Luke always aligns his gaze with Bonita’s when having a conversation. There were no exceptions. Thanks to this, right after Bonita asked that question, she could vividly see how Luke’s expression changed. It was a very raw and unfiltered emotion, much like when the second Aria heard the words implying she was a different person. And like when she cried upon hearing the word “Mom” for the first time. Like a stone thrown into a calm puddle, Luke’s face changed that way. The emotions mixed within were too diverse to be expressed differently.

“If it’s about your ‘real’ mom… you’re asking about?”

“Yes.”

Bonita nodded.

“I’m curious about what kind of person my mom was. Oh, of course… the people who have helped me have always been really kind and cheerful. And they’ve often said that I resemble her a lot.”

Luke stood still and took a deep breath. Even if others were surprised and said they looked alike, it was just that. Bonita had never been curious about her foster mother, so Luke hadn’t brought up much about Elodie. He decided that if Bonita ever grew curious about her birth, he would tell her. If she never wondered in her life, he had intended to bury it in his heart alone. Elodie was the most precious person to him in the world, but to Bonita, she was just someone she didn’t even know. So, he had half given up. Luke, who had been playing with the corner of his mouth, eventually asked in a firm tone.

“So, before we write the letter, should we talk about Mom first?”

He tried not to get too excited. He shouldn’t show an exaggerated reaction. He had once displayed his emotions too rawly and made Bonita uncomfortable. He needed to stay calm.

“Sure.”

Luke took Bonita’s hand and slowly walked toward the study. The study already had a simple tea table set up. He hugged Bonita and sat her on the slightly higher sofa. It was the place where Elodie used to sit whenever he worked during the time when the two were dating.

“Luke, when will you finish your work?”

“I want to finish quickly, too, but…”

“Hmm, would it help if I kissed you to encourage you to work harder?”

It was a distant and longing memory. This place hadn’t changed at all since then. The place had intentionally preserved the appearance of when Elodie was alive. Luke handed Bonita a cute heart-shaped cushion.

“This is where Elodie always sat. When I worked, she used to hold this cushion and look at me intently.”

Bonita gripped the cushion with a familiar hand. It wasn’t dirty, but the surface felt a bit worn, as if it had been touched by someone’s hands a lot. When Bonita buried her nose in the cushion and took a deep breath, the scent of sunlight wafted. It was a pleasant fragrance. Bonita urged him,

“Please tell me more.”

“Where should I start?”
“Luke, when will your work be done?”

“I want to finish quickly, too, but…”

“Hmm, if I give you a kiss, will you gain strength and work hard?”

It’s a distant and nostalgic memory.

This place hasn’t changed at all since then.

It was a deliberate result to preserve the appearance of Elodie when she was alive as much as possible.

Luke handed Bonita a cute heart-shaped cushion.

“This is the place where Elodie always sat. When I worked, she used to hold this cushion and look at me intently.”

Bonita gripped the cushion with a familiar touch.

It wasn’t dirty, but the surface felt a bit worn, as if it had been touched by someone’s hands a lot.

When Bonita buried her nose in the cushion and took a deep breath, the scent of sunlight wafted. It was a pleasant fragrance.

Bonita urged him, “Tell me more.”

“Where should I start?”

Luke sat next to Bonita.

As soon as he sat down, the sofa tilted to one side due to the weight.

Bonita’s buttocks slid down smoothly, and naturally, they touched his thighs. Bonita leaned cautiously between Luke and the sofa back.

Luke’s Adam’s apple moved.

“She was a playful person. Even though she was frail, she liked to move around, so people were always worried about her.”

“What kind of pranks did she play?”

“Well…, various ones.”

Luke, recalling the past, chuckled briefly.

“Appearing suddenly from behind… or deliberately teasing people… thinking about it, she had a quite mischievous personality. At least, towards me.”

Listening to those words, Bonita swung her legs back and forth.

“But basically, she was very affectionate and cheerful. If I say she had no wrinkles, is it a difficult expression for you? Anyway, um.”

Luke, who had been explaining at length, suddenly fell silent.

Memories of Elodie were countless and vivid.

However, now that he tried to explain to his daughter, words didn’t come out as if his throat was blocked. He just babbled on.

He felt very pathetic about himself.

It wasn’t a rare occurrence.

Lately, he often thought that he still felt like an immature child.

Handling a child was a difficult task.

“Then, what was good about her? I heard Dad loved Mom very much.”

“Everything.”

Luke said as if exhaling.

“Everything was good. The parts I knew, the ones I discovered when we were together, always.”