Cute? What a strange and bizarre question.
She shook her head, brows furrowed in confusion.
"No, not really. Except for my father."
Her countenance shifted, quickly overtaken by melancholy and bitterness.
The atmosphere thickened, weighed down by the heaviness of her words. Marin and his sister, Marilyn, sensed it instantly and tactfully kept quiet.
The silence stretched, deep and uncomfortable.
After a while, Gloria seemed to collect herself, brushing off the gloom like dust from her shoulders.
"Alright, enough talk. Is there anything that can help me regain my strength quicker? Some herbs? Maybe even a blessing?"
Marin shook his head, not out of outright denial, but as more of a subtle expression—hesitation, perhaps.
He spoke, measured and calm.
"Well, I do have some potions I brought with me."
"Then—"
"But I'm really wondering if I should give them to you."
His eyes narrowed with deliberate intent.
Gloria coughed awkwardly, then forced a smile as she spoke.
