The living room was enveloped in an awkward silence.


    Everyone was momentarily stunned by the brashness of the young boy''s tone, frozen to the spot.


    M was taken aback. She was certain she hadn''t offended her young cousin, whom she barely knew, so what was the reason for this unexpected hostility?


    "Apologize, young man!" Gina was the first to recover, pulling her son by the ear, facing M with both embarrassment and regret.


    Archie wriggled free, clearly displeased. "Why should I? I called her what you said, ''cousin-inw,'' so what''s the problem?"


    "Archie!" Xavier''s voice was stern, his usually calm demeanor barely holding.


    Sensing his father''s impending wrath, Archie quickly darted behind Felicity, hiding his tall frame as best he could.


    "Aunt, help me!"


    Felicity looked at M''sposed face, then at her brother who was approaching with a stern expression, and finally at her overly lively nephew. It was a tricky situation, and all she could manage was a hesitant, "You really should apologize..."


    Archie rolled his eyes dramatically and dashed past his father into the vi, ignoring all calls to return.


    Xavier followed him inside.


    Listening to the ensuingmotion, Gina felt both mortified and helpless. "I''m really sorry. My son is spoiled and thoughtless. We''ll make sure he learns his lesson. Please don''t take it to heart."


    M forced a smile. "I appreciate it, truly."


    Gina was left speechless.


    Lunchtime arrived.


    After the morning''s chaos, everyone finally gathered around the dining table. The earlier tension from the living room incident still lingered, but Felicity and her brother''s lively conversation soon eased the mood.


    M sat quietly, eating and observing. She couldn''t help but notice the close bond between her mother-inw and her brother and sister-inw. Despite years apart, their reunion was warm and seamless, with no barriers to their conversation, which touched on intriguing stories from their travels and art scenes that even piqued her interest.


    Her father-inw, Conrad, however, seemed to have little to contribute, spending most of the meal serving dishes to Felicity and asionally joining in with a polite smile.


    As for Archie...


    M''s gaze shifted to the opposite side of the table, and she fell silent. Her young cousin sat in a slouched, casual manner, and she couldn''t help but wonder if, without the presence of adults, he might have climbed onto the table itself.


    Noticing her gaze, the boy looked up, a mischievous smile ying on his lips as he mouthed silently, "Cousin-inw."


    She frowned slightly, opting to ignore him. The sight of Archie reminded her of Eugene Montgomery. Despite being of simr age and both attending university, they were worlds apart in character, with Eugene being much more endearing.


    Archie seemed more like a mischievous delinquent.


    Thinking of Eugene, M felt a pang of emotion. Worrying about disrupting his studies, she hadn''t contacted him since the incident. But she had promised to call once she settled abroad, and it wouldn''t be long now.


    After lunch, the older members of the Fontaines, along with Conrad and Felicity, retired to the study for a discussion.


    M took a leisurely walk in the garden to aid her digestion.


    As she strolled, she found herself in the back garden, where a ss conservatory stood a gift from Conrad to Felicity. Even in winter, it housed blooming red roses, exuding a rich and passionate fragrance.


    For seven years, M had watched from the sidelines, at times envying the deep, devoted love and marriage her parents-inw shared.


    But as she met more people, she gradually understood that not everyone gets a fairy-tale ending. Life''s true colors are often painted with shades of regret and separation.


    She pushed open the door and walked inside, letting her fingers brush over the soft, delicate petals of the roses.