Lila and Max

Adelaide

Days later, Lila met Adelaide at school, a girl with a shy smile and a sadness that seemed to mirror her own. Adelaide had recently moved to town with her mother, who was struggling to make ends meet and hold onto a job. Her father was never mentioned, leaving a question in Marianne's mind that she knew better than to ask. Lila brought her home after school, eager to introduce her new friend to Comet and to share the joy that the puppy had brought into their lives.

Adelaide's eyes lit up when she saw the bounding ball of fur, and she knelt down, allowing Comet to lick her face enthusiastically. Lila watched them, feeling a sense of kinship with this girl who also knew what it was like to have a piece of their heart missing. As they played, Marianne saw a spark in her daughter she hadn't seen in months - a spark of pure, unfiltered happiness.

Marianne invited Adelaide to stay for dinner, and as they sat around the table, the conversation turned to the usual banter of childhood. Yet, she could see the shadows in Adelaide's eyes, the way her smile never quite reached her soul. Her heart went out to the girl, and she knew that Lila's friendship was a lifeline, a bridge over the turbulent waters of her own unanswered questions.

The evening grew late, and Adelaide's mother came to pick her up, looking frazzled and tired. Marianne offered to help, but the woman waved her off, a sad smile playing on her lips. As they watched her go, Lila took her mother's hand, and Marianne felt a pang of understanding. Her daughter had found a kindred spirit, someone who knew the pain of loss and the yearning for answers that never came.

As the days grew shorter and the leaves turned golden, Marianne saw Lila and Adelaide grow closer. They'd sit for hours, sharing stories and secrets, their laughter a balm to the quiet ache that had settled in Marianne's heart. And though the questions about Max still lingered, they had become part of a larger tapestry of wonder and curiosity.