Yelena took a slow sip from her glass, the cold bile rich and tangy on her tongue. She held it in her mouth for a moment, savoring it, before swallowing with a soft sigh.
Her eyes lingered on the surface of the drink as she gently set it down. A wistful smile crept onto her lips, a private little thing that wasn't meant for anyone else.
She hadn't expected this day to come. The day she would sit down like this and talk to Charlotte, not as her little girl who still reached for her in the night, but as someone growing older, someone who deserved the truth.
A truth Yelena had carried quietly for years. It made her realize just how fast time had passed, how quickly her little girl had grown. And now, there was no avoiding it. No more sidestepping.
It was time.
She leaned forward slowly, her elbows resting on her knees, hands folded together, her expression softening.
