Chapter 5 Happy Breakfast

After an eventful night, Shahan gets up early in the morning to go through her daily routine of running 2 to 3 kilometers. If there's one thing she loves, it's the feeling of the wind on her face as she pushes her body into the run. Something that started out as a duty for her has quickly turned into a hobby for her. Once she is running, she is able to clear her head. It's one of the few small pleasures she has in her life.

Today she is running longer than usual. She has a lot more of the things that are a burden on her heart to evacuate. The events of the previous day are running through her mind. Like yesterday, the questions keep piling up.

In the meantime, back at the house

Sophie gets up early in the morning with a smile on her face. She is eager to prepare breakfast for Shahan for the first time. She chases after the maids who offer to help, humming to herself.

- Madame, please allow us to help you.

- Why don't you go and rest? I want to prepare something to eat for my little Shahan.

- But, Madam...

- Go away!

She put everything on a tray and went to her daughter's room after finishing what she'd started in the kitchen. She knocked several times, but there was no answer. So she opened the door, and what she saw wiped the smile off her face. In a hurry, she runs to wake up her husband.

- Maximus... Honey, wake up!

- Sophie?

- I went to her room to wake her but there was no one there. Do you think she...

- Is she gone?

- I don't know. Do you think I was too intrusive and she left? Soren told us what they had talked about before their arrival here, so...

Awakened by the strange noises in the house, Soren comes out of his room. He finds his parents looking rather agitated. He looks at them with a questioning look in his eyes.

- What's the matter?

- Soren, she's not in her room...

Aware of the situation, he goes to his little sister's room and does a search.

- Her things are still there, I don't think she left.

Just as they were talking, the front door opened. Shahan had just finished exercising, and as she walked in, she looked up. As she made her way up the stairs, she was greeted by three pairs of astonished eyes.

- Hello...

- You're up so early. We were a little worried that you weren't in your room.

- Um... I usually get up early enough to take a run every day.

- The parents thought that you'd decided to leave the house.

- Ah... Sorry, I'll let you know next time I go out.

Sophie's face lit up again after hearing the young girl's words. Her daughter had just told her indirectly that she wasn't leaving.

- Oh okay, perfect. Go take a shower, honey, I've made you some breakfast. I don't know what kind of breakfast you have in the morning, but I hope you like what I've made.

These words had slowly sent a ripple of warmth through the girl's cold heart without her even realizing it. It was the first time that she'd ever had a meal prepared for her. She looked at Sophie and smiled slightly.

- I'm not picky about what I eat, don't worry.

- It's no problem being picky, the important thing is you like what you eat.

- Right, well... Shall I join you later? I'm going to go get cleaned up.

With a look full of love, Mrs. Williams watches as her daughter goes back to her room. Her little princess had just smiled at her, and she could not be happier. And even though it was small, it was smiling nonetheless.

- Maximus, our daughter has just smiled at me. She is so pretty when she has a smile on her face. Ah, my mother's heart will be in meltdown.

She drags the two men beside her into the dining room to wait for Shahan, once again in a happy mood. Although the others are not in the house, this will be their first family dinner. After a few minutes, the girl arrives in the dining room, and Sophie quickly pulls her into the chair next to her.

- Did you have a good night's sleep? I hope the bed wasn't too uncomfortable for you. If there's anything on your mind, don't be a stranger.

- Everything is perfect, no worries.

- Whatever you say, sweetie. After you, Shahan, I prepared everything myself. Tell me what you think.

Shahan holds her utensils and tastes the yogurt in front of her under Sophie's expectant gaze. Surprised at first, she smiles as she recognizes the ingredients: crunchy granola and caramelized pineapple. Her favorite yogurt flavor. Then she tries a little bit of everything else on the table, and to her surprise, the vast majority of the things on the menu are the things that she likes to eat.

- Well, do you like it? Sophie said with a little bit of anxiety, waiting for Shahan's answer.

- It's my favorite kind of yogurt. She says with a smile and shifts her gaze from the cup of yogurt to the eyes of her mother.

- What?! I like it too! Sophie replies, surprised to have found something that both she and her daughter love so much.

- Seems like it's not just your faces that look alike. Maximus adds, smiling broadly.

Soren watches the interaction between his mother and Shahan, sitting next to his father. He had not seen his mother in such a good mood for a long time. He could not help but smile as he watched the scene unfold before him.

[I'm glad you're finally here, little sister,] he thought.

- Speaking of which, are you planning on doing anything this afternoon?

- No, why? Shahan said as she enjoyed her lunch.

- Would you like to do some shopping with me?

- I...

- If you don't want to, you don't have to say yes.

- No, it's not like that... That's fine by me.

This is the first time it's happened to her. For a long time she'd envied all the daughters who had their mothers by their side. Now her own mother was offering to spend some time with her. First, lunch, and now shopping. Beautiful day to come.