The Unveiled Rose

So, I'd have a sweet, thoughtful daughter.

A daughter who'd truly love me.

The thought alone brought an involuntary smile to my face. "I will," I whispered to myself.

Reuben averted his gaze back to his paperwork. "Seems like you haven't had the chance to unpack yet."

I got up. "I'll get to it right away."

...

My bedroom was on the second floor, tucked away in the far east corner.

The room was spacious, even boasting a separate walk-in closet, not to mention the generous lighting and a sizable balcony.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

With the curtains wide open, swathes of sunlight spilled across the bed, casting a cozy warmth throughout.

I didn't immediately start unpacking. Instead, I lay on the bed, soaking in the long-missed tranquility and thinking of my old life deep within my heart.

In that moment, the thought crossed my mind that living this way for the rest of my life wouldn't be so bad after all.

Only after a good rest did I wheel my suitcase into the walk-in closet and swing open the wardrobe doors to hang my clothes, only to find it already full.

Dresses, tees...of all kinds of styles and fashions.

I was stunned for a good while before I closed my suitcase and hurried downstairs, just as Reuben was about to leave. "The room the butler arranged for me seems to be occupied already," I said. Reuben calmly responded, "No, that room was prepared for you."

But I was sure of what I saw. "But there are a lot of clothes in the walk-in closet."

"Oh." Reuben didn't seem surprised. "Joyce was so excited when she heard you were coming. She insisted on dragging me shopping to buy those clothes for you."

That's when I realized the things he said in the living room weren't just pleasantries.

He had already prepared everything I needed but was still worried something might be missing...

That's why he asked.

When Reuben mentioned Joyce, his expression softened. "She's always hoped her mom would one day wear the clothes she picked out."

"But..." I wasn't one for brands, but I knew the clothes he bought were expensive. "It's too much."

Reuben clearly didn't care about the expense. "Consider it your work uniform."

I opened my mouth to protest but ended up saying nothing.

"From today on, you're Joyce's mother," he continued, "And thus, it's only right we take care of your needs, isn't it?"

I hadn't even had the chance to respond.

Reuben had already changed his shoes. "After I pick up Joyce, we'll go out for dinner. Make sure you join us after you're settled in. She'll be happier with you there. I'll send you the address in a bit." With that, he strode out the door, gently closing it behind him.

I watched the door shut, Joyce's little face filling my thoughts.

While choosing the clothes, she must've thought, 'Mom will look beautiful in this.' And, 'Hmm, this set seems perfect for Mom too.'

A wave of indescribable emotion washed over me.

I had been Nigel's mom for five years, yet he'd never shown me this kind of attention.

But Joyce...

We weren't even related by blood, and she was already so considerate of me after a few days of being together.

I turned and made my way back upstairs, placing my own clothes in the bottom drawer of the walk-in closet.

After setting everything up, Reuben sent me the location.

The restaurant was about a half-hour drive away.

I was about to head out directly when a thought struck me.

Joyce had put so much effort into choosing those clothes for me, clearly hoping I'd wear them to meet her.

If I chose not to, she'd surely be disappointed.

On the other hand, if I showed up wearing them, she'd probably be overjoyed, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Imagining such a scene warmed my heart.

I eventually returned to the walk-in closet and carefully picked out an outfit.

Joyce was wearing a pink princess dress, so I chose a silk blouse paired with light-colored pants to match.

Wearing this ensemble and standing beside Joyce would have anyone believe we were mother and daughter at a glance.

After changing, I was about to call a cab when Arlo spoke up, "Mr. Harris instructed me to drive you."

...

I reached the restaurant and was about to look for Joyce in one of the private dining rooms when my phone rang with a call from an unknown number.

I answered reflexively, "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Nigel's parent speaking?"