Aria’s POV
My hands were still shaking slightly. From the shock. From the rage simmering just beneath my skin. From the sight of those bruises on Lilith’s arm.
I forced myself to breathe. To focus on what needed to be done right now.
Lilith first. Everything else could wait.
I grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink. Found clean clothes in Lina’s drawer—a soft pink t-shirt and cotton pants that would be too small for Lilith but better than nothing.
When I returned to the bathroom, Lilith was sitting in the tub. The water had turned slightly gray from the dirt on her skin. Her hair hung in wet tangles around her face.
She looked so small.
So fragile.
Nothing like the spoiled, bratty child I remembered.
"Come on." I held up a towel. "Let’s get you dried off."
She stood slowly. Stepped out of the tub. Let me wrap the towel around her without protest.
So different from before. When she would have screamed if I tried to touch her. Would have called for Celestia instead.
I dried her off gently. Careful around the bruises. There were more than I’d initially seen. Dark marks on her upper arms. A yellowish one on her shoulder. A fresh red mark on her ribs.
My jaw clenched.
"Here." I handed her the clean clothes. "Put these on. They might be a little small but—"
"They’re perfect." Lilith’s voice was small. Grateful. "Thank you, Mommy."
The word still felt strange. Foreign. Like it belonged to someone else.
But I pushed that feeling down. Buried it deep.
She needed me right now. That was all that mattered.
Lina appeared in the doorway. Still clutching her unicorn. Her dark hair messy from being woken up. Those black-gold eyes—Kael’s eyes—watching everything with quiet curiosity.
"Is she okay?" Lina whispered.
"She will be." I smoothed Lilith’s damp hair. "Come on. Let’s go to the living room. I need to put medicine on those bruises."
We settled on the couch. Lilith in the middle. Me on one side with the first aid kit. Lina on the other side, watching with wide eyes.
I opened the kit. Found the arnica cream. The stuff that helped with bruising.
"This might be cold." I warned Lilith. "But it’ll help."
She nodded. Held out her arm.
I applied the cream gently. Carefully. My hands steady even though my insides were churning with rage.
Lina leaned closer. Peered at the bruises with concern.
"Does it hurt?" Her voice was soft. Kind.
Lilith looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time.
I could see her taking in the details. The dark hair. The delicate features. The similarity in their ages—though Lilith was older.
Something flickered across Lilith’s face. Confusion. Hurt. Something else I couldn’t quite name.
"Mommy."
The word made me freeze.
"Yes?"
Lilith’s voice was small. Fragile. "Is this... is this also your child?"
My throat tightened.
I kept my eyes on her arm. On the careful application of cream. Didn’t look up.
"Yes." The word came out steady. Calm. "Lina is also my daughter."
Silence.
Heavy. Suffocating.
Then: "Is that why you left?"
The question hit like a physical blow.
I looked up. Met Lilith’s eyes.
They were filled with tears. With pain. With the kind of betrayal only a child could feel.
"Did you have a new baby?" Her voice cracked. "Is that why you didn’t want me anymore? Because you had her instead?"
"No." The word burst out. Sharp. Fierce. "No, Lilith. That’s not what happened at all."
I set down the cream. Turned to face her fully.
"I left because your father took you away from me." Each word was deliberate. Measured. "He won custody. He got the lawyers and the court orders and everything legal that said you belonged with him."
Lilith’s bottom lip trembled.
"And you..." I swallowed hard. "You told me you didn’t want to come with me. Remember?"
"They lied." She sobbed. "Everything they said was a lie. And now... now they don’t want me anymore either. And I thought... I thought maybe you didn’t want me because you had a new daughter. A better one."
The pain in her voice was unbearable.
I pulled her into my arms. Held her tight.
"That’s not true." I whispered into her hair. "That’s not true at all."
She cried harder. Her whole body shaking against mine.
I just held her. Let her get it all out. All the pain and fear and confusion she’d been holding in.
Finally, her sobs quieted. Turned into hiccups. Then just shaky breathing.
I pulled back slightly. Made her look at me.
"Lilith." My voice was gentle but firm. "If you still want me to be your mother—if you’re willing to try again—then you and Lina are both my daughters. Both of you. Equally."
Her eyes went wide.
"But." I continued. "That means no more tantrums. No more being cruel. No more of the behavior from before. If we’re going to be a family, we all have to try. Okay?"
She nodded frantically. "Okay. I promise. I’ll be good. I’ll be so good."
I turned to Lina.
My sweet, gentle Lina. Who’d been sitting quietly through all of this. Who could have been jealous or angry or upset about suddenly having to share her mother.
But she wasn’t.
She was smiling.
A big, bright smile that lit up her whole face.
"You have a sister!" She bounced slightly on the couch. "I have a sister! A real big sister!"
She grabbed Lilith’s hand. Held it tight.
"We’re going to be best friends!" Lina declared. "And we can share my room! And my toys! And we can play together all the time!"
Lilith stared at her. Shock written all over her face.
Then, slowly, a small smile appeared.
Tentative. Fragile. But real.
"Really?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Really!" Lina nodded enthusiastically. "Come on! I’ll show you all my stuffed animals! You can pick which one you want to sleep with tonight!"
She tugged Lilith’s hand. Pulled her up from the couch.
"This is Mr. Whiskers—he’s the wise one. And this is Princess Sparkle—she’s the prettiest. And this is Sir Fluffington—"
Their voices faded as they disappeared down the hallway toward Lina’s room.
I sat there.
Alone in the living room.
Processing everything that had just happened.
My hands clenched into fists.
They would pay for this.
Both of them.
I didn’t know how yet. Didn’t know what I would do. But they would absolutely, definitely pay for what they’d done to Lilith.