2. Hide and seek

Alec was a bright kid who needed a lot of attention. Kristina noticed how he called her mother like his own. However, she couldn't bring herself to even address Henry as her dad, not even father. 

Henry was a kind, well-mannered man who didn't force himself as another father figure for Kristina. However, she couldn't get used to this. She couldn't change her entire world and pretend like her father never existed. She was just a kid.

And as much as her fears seemed trivial, they meant a lot to a small girl.

"Henry, stop it," Millen giggled as Henry kissed her neck playfully. Millen smacked him lightly with a spoon before returning her attention to the boiling broth on a stove.

Kristina's eyes twinkled when she saw how much happiness this man could bring to Millen's life, something she could never achieve. 

Kristina slipped out of the house. The wind caressed her cheeks and tangled her hair. Kristina loved autumn. She looked forward to this colorful season all year. Autumn was a happy season for her. Everything seemed so magical and brightly colored, like a color book of nature.

The only flaw of this season was her birthday. She couldn't blame her dad for dying on her birthday. However, she could blame herself for wanting a customized cake - for choosing the frosting and then changing it at the last second, for making her dad pick up the cake after work. Because if she didn't, if she was satisfied with a store-bought cake - her father could be alive.

Hence, Kristina mourned in her own way, restricting herself from the happiness of this season, which her dad would never get to experience again.

Kristina observed Alec and his friends from afar. They played hide and seek in the backyard. She followed them around before gathering enough courage to ask: "Can I play with you, guys?"

They look at each other and whisper something before one of them says. "You can hide, and I'll seek. The rules are simple: I'll count to a hundred, and you can hide where you want. But you can't come out until someone finds you."

"Understand, Kristina? If you come out before someone finds you, you'll have to-"

"I won't, Alec."

"All right, I'm counting now! One, two, three, four-"

They all run off to hide. But when Kristina is just out of sight, they return. "That should be enough to keep her busy for a while," Alec grins.

Kristina hides in a pile of fallen leaves behind the house.

Thus, Kristina waited. She couldn't remember how long it was since she heard the last number called out. Minutes - it must have been only a few minutes. She chose such a good hiding place. Of course, they wouldn't find her so easily.

Kristina sat on the cold ground, hidden underneath the colorful leaves she adored. She was getting sleepy.

Kristina closed her eyes, unaware that hours passed.

Tristan, Alec's best friend, became worried when Kristina didn't come out after two hours.

"I don't think this was a good idea - let's go find her before your dad finds out," Tristan glanced at Alec.

"Don't be stupid - we can say she ran off when someone asks."

Alec's second friend said, without considering how ridiculous it sounded to an adult ear.

However, this confidence soon fell as Millen started looking for her daughter.

"Boys, did you see Kristina?" 

Five hours, Kristina was gone for five hours. It was getting dark; flashlights didn't help much. They searched every nook and cranny but couldn't find her anywhere.

Tristan snuck away to find Kristina on his own. Calling out her name didn't work, so he quietly searched the backyard.

Just when he was about to give up, a gentle breeze blew off some leaves, revealing Kristina sleeping underneath.

Kristina had a dream, nightmarish dream. In this dream, her mother died. However, she couldn't remember how or when - only the lingering bitterness remained on her mind. 

Tristan hit his forehead as if the pile of fallen leaves was an obvious hiding spot. 

"How can you fall asleep when everyone is looking for you?" he whispered, not wanting to wake her. 

He squatted next to her and brushed the leaves off her face. 

"I found you."

Kristina woke up in her bedroom, confused, not sure how she got there.