Revenge is Best Served… After Reborn

As Fiona spoke, a touch of sadness colored her words. Her mom had always said that the locket she wore was a gift from her uncle when she was just a baby. But deep down, she knew it was actually from Mr. Aldridge. "Your mom's right," Mr. Aldridge had once told her. "Take care of your precious things. Until you're old enough to look after them yourself, it's best not to show them around."

"Okay! I remember everything you said, Mr. Aldridge!" Fiona chimed in eagerly.

Outside the garden, Rover barked, breaking the gentle silence. Fiona glanced towards the gate, feeling a bit disappointed. She knew that bark-it was Rover, her brother's trusty pal, signaling that her mom was searching for her. "Mr. Aldridge, will we only see each other again next year?" she asked, a note of longing in her voice.

"Yes," he nodded.

Gordon held out his pinky finger to Fiona. "This is our little secret, Fiona. Do you remember what you promised me?"

"I remember," Fiona replied, linking her pinky with his. "I promised Uncle Gordon that it's our secret, and I won't tell Mommy."

"Good."

Gordon gently tousled Fiona's hair. "Off you go now."

Fiona cast a reluctant glance back at Gordon as her mom's voice called her name. With a heavy heart, she turned and left the garden. The wind chimes jingled softly as she closed the door behind her. "Fiona!" Sophie called as she stepped into the flower garden. Fiona dashed over, "Mommy!"noveldrama

"Why did you wander so far?" Sophie asked, wrapping her arms around Fiona. "Don't go so far with Rover by yourself again, okay?"

""I understand!"

Seeing Fiona's obedience, Sophie hugged her tighter and led her towards the garden exit. Fiona stole one last look at the house.

She remembered when she was five,

her parents had brought her to meet Mr. Aldridge for the first time. She'd gotten lost in the garden back then, and it was Mr. Aldridge who had gently guided her back to her parents. ,

s won

Mr. Aldridge didn't like being called uncle, so he insisted she stick to Mr. Aldridge. Fiona couldn't quite grasp е

why Mr. Aldridge was around but never wanted to see her mom, just as she didn't understand why her

mom visited every year ever

stepped inside the small

the garden.

in

That evening, as the grown-ups at the party chatted about things she couldn't comprehend, James slipped outside for a smoke. Over the past seven years, smoking had become his go-to stress relief.

Rover, tail low, ambled over to

James and looked up at him. James

glanced down at Rover and

chuckled. The golden retriever had always kept its distance before but now it nudged the hand holding his cigarette.

"Sophie calls you Rover. I wonder if it means what I think it does."

This world is full of mysteries and miracles.

"Sometimes I wish life had a reset button..."

But those were just dreams. What's lost never comes back, and the pain and hurt can't be wiped away. Time just dulls the edges. Dreams, after all, must come to an end eventually. Joseph and The Silent Shadows had shown him that truth more times than he could count.

Rover settled beside James, watching the moonlight with him. If he had one regret, it was not having the chance to say sorry to his unborn child. As a dad... he really hadn't measured up.