Eleanor's gaze lingered on the very spot where Charles had been warming my hands. The pain in her eyes didn't seem feigned, yet she forced a smile as she gently nudged the child beside her forward.
Charles, visibly shaken by her sadness, didn't hesitate. His hand slipped from mine, and without a second thought, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
He said nothing, just pressed a tender kiss to Eleanor's forehead, a soothing gesture meant for her alone.
A sharp wave of bitterness surged through me, and my fingers, still not fully warmed, turned cold once more.
Eleanor shyly touched her face, then glanced at me with a smile, subtle yet triumphant.
"Orion, go on, say hello. This is Aunt Natalie."
I stiffened, disbelief lacing my voice.
"What… did you call me?"
She smiled, her tone light, almost effortless. "Orion. Orion, like the stars. Charles said he hopes he'll grow up to be as bright and admirable as the sky above."
A ringing filled my ears. My mind blanked.
Orion's lips moved, he was speaking, but I couldn't hear a single word.
Slowly, I turned to Charles, searching for an answer, but he only lowered his head, his guilt laid bare in the silence.
Orion Davis.