CHAPTER 111: CHAPTER 111: A WISH FOR A REAL HOME

Selene’s POV ~

We walked side by side down the quiet path until Sara’s house finally came into view. It was a tall, bright building with flowers blooming in pots by the door, and before we could even reach the steps, the front door swung open.

Sara came running out first, her long hair flying behind her, followed closely by Aswin and Rael. The moment Sara saw me, her face lit up.

"Selena!" she cried, throwing her arms around me before I could say anything. I stumbled a little but hugged her back, warmth rushing into my chest.

"You’re so late," she scolded lightly, pulling away but still holding onto my hand. "Mom has been cooking since morning...so much delicious food, just for this! And now you’re finally here."

Her eyes flicked past me, and when they landed on Kieran, she blinked before breaking into another bright smile.

"Oh...and you brought Kieran too. That’s good! Now we can all enjoy it together. Mom will be so happy. She’s been saying she wants to meet you for so long, since she’s only seen you maybe twice."

Her voice carried that same unshakable excitement, words tumbling one after another without pause.

Behind her, Aswin and Rael stopped on the steps. They didn’t rush forward like Sara but stood still, their eyes fixed on Kieran. They nodded politely, but their gazes sharpened, scanning him from head to toe as though they were weighing him, testing him without a word.

Kieran only inclined his head slightly in return, calm as always, but I noticed the way their attention lingered.

My chest tightened.

Before they could say anything, I quickly stepped forward, placing myself between them and him. I forced a smile and spoke in a brisk tone. "Let’s not stand outside. Come on, we should go in. Your mom must be waiting."

I didn’t look back, but I could feel Kieran’s eyes on me.

As we walked in, Sara looped her arm with mine, chattering all the way. Kieran followed quietly behind.

The moment we entered the living room, a warm, homely scent of spices and freshly baked bread filled the air. Sara’s mother came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, and her father also followed her from the kitchen.

The joy on their faces was instant.

"Selena!" Sara’s mother exclaimed, hurrying forward to embrace me. Her arms were soft, and the warmth of her presence brought me back to childhood memories when I used to be hugged by my mother. "You’ve grown so much. Look at you, blooming more and more every month. We’re so happy you came."

Her father smiled broadly, giving me a light pat on the shoulder before his gaze shifted to Kieran.

"And you brought a guest," he said warmly. "Welcome, son. Make yourself at home. Anyone who comes with Selena is always welcome here."

Kieran inclined his head again politely, his calm mask still in place.

"Please, sit," Sara’s mother said, ushering us toward the table. "We’ve prepared so much food, all your favorites, Selena. Sara talks about you every single day; sometimes I feel like you’re another daughter in this house."

Sara laughed beside me. "It’s true. I do talk about you too much, don’t I?"

I smiled faintly, my heart softening as I looked at all of them. The house felt warm, filled with light and chatter.

But then, as I sat down and glanced back at Kieran, I saw the faintest flicker in his eyes. He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, he was just staring at the table for a moment, as though lost in thought.

And I wondered quietly, without saying it aloud...what was he thinking, sitting here among us?

But my attention quickly diverted to Sara’s chatter, my gaze lingered on her parents. They were kind, smiling warmly, and speaking to us without a trace of distance or formality. I remembered Sara once telling me that she was their only child, and now that I was here, it all made sense.

Her father, though a witch by blood, was almost ordinary. Male witches rarely held strong powers, and his magic was faint, no stronger than a candle flame compared to the blazing fire of others.

But he never seemed burdened by it. He spoke softly, his voice calm, his eyes full of patience. He had chosen to live quietly, and I could see that choice made him happy.

Her mother, a pure human woman, was the opposite—bright, warm, and endlessly open. She had left her world behind and joined him in the coven without complaint, without fear.

She did not seem to mind that she was surrounded by witches, nor did she seek anything more than the love she had found. Looking at her, I understood why Sara always carried that same light in her heart.

And then there was Sara.

She was different. Unlike her father, she had been gifted with strong powers, perhaps even greater than most. A child of two worlds, a hybrid, but nothing about her seemed divided.

She carried her magic like a blessing, not a burden. I could see now why everyone called her gifted. She had inherited the strength of her father’s bloodline, yet she held her mother’s joy so gracefully that it made her shine.

I felt something twist quietly inside me.

This family... It was gentle, loving, and whole. They laughed together and spoke freely, and even when silence came, it was a silence filled with peace.

I lowered my eyes to my hands, fingers curling faintly. Sometimes I wondered—what if I had grown up in a home like this? What if there had been warmth waiting for me at the end of the day, instead of emptiness? Would I have been different? Softer, perhaps. Less afraid.

A small ache pressed into my chest.

I wanted this. A home. A place where I can return, where someone would be waiting for me.

My eyes lifted, almost on their own, to find Kieran. He was seated just a little apart, quiet as always, his expression unreadable. But I knew him well enough now to sense the silence inside him.

Like me, he had no parents waiting for him, no home to call his own. Loneliness clung to him as much as it did to me, maybe even deeper.

That was why I had brought him here.

I wanted him to feel this warmth too. To sit in a place where love filled the air, where a mother fussed gently over her child, and where a father’s quiet presence still held meaning.

Even if it wasn’t his family, even if it wasn’t mine—at least for a moment, maybe we could both borrow this warmth.

I smiled faintly, though nerves fluttered in my stomach. I didn’t want to leave a bad impression on them. I didn’t want Sara’s parents to think poorly of me or of him. Because deep down, I hoped we could come here again. That this door would always stay open to us.

A parent’s home...

It was the one thing I had always longed for but never had.

And now, sitting here, I realized it was the one thing I still wished for.