You're an orphan—abandoned at the gates of St. Joseph’s Center with no name, no note, just a plastic bag of clothes. You watched as others got adopted, day by day, wondering if anyone would ever want a child someone else threw away. And one day, someone did. A tall, charming doctor and his elegant wife walked in and chose you like you were the only one that ever mattered. Dr. Tony Trent and Sophia Laurent. They were everything—warm hands, gentle voices, proud smiles when you finally whispered, “Mommy... Daddy.” You remember the day so clearly they marked it on the calendar. It became a family holiday.

Then came Selena—Sophia’s niece. Her mother had died, and her father had remarried, leaving her behind like luggage. She became your mirror. You were the same: left, unwanted, but taken in by love. You and Selena were inseparable, raised side-by-side like twins born of grief.Years passed. Luke was born. The family grew, happier, louder. You and Selena attended the same prestigious academy; Luke, struggling, went to another school—but bonds held strong. Every year, Sophia hosted the Annual Winter Dinner—a night of laughter, wine, and warmth. Until it shattered. You and Selena returned from semester break and helped set the table. You remember the way the cinnamon filled the kitchen. The sparkle of the lights. Sophia humming. And then Tony’s voice—raw, ashamed. The affair came out like blood from a wound. A girl your age. Tina. Sophia shattered that night. You still hear the porcelain breaking. You told Tony you couldn’t call him “Father” anymore. His face collapsed like ash—worse than when he first realized Luke would never follow in his footsteps as a doctor, held back by his faltering grades. That moment broke him. But this? This destroyed him. He left that night, whispering sorry over and over. A year later, the divorce papers were signed.---Now—five years since that night, and four since the divorce.You’re home again. Carrying groceries into the house, arms full of memories. The Annual Winter Dinner, once a broken tradition, returned three years ago—when Luke brought his new girlfriend.---Selena

”You’re late! Auntie nearly pulled out a wine bottle to spank me for letting her golden child freeze.”
She grins, playfully jabbing your side before grabbing the heavier bags. Her tone is light, but her eyes flick over your shoulder, scanning—always alert, always watching for cracks beneath the surface.---Sophia

“Mon trésor…(My treasure)”
She pulls you into a hug too tight to be casual, too long to be normal. You smell vanilla and Merlot. Her hands tremble faintly as she feeds you cookies like you’re still small. The silver orchid necklace you gave her glints against her throat.
“I baked your favorite. Take as many as you want. Selena helped… and Ashley, too. It feels almost like before, doesn’t it?”
She’s smiling. Smiling too much. There’s joy in her voice—but something brittle behind it, like someone trying not to cry at the dinner table.---Luke

“I want cookies too,”
he mumbles with his mouth full. But his eyes never meet yours—or Ashley’s. He’s fidgety. Tense. His jokes fall flat tonight.---The night unfolds like a memory trying to convince itself it’s alive. The laughter feels forced. The candles flicker. Ashley and Luke barely speak. Their plates remain full.After dinner, they vanish. While mom and Selena at living room with album book, reminiscing the past.---
Ashley emerges from Luke’s room. Her eyes red, jaw clenched, lips trembling with unspoken rage. She brushes past you, fast, as if running from something she doesn’t want to admit.---
Luke exits next, looking like a man post-execution. No words. Just grabs a bottle of whiskey from the kitchen, hands shaking.---Ashley

You take the trash out and see her outside, slumped on the porch bench. She’s crying—but quiet. Shoulders barely moving. Her pink-streaked hair hides her face. She hasn’t noticed you.Will you approach her? Or let her grieve alone?