“We’re Vida’s parents.”
The mother barely paused before rushing straight to her daughter’s side. She gently rolled up the girl’s sleeve and spotted the birthmark on her arm. That was all she needed. Relief flooded her face. This was her daughter.
“We really are her parents. I have tons of pictures of the three of us on my phone,” she said, her voice trembling.
Nobody seemed surprised that this couple had managed to lose their child. Even the police looked like they wanted to give them a stern talking-to. The story came out quickly. They’d taken Vida to the amusement park but got so caught up in having fun themselves that they left the little girl with her aunt. Vida loved to wander, and the aunt only looked away for a moment. That was all it took.
“My daughter’s name is Vida. She’s such a sweet kid,” the mother said, her eyes already red with tears. “How is her face? Was the accident really bad?”
Her voice cracked as she looked at Vida, who was swaddled in gauze. The sight of blood on her child made her heart ache. The father looked just as devastated. Before this, Vida had a round, chubby face. Now, her chin looked sharp, and her face was bruised from the accident.
She must have been so scared.
“The injuries to her face aren’t too bad,” the doctor said. “If there’s any scarring in the future, you can look into cosmetic treatments.”
“She hasn’t woken up yet. Let’s move her to a room first.”
The doctor looked exhausted. There were still so many patients waiting, and he couldn’t spend too much time on just one child.
“Alright,” the parents agreed, their focus entirely on their daughter.
Seeing everyone gathered around Vida and knowing she was out of danger, Claire finally let herself relax.
“I’m heading home to sleep,” she whispered to Valeria.
Edison stepped forward. “I’m Claire’s uncle.” He took the card and handed over his own. “You can contact me if you need anything. Claire’s in her last year of high school and her schedule is packed.”
Vida’s father nodded, clearly understanding that any thank-you would have to fit their availability.
Edward, ever protective, took the card for Valeria as well. Valeria was technically an adult, but the Black family always treated her like their little girl. Edward was no exception.
Claire and Valeria also swapped numbers before finally heading home.
By now, Claire had perked up a bit. She glanced at Edison, a playful spark in her eye. “Edison, are you and Valeria’s aunt actually waiting for each other or what?”
Edison rolled his eyes. “Stop making things up. Tania not getting married has nothing to do with me. She loves enjoying life. For her, marriage would just feel like a prison.”

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