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Ties That Bind

Author: Sarah Ovvens
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-21 17:14:42

“You didn’t tell me, where’s their father?” Xavier asked again.

He noticed a look in Leila’s eyes—something deeper than the words she was saying. It was as if the pain she carried wasn’t just from a stranger’s story. It felt personal and intimate, and it pulled at him in a way he couldn’t explain.

“He’s living his life, unaware of his two children,” Leila replied, her answer vague.

Xavier could tell she didn’t want to talk about the man, so he said, “He must be pretty irresponsible.”

“I think so too,” Leila said, nodding.

“You must love Zane and Alana a lot,” Xavier said.

“I’ve raised them with love,” Leila continued, her voice soft but filled with emotion. “Everything I do, I do for them. They’re my whole life.”

Xavier felt a strange admiration for her in that moment. Here was a woman who had taken on the responsibility of two lives, with no one to share that weight. He looked down, feeling an unfamiliar tightness in his chest.

“I have a sister too,” Xavier said, breaking the silence
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