Family

Lashara sighed as she got up in the morning. Dawn had just cracked the veil of darkness, ushering in a new day. Mornings used to cheer her up, but these days, it only depressed her.

She wasn't the only one.

A melancholic gloom had swept up the entire Quarrier Orphanage. An undertone of grief had occupied everybody's day-to-day life, much to her dismay. It didn't help that winter was on its way, either. It meant cold and dark days for an entire season.

Of course, the orphanage was doing much better these days financially. Rui and Julian had supported the orphanage a lot financially, nourishing the orphanage, and allowing it to expand and take in more children.

It was far larger than it was just a decade ago due to this reason.

This was a great blessing and one that she hadn't even dreamed of before. She should have been happy, and she had been.

That was until recently.