LAURAN'S ROOM — CONTINUED
Justin: 😊
"Amber Enterprises."
Amber: 😶
"Huh?"
Justin:
"Amber Enterprises & Co." 😊
Amber froze. Her eyes softened, startled, confused, touched.
Amber: ❤️❤️❤️
"...Why?" 🧐
Justin lowered his gaze, fingers brushing the edge of the paper.
Justin:
"I never saw you from birth, Mother…
I didn't know what you looked like.
Everyone told me about you from their perspective.
But I saw you from Dad's point of view."
Amber blinked, breath catching.
Justin: 😊
"For men… when a woman leaves them, even if she explains…
their love usually turns into hatred."
He looked up, eyes glistening but steady.
Justin:
"But when you left… Dad's love never reduced.
Not even by 1%."
Amber's expression trembled.
Justin:
"In fact… he started hating the whole world.
And himself.
Because you left him, Mom."
Amber inhaled sharply.
He called her Mom again—this time with emotion.
Justin:
"You put me in front of the world…
But he put you in front of me, Mom."
A small smile formed on his lips—sad yet warm.
Justin: 😊
"So… not for my sake…
For Dad's sake…
Can you stay, Mother?"
Amber's eyes widened.
Nobody… had ever spoken about her like this.
Amber: 😶
"I never knew…
I was that important to someone."
Her voice cracked softly.
"So much…" 🥰
Justin slid his small hand into hers, gripping gently yet firmly.
Justin: 😊
"Your existence matters, Mother.
Everyone wants you…
Everyone needs you."
He held her hand tighter.
Justin: 🥰
"So please stay with us.
I'll try my best… my very best…
to protect you from this dark world."
Amber froze.
A memory struck her like lightning—
---
FLASHBACK — AMBER'S MOTHER
Amber's mother lay on the ground, bloodied and fading.
Amber's mother: 🥰
"Looks like… I need to leave you, darling…"
Little Amber, covered in dirt, shook her head violently.
Little Amber: 😭
"M-Mom, no!"
Her mother's trembling hand brushed Amber's cheek.
Amber's mother:
"I tried… my level best…
to protect you from this dark world, Amber…"
A weak smile.
A tear.
Amber's mother:
"But someone… someday…
will protect you."
Her hand fell.
Her eyes closed.
Amber's mother:
"Until then… stay strong, d—"
Her voice ended.
Little Amber: 😨
"MOM!!"
---
BACK TO PRESENT
Amber stared at Justin's small hand wrapped around hers.
The hand that promised—
to protect her.
Just like her mother once said someone would.
Her eyes filled, throat tightening.
For the first time in her life…
Amber felt what being loved by family truly meant.
---continue