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𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗞 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗚 chapter twenty two
That night, as the house settled into its familiar quiet, Celeste sat at her desk, the old diary from Cassandra open before her. The pages, yellowed with time, seemed to pulse with stories of the past, their words almost whispering to her from another world. She felt the weight of them, the histories and secrets woven into the ink. She was exhausted, her eyes heavy, but the urgency of finding answers kept her awake. Each entry revealed another fragment of her family's strange and often tragic legacy, but it felt as though she was uncovering something vital, something she needed to understand.
A knock on her door broke her trance, startling her back to the present. She looked up, her gaze landing on her mom and dad standing in the doorway. Their expressions were soft, a mix of love and concern as they took in the scene of their daughter hunched over a dusty, ancient book.
Her mom stepped forward, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she glanced at the diary. "What are you working on, sweetheart?"
"Just... homework," Celeste replied, her voice steady. She didn't want to worry them with her late-night discoveries, not yet. The time to explain would come, but for now, she just needed to keep reading. Her mom stepped closer, placing gentle hands on Celeste's shoulders, then wrapping her in a warm hug. The gesture was so comforting that Celeste felt her fatigue catch up to her, pulling at her to let go of her quest for the night.
Her mom smiled softly. "I think it's time for bed, don't you? It's getting late."
Her dad nodded in agreement, giving her a look of encouragement. "It'll all be here tomorrow. You can finish up then."
Celeste nodded, though a part of her didn't want to stop just yet. "I will soon. I'm just going to finish this page."
Her parents exchanged a glance, then leaned down, each of them planting a kiss on her head. "We love you," her mom said softly, her voice filled with the kind of warmth only a mother's love can carry.
Celeste looked up at them, her lips curling into a soft, grateful smile. "Every time you say that, I double it."
They smiled back, lingering just a moment longer before quietly leaving the room. As the door clicked shut, Celeste felt the warm glow of their love settle over her like a blanket. For a second, she stared down at the diary, her mind wandering over the legacy of loss and strength written within it. It felt like a part of her was now connected to these women of the past, as if their stories were guiding her forward.
