Francesca blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at us. After a moment, her expression softened as she placed the controller on the small table between us.
"I see…"
She stared at the table, gently shaking her head.
Anathasia and I exchanged a glance before looking back at her.
"It's not a bad thing, Fran—"
"Mhm," Francesca cut Anathasia off quietly. "I know it isn't."
She slowly lifted her gaze, meeting ours while Lena gently rubbed her back.
"Mom and Dad… even Big Sis might be wondering why I didn't say anything, right?"
All three of us remained silent, letting her continue.
"It's just… she asked me not to tell anyone else, you know?"
"It's not that I didn't trust Mom. Or Dad. Or even Big Sis."
She paused for a moment.
"I just wanted to keep my word, that's all."
Her gaze dropped again.
"To keep things a secret until she could finally tell someone about it other than me."
She let out a slow breath.
"Her mother, specifically."
A short silence followed.
"She was laughing at school. Talking to everyone. Teaching others here and there…"
Francesca lightly tapped the table with her finger.
"I'm sure no one would have noticed anything wrong."
She trailed off. The remote slowly floated toward her before she grabbed it and turned the screen off.
"I always try to check on everyone, after all. I'm sure Sir Batumbakal already told you that I'm the current student council president," she said, looking at us again as we nodded.
"And about that weird calming vibe around me as well, right?"
I froze for a moment before leaning forward slightly.
"So… she came to you personally, is that it?"
"Mhm," Francesca hummed, placing the remote beside the controller. "I'm not sure why… but like Dad, whenever people are around me, they also… feel at peace."
"Like an oasis, or something similar."
Anathasia immediately looked at me, placing her hand over mine on my lap.
With a small smile, I gently held her hand before turning back to Francesca.
"That's… to be expected, Fran."
Her expression shifted.
"Is it the Stillness again, Dad?"
I hummed in response before quickly adding,
"Yes, but that's not a bad thing, Fran." I gave her a reassuring smile. "You can control it, right?"
"I can… but…" she hesitated, glancing away. "It feels like I'm manipulating others into thinking I'm a good person."
A quiet beat passed.
The room fell still.
I let out a slow breath.
"But you're not a bad person, are you?"
She stiffened slightly before slowly turning back toward me.
"Well…?"
Francesca hesitated, but as Lena gently patted her shoulder, her tense expression gradually softened.
After a moment, she finally replied.
"No, of course… I just… wanted to help others."
Her voice grew quieter.
"Because they need it."
"And people rarely ask for help."
She glanced at her sister before staring at the controller on the table.
"I know it's not necessarily bad… being the one person others can feel safe around."
"But at the same time, it also feels like manipulation. The kind people don't even register."
A small breath escaped her.
"Knowing that, it feels like I'm overriding their free will… and they can't even realize they're being influenced."
A beat passed.
"Intent doesn't always mean the effects on that person are good," she said quietly, lifting her gaze toward me. "Didn't you say that once, Dad?"
The room fell silent.
Her words lingered in the air as I took a small breath.
"I did say that, didn't I?"
My eyes drifted toward the controller on the table, watching it sit there untouched.
"And I'm sure it must feel like you're overriding their autonomy, but Fran…"
I lifted my gaze back to her.
"You helped someone, didn't you?"
A small smile tugged at my lips.
"You didn't tell anyone about it. You respected their wishes. You helped them through something… carefully enough not to accidentally hurt them."
She blinked, her hand freezing mid-air as she reached for her hair.
"Everyone at school looks up to you. Even the teachers. If anything, you've arguably done far more than what we teachers could."
My expression softened as I watched her eyes glisten.
"Humans… you see, we're very dynamic beings."
"We have laws, rules, and unspoken expectations. Those things exist to establish peace, justice, and order."
"But you don't have to follow them to the smallest detail."
"Sometimes… you can brush against those boundaries a little, if it helps someone."
I stopped, letting her process my words.
The quiet that followed said more than words could as her expression slowly shifted.
Beside me, Anathasia's grip on my hand softened as she let out a slow breath.
I shot her a glance, giving her a subtle nod before turning back to Francesca.
Once she seemed to process my words, I continued gently.
"Fran… just remember something, okay?"
"There are no good or bad people. Just people who choose things that either hurt or help others."
"You can't place someone into a fixed category based solely on their choices."
"Everyone is unique in their own way," I paused for a moment. "Complex, even."
"What you did wasn't wrong in any way."
"The most important thing here… is that you don't let others take advantage of your desire to help."
"Yes, you can lend them an ear. But if it becomes too much, you're allowed to say no."
"Understand?"
After a long pause, Francesca looked me in the eye, blinked back her own tears and nodded.
"I understand," she murmured while Lena held her gently.
She went quiet for a second before a smile slowly formed on her lips.
"Thanks…"
"Dad."
After our conversation, Francesca walked over and wrapped her arms around me before heading back to her room.
I remained seated on the couch.
Lena glanced at us from the other side, then nodded and simply vanished, leaving Anathasia and me alone as I stared up at the ceiling.
"So it's been bothering her, huh…" I whispered.
My eyes drifted to the strands of white hair resting at my side, instinctively bringing them near my lips.
"I'm glad she opened up, at least."
"Mhm," Anathasia hummed softly.
She gently let her head fall onto my lap as she stretched out across the couch while I held up strands of her white hair between my fingers.
She stared up at my face, her expression soft.
"Y'know," she said after a pause. "You're as reliable as always, aren't you?"
"A friend. A father. A husband."
Her hand slowly reached up to the hair framing my face.
"As a partner…"
"You're always reminding me why I would choose you over and over again, without even trying."
I glanced down at her as her fingers played with my hair, a small chuckle escaping her.
"That's just how I am," I replied quietly, running my fingers through her hair. "I guess…"
A short pause settled between us.
"By the way," I added.
"Why are you being all sappy all of a sudden?"
Her hand froze.
Then she immediately tugged on my hair, her expression flattening instantly.
"Way to ruin our moment, Kylie."
"Ow… I was just saying…"
She tugged on my hair again before finally letting it go, her gaze shifting toward the sliding glass doors that led to our garden.
"That being said…" she murmured. "I don't think I'd want Francesca or Carthanalenia to become anything close to how I was back then."
Her gaze hardened slightly.
"Especially Carthanalenia. I already failed her once—"
"Okay."
My index finger and thumb gently closed over her lips, cutting her off.
"Lena already said she understood, didn't she?"
Anathasia's eyes widened slightly as she slowly turned toward me, my other hand gently stroking her hair.
"Like I said, you're doing better as her mother now, no? You've already learned. Sure, the past can't be fixed, but you're already doing much better."
"Don't let the past dictate who you are. You're a wonderful mother, alright?"
I paused for a moment.
"I'll ask Kagariel to end anyone who thinks otherwise."
Her body slowly relaxed.
Her eyes softened before she shifted slightly, burying her face against my stomach.
"…Urgh… I'm an idiot," she breathed, her voice muffled against my shirt.
"Sorry… I have a small tendency to sabotage myself."
I let out a small laugh before pinching her cheek.
"No worries. I also went through something like that. You just need to trust and believe in yourself a bit more, okay?"
I leaned down, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Just like how our daughters and I believe in you."