When Rose brought Aunt Addie home. For so long, they had believed they had no living relatives from their mother's side, so discovering that they had an aunt filled them with both joy and curiosity. Rose wasted no time in introducing Daniel to Aunt Addie, and the two quickly warmed up to each other.
Aunt Addie once again explained who she was and how she had been looking for Katherine, unaware of her passing. Though she struggled with her memory, she spoke fondly of the moments she did recall. As she reminisced, Daniel and Rose found comfort in hearing more about their mother from someone who had known her well.
"You remind me so much of her," Aunt Addie said, smiling at Rose. "She was kind, free-spirited, and always full of life."
Daniel nodded in agreement. "That sounds just like Rose. She took after Mom's personality, but she also inherited her looks."
Curious about Aunt Addie's living arrangements, Rose asked, "Where are you staying now?"
"For now, I'm in a hotel," Aunt Addie admitted. "I plan to find a house, but I'm not sure where yet."
Without hesitation, Rose offered, "You should stay with us. There's no need to spend money on a hotel when we have space here."
Aunt Addie immediately shook her head. "Oh no, dear. I don't want to be a burden to you both."
"You wouldn't be," Rose insisted. "You're family, and besides, someone needs to take care of you."
After some convincing, Aunt Addie finally agreed to stay with them. Daniel, ever the practical one, asked about her budget for a house. Once she shared the amount, he began searching for available homes that fit within her range. Meanwhile, Rose went to prepare their meal.
As they sat down to eat, Aunt Addie looked around the modest home and asked, "Why aren't you both living in the Moreau mansion? And what about your older brothers?"
Rose's smile faded slightly. She had known this question would come eventually, and there was no way to avoid it forever. With a deep breath, she finally told Aunt Addie everything—the circumstances that led to her departure from the mansion, how Daniel had followed her, the encounter with their father at the bar, and ultimately, how he had disowned her.
Aunt Addie listened in stunned silence. When Rose finished, her aunt's expression darkened. "That man… marrying someone else just a month after your mother's passing? I knew something was off about him."
The table fell quiet for a moment as everyone processed the weight of the conversation.
After dinner, Daniel offered to help Aunt Addie pack up her things from the hotel and bring them to the house. As they left, Rose sat alone, her mind wandering to thoughts of her older brothers.
Why haven't they reached out? Do they even care what happened to me?
No matter how much she tried to push the thoughts away, the question lingered. And deep down, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.