Confusion clouded my thoughts.

In my memories, following my mother's departure, my father's demeanor towards me cooled significantly, and he never spoke of her. Any attempt I made to bring her up would meet with his anger.

Consequently, when Marley, his new wife, decided to sell many of my mother's possessions, my protests were ignored, and my father would scold me.

Initially, I was puzzled by his actions. It wasn't until he shared the full story of my mother's time in the Thorn Edge Pack that I began to understand.

My father had mistakenly believed my mother to be an evil witch who restored his eyesight by taking the lives of others. During that time, he harbored a profound animosity towards her. This sense of disgust extended to me as her daughter as well.

Thus, I assumed that during my absence from the Silver Ridge Pack, any of my mother's remaining items would have been discarded without my intervention.

The items that were sold might have been recoverable, but if he had thrown them away, I wouldn't have had any opportunity to retrieve them. That was why I had no intention of visiting my mother's room when I returned to the Silver Ridge Pack. I didn't want to dwell on those painful memories from the past, which could further strain the relationship between my father and me.

The idea that he might have preserved her belongings never crossed my mind.

What a revelation!

“Ahem!" My father cleared his throat, seeming to grapple with his thoughts. He appeared somewhat embarrassed as he said, “Those were your mother's last remnants. I couldn't bring myself to be that cruel.”

Yet, I felt compelled to question further. "But didn't Marley sell some of mother's things?"

My father responded, "Marley mostly sold off jewelry, some of which she took without my consent. As for why I didn't stop her from selling them, it was mostly because I still held resentment towards your mother at that time. I harbored animosity towards her for hiding her true identity from me and for being involved with the man in the black cloak. After some time had passed, I reflected on the situation and ultimately decided to retrieve everything that Marley had sold.

I returned all those items to your mother's room, restoring it to its original state and ensuring Marley couldn't access it again."

Hearing this brought a smile to my face. “Dad, I'm relieved you reconsidered."

“Well, if you're interested in learning more about witches, you can explore your mother's room. There might be something useful there for you to discover. I'll take the children out."

My father gestured for someone to clear the fallen branch before the house before he and the kids headed out.

Alone, I ventured into the room my mother once occupied.

As I entered her room, a hint of mustiness greeted me.

The room remained exactly as I remembered it, unchanged. There was hardly any difference, not even a speck of dust. It was evident that it was cleaned regularly.

It was my father who had ensured the room was kept clean all these years.

Looking around, I took in every detail of the room, each piece of furniture sparking a sense of wonder.

Despite the passing of many years and the long absence from my mother's presence, I couldn't shake off a feeling of astonishment as I looked upon this familiar scene. It was as if my mother stood before me, her smile mirroring the one etched in my memories.

“Mom.

I whispered, emotion swelling in my throat.