"Son, is there something you need?" Maria smiled faintly at Alaric.
She had the same loving smile she always had, but something was a bit different about her today. Alaric could see a tinge of sadness and anxiety in her eyes.
Alaric pretended that he didn't notice anything and greeted her with a smile. "I just want to check on my pregnant mother and see how she is doing."
Maria's eyes faltered upon hearing this. She let out a soft sigh and muttered. "But I am not your…"
Before she could continue her words, Alaric gently hugged her and whispered in a quivering voice. "You will always be my Mom. That will never change."
Maria had always treated him like her own son and she had never despised him for this even once.
With the sacrifices she made and the silent pain she endured all these years, Alaric couldn't even begin to imagine it.
Unknowingly, tears slid down from the corners of his eyes. Maria's selfless actions made him emotional.
