The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 1813

After saying this, little Lea bounced up and down, leading her mom outside by the hand.

Only Ellinor and Marlinie were left in the hospital room, exchanging awkward glances.

Marlinie was the first to break the silence. Her voice was incredibly gentle as she smiled and said, "Ellinor, you probably... don't remember me, do you?"

Ellinor simply stared at her mother, not saying a word.

Marlinie sighed in self-reproach. "I'm the one who should apologize. I've left you alone all these years and only found you now... I'm sorry..."

Ellinor watched as her mother's tears fell. Her own eyes reddened as she stared at the bandage on her mother's forearm, asking, "How did you get hurt? Is it serious?"

Marlinie was taken aback. She looked down at her own wound and shook her head. "No, it's nothing too serious."

Ellinor looked into her mother's eyes. Her emotions were a complicated mix of bitterness and love. She was no longer a child, so it seemed she couldn't just throw herself into her mother's arms anymore.

"Two days ago, when Bertha invited me to come see you, why didn't you show up? Were you hiding from me?" Ellinor's voice was trembling slightly.

Marlinie quickly shook her head. "No, no! Ellinor, how could I hide from you?! I just felt too ashamed to face you. I haven't been the mother I should have been, so I didn't know how to face you."

Ellinor's eyes reddened even more. "Then why... why did you leave me alone back then? Why didn't you ever come back for me? I've been waiting for you this whole time!"

Tears streamed down Marlinie's face. "I didn't mean to... Back then, someone was trying to kill me, and I thought it would be too dangerous to keep you with me, so I temporarily left you with Arnold for safety. Later, I went looking for you! I really did! But Arnold told me... told me you had died! He even gave me an urn of ashes. I thought... I thought you were gone..."

Ellinor knew it. She knew she was not an abandoned child. She knew her mother would never abandon her.