Chapter 291

Though Verena reached out with all her heart,Marisa remained oblivious, treating her presence as though it were thin air.

Her eyes were vacant, fixed on the pillow clutched in her arms. She murmured again and again, "My little darling,sleep now."

Her voice carried the haze of confusion, yet wrapped in a warmth so deep that the pillow seemed like her pearl of great price-her whole world pressed to her chest.

When Verena heard her mother use a name that only the dearest family had ever spoken, it felt as though an invisible hand seized her heart, stealing the air from her lungs.

She caressed Marisa's time-worn cheek,her own voice breaking even as she tried to keep it tender."Mom, it's me. I'm right here. Look at me."

But Marisa wandered deeper in her muddled realm,deaf to Verena's plea, her lips moving with the same broken refrain. She tightened her hold on the pillow, instinctive,desperate, as though someone might rob her of her child.

Verena's gaze fell on that pillow, and guilt pierced her like a thorn. Had she never been taken away years ago,perhaps her mother would never have fallen to this state.

The thought alone brought tears to her eyes.

Lowering her head, she drew in a deep breath,summoning the courage to reach carefully for the pillow.

Her hand moved with the patience of one handling glass. As she slowly drew the pillow away, her eyes never left Marisa's. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "Mom, this isn't your baby. I'm here-I'm your daughter."

Before she even began to pull it free,dread gnawed at her-would Marisa clutch it back with all her strength?

She feared her mother's grief might only deepen.

Yet, to her astonishment, Marisa did not resist.

Her vacant eyes shifted from the pillow to Verena's face. Slowly, faint light kindled there. Marisa stared, dazed, before whispering in a hoarse tone, "Are you my daughter?"

Verena had not expected such swift belief. She seized Marisa's hand with all her strength, her voicethick with tears. "Mom, it's me. I'm your daughter. I've come back-and I'll never leave you again."

Hearing this, Marisa's anxiety broke loose.Summoning a strength born of longing, she pulled Verena into an embrace so fierce it nearly crushed the breath from her.

Verena did not resist. Though suffocated,she only tightened her own hold in return.

Marisa buried her face in her daughter's shoulder,trembling,sobbing low.

Amidst her tears came anguished words, heavy with guilt. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... It's all my fault. I failed to protect you."

She repeated the lament like a prisoner caught in a cycle with no escape.

Each word was a hammer upon Verena's heart,leaving it bruised and aching. Tears broke loose as she cried with her.

She stroked her mother's back, comforting her gently through sobs. "Mom, it isn't your fault. Don't carry that burden. I'm here now-and nothing will part us again."

Under her comfort, Marisa's sobs began to fade, her body still quivering but slowly loosening.

Yet, as if some hidden switch had been touched,another thought seized her. Her brow furrowed,and she gestured wildly, muttering, "The gifts...I've saved so many special gifts, all for your birthdays. I'll show you."

Her voice brimmed with urgency. Breaking from Verena's arms, she staggered toward the cabinet in the corner, still murmuring, "The gifts... the gifts..."

With trembling hands, Marisa rummaged, scattering items without care, driven only by the search for the treasures she had prepared for her daughter.

But no matter how she searched, nothing appeared.

Confusion clouded her face, and desperation surged in her eyes.

Her knees gave way, and she collapsed with a cry like that of a lost child. "What do I do? The gifts are gone -I can't find them. What do I do? They were for my daughter..."

Verena rushed to her side, her arms reaching out to steady her.

But Marisa thrashed, hands flailing, despair twisting her face.

She rose again, trying to continue the hopeless search.

Verena caught her hands firmly, drawing her back into an embrace, her voice both urgent and soothing."Mom, don't worry. I've already received the gifts.Truly,I have."

Those words rooted Marisa in place. She froze,looking at Verena with trembling doubt. "You...you received them?"

Verena brushed away her mother's tears with her thumb, her gaze brimming with tenderness.

Leaning close, she nodded softly, eyes steady."Yes,I've received them-and I treasure them dearly."

Her sincerity washed over Marisa,calming her storm.

Verena had once believed that blood ties alone could not bridge the gulf of years.

Yet in this moment, she felt how deeply her parents had always held her in their hearts.

The distance she feared had melted away. Marisa's sobs grew faint,though a few hiccupped cries lingered in the silence.

The long storm left her utterly drained, her eyes swollen,her face dazed with weariness.

Verena tended to her gently, as though afraid a careless touch might cause pain.

She eased her mother back onto the bed. Marisa clutched her daughter's hand with desperate strength,as if letting go would mean losing her again.

Verena did not resist. She let her mother hold on with all her might.

Sitting at her side, she smoothed the strands of hair from Marisa's face, speaking softly. "Rest now. It's all behind us. Everything is alright."

Guided by that tender voice, Marisa's breath slowed,her grip weakened, and sleep drew her under at last.

When Verena left the room, her own heart was steadier, as though a burden had finally been lifted.