[Draven].
Dennis and I stepped inside and shut the door behind us.
Mother was sitting at the edge of her bed, a book open in her lap. Her eyes lifted slowly—dark, soft, and confused.
The confusion deepened the longer she stared at us, as if her mind was trying and failing to arrange pieces of a puzzle.
She still looked impossibly young—pale, smooth skin, with not a wrinkle in sight. She had barely aged a day.
Sometimes I wondered if it was a blessing or something far darker woven into her bones.
"Mother," I said quietly.
Her head jerked slightly, as if the sound of my voice snapped something into place. She shut the book immediately and stood, her steps quick and unsteady as she came toward me.
"Draven?" she whispered.
I stiffened. She had recognized me earlier than usual, only by my voice, which was a big surprise and improvement.
"Yes," I answered.
She touched my cheeks with trembling fingers, then wrapped her arms around my torso. I held her gently, careful not to startle her.
When she finally pulled back, her gaze slid past me to Dennis. And the moment shattered.
Her brows drew together in confusion. "Draven... who is he?"
Behind me, Dennis inhaled sharply. I felt it in the air, the tension that seized him like a blow. But I quickly tried to smooth the atmosphere.
"This is your second son," I said evenly. "Dennis."
Immediately, her expression hardened. She shook her head, frowning. "I only have a daughter and one son."
Dennis looked away, his jaw clenched so tight I could feel the anger rolling off him. And just then, he moved, ready to leave the room, but I reached back quickly and caught his wrist.
I wasn’t letting him leave just like that, without even a try.
"No," I told her gently. "You had another son after me."
I didn’t say "before your illness consumed you," as it would only ignite the storm I was trying not to raise.
Her eyes flicked between us—confused, searching, unravelling. "Really?" she whispered.
I nodded once.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, she stepped away from me and approached Dennis. Her posture was unsure, fragile—like she was approaching a stranger she wasn’t certain she wanted to know.
Then, she stopped in front of him, looking up at his face as if something might click into place. And Dennis... He stood perfectly still.
But I could feel everything—anger, hurt, and longing clashing inside him like a war he couldn’t control.
Finally, Mother’s fingers brushed his cheeks—slow, searching, as if she were digging through memories she no longer possessed.
Her brows furrowed, her eyes narrowing as she peered into him. Then she said quietly, "He looks so much like that man."
My jaw twitched. ’I also look like Father.’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
But before I could say anything, she pulled her hands away abruptly. Her expression twisted with confusion, then frustration.
"How come I can’t feel it?" she murmured, voice cracking at the edges.
A warning curled down my spine. "Feel what, Mother?" I asked carefully.
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