appear from somewhere, like the children had, and call out to her.
But no matter how much she searched with her eyes, she couldn't see them. Lynette's small shoulders trembled.
"Mommy… Daddy…?"
A faint voice escaped her. Ethan and the other children suddenly stopped and looked at her.
Tears welled up in Lynette's eyes, no longer able to be held back.
"Where did you go…?"
Her voice trembled more and more. Her small hands trembled as she tightly gripped the hem of her skirt.
Tasha watched from the kitchen, then immediately wiped her hands, pushed past the children, and climbed the stairs.
But Lynette couldn't hold back any longer. She sat down right there and covered her face with both hands.
"Mommy… Daddy…"
Being alone in an unfamiliar house with unfamiliar people, and not seeing her parents, frightened Lynette so much that she burst into tears.
The Liberon family looked at her with surprised and bewildered faces.
Halton, no longer able to focus on his newspaper, had deep sympathy in his eyes. Tasha carefully approached and stroked her back.
"Sweetie."
Lynette covered her face with both hands, unable to even see Tasha's face, and couldn't stop crying.
"Where… where are my Mommy and Daddy?"
Her small, trembling voice choked out between sobs. The Liberon couple briefly met each other's eyes and then pressed their lips together.
Ethan, watching this, was puzzled.
'Why aren't her parents answering her?'
But right now, the more important thing was the trembling child in front of him.
"Don't cry."
Ethan climbed the stairs without hesitation.
With a gentle touch, familiar from caring for his younger siblings, he patted her back and said.
"It's okay. Mommy and Daddy will be here soon."
He spoke quite reassuringly, in place of the Liberon couple.
The younger siblings hushed at the sound of the unfamiliar child's crying, but the eldest was different.
"…You must have been very scared."
Tasha stroked Ethan's cheek briefly, expressing her gratitude, as she gently soothed the crying child in her arms.
"It's okay, sweetie. It's okay."
A gentle hand stroked her back.
Lynette initially tried to push her away, but soon she gave in to the warm embrace.
"Mommy… Daddy…"
Tasha carried Lynette back into the room. As the door closed, and they were left alone, Tasha patted the child and held her quietly until Lynette's sobs subsided.
Then her gaze turned to the side table.
There lay a small locket. Tasha carefully picked it up and placed it in Lynette's hand.
"Sweetie, your parents had a sudden emergency and asked us to take care of you for a while."
Lynette, with tear-swollen eyes, looked at the locket in her hand.
"But they'll be back soon."
The child was still sobbing, but her cries were more subdued than before. Tasha wiped Lynette's tears and whispered gently.
"If you wait, you'll see them again."
Even so, Lynette's tears didn't stop easily. She hugged the locket tightly and sobbed, her small shoulders shaking.
At that moment, Tasha noticed Ethan peeking into the room through the crack in the door. Helplessness filled his face, showing he didn't know what to do.
Tasha smiled quietly and gestured to him.
"Ethan, could you bring some water?"
Thinking his mother might scold him, Ethan shook his head vigorously and said.
"Yes, I understand."
He hurriedly left the room and headed to the kitchen.
As his footsteps faded, Tasha readjusted Lynette in her arms, holding her like a baby, and whispered softly.
"Sweetie, everyone here wants to see you. When you feel calmer, would you like to meet them?"
She embraced the small child in her arms even tighter, hoping to comfort her even a little.
Tasha's hand slowly stroked the child's back.
"Shhh—"
With a quiet whisper, Lynette's small shoulders gradually lowered. Gradually, the child relaxed under the rhythmic patting.
"Mommy…"
Lynette murmured faintly, then fell silent, breathing softly in Tasha's arms.
As a mother who had raised five children, she was familiar and skilled at soothing a child.
When Lynette's even breathing was heard, Tasha smiled slightly. At that moment, careful footsteps were heard outside the door.
It was Ethan.
He entered the room, holding a glass of water.
Tasha looked at Lynette in her arms and put her finger to her lips for Ethan to see.
"Shhh."
When Ethan saw that, he nodded quietly. Slowly moving, he placed the glass of water on the side table.
Fortunately, even with his small movements, Lynette was asleep, her body only moving slightly with her soft breaths.
Tasha smiled.
Seeing her expression, Ethan unconsciously smiled back, and like a good boy, he closed the door and left.
At the dining table, Halton had finished preparing the meal. The children were busy taking their seats and picking up their spoons.
"How is the child?"
Halton asked quietly, looking at Tasha's empty seat. Ethan answered his father's question.
"Mother put her to sleep."
"I see."
Halton looked at the children in front of him.
He was already raising five children, but as of today, that number had increased by one. He spoke in a gentle voice so the children wouldn't be anxious about the earlier commotion.
"Children. From now on, that child will be living with us."
The twins, Luca and Mila, looked at each other with sparkling eyes.
"Really?"
"We have a new family member?"
"I trust you'll all do well. Treat her like a new sibling and take good care of her."
Luca and Mila excitedly tapped their chairs.
On the other hand, George, the fourth child, frowned.
"She was so noisy because she's a baby…"
Flan, the youngest, was the most excited.
"Great! Does that mean I'm going to be a big sister?"
Flan bounced excitedly.
"I'm going to give her my doll!"
"Before that, eat your food, Flan."
Halton chuckled and calmed her down as Ethan quietly watched the scene and nodded.
'So, I have another younger sibling.'
That was all he thought.
During the afternoon, while the children were playing outside, Tasha stayed by Lynette's side until she woke up.
Sunlight was streaming softly through the window.
"Mmm…"
The small body moved as Lynette slowly opened her eyes.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt a different soft touch than in the morning. It was a warm and cozy embrace.
Lynette, upon waking, momentarily flinched and tensed, but the touch that enveloped her was so gentle that she couldn't help but cling to it.
"Sweetie, are you awake?"
Tasha hugged her tightly and whispered softly. Lynette couldn't say anything and burrowed into her embrace.
Tasha carefully picked up a glass of water and handed it to Lynette.
"Drink some water."
Lynette slowly took the water and drank. Her small hand tightly gripped the glass.
After drinking the water, Lynette's stomach rumbled.
"You must be hungry."
Then, she stood up with Lynette in her arms.
Lynette looked up at her in surprise, but Tasha carried her out of the room as if it were nothing.
"Let's go downstairs."
"…"
Lynette, remembering the scene from earlier, buried her face in Tasha's embrace. But the soft warmth that enveloped her was so comforting that she unconsciously nodded.
Tasha carried Lynette in her arms and slowly descended the stairs that the child hadn't been able to go down earlier.