Alex rushed to the funeral the moment she heard the news of her sister's death. On her way there, her thoughts kept circling back to Sarah—her sister, her guardian, the one person who had always been there for her. Regret settled heavily in her chest. She hadn't visited Sarah in five years. Work—always work—had consumed her completely.
When they were young, they had lost their parents. Sarah, only twenty-two at the time, became everything Alex needed—a sister, a mother, a protector. Alex had been just fifteen. Sarah spent her days at university and worked part-time in the evenings. Despite her exhaustion, she never failed to care for Alex until she turned seventeen.
That was when Sarah met the man who would become her husband only two months later. Wanting to ease her sister's burden, Alex decided it was time to take care of herself. At eighteen, she rented a tiny room near a university and began working part-time to support her studies.
Nine months after Sarah's marriage, she gave birth to a baby girl named Elizabeth.
Alex visited them often, especially during the first three years of Elizabeth's life. But everything changed afterward—Alex left university and enrolled in the police academy, determined to follow her dream of becoming a detective. Time passed quickly, swallowed by training, investigations, and ambition. She didn't hear from her sister again for five long years—not until the call announcing Sarah's death.
When Alex arrived at the funeral, the room was filled with unfamiliar faces. She didn't recognize anyone. But at the far end of the room, sitting quietly on the floor, was a little girl with brown hair and green eyes, dressed in black. Her expression carried a sadness too heavy for someone her age, even if she couldn't fully grasp the finality of her parents' death.
Alex recognized her instantly—Elizabeth.
Despite the years, she hadn't forgotten the small features of her niece's face. Without sparing a glance at the others, Alex walked straight to her. She knelt down, gently taking the girl's tiny hands in her own.
Liz stared at her with wide, startled eyes. Whispers rippled through the room.
"Who is she?"
"Why is she here?"
Then the whispers turned cruel.
"What will happen to Liz now?"
"No one wants to take her."
"She'll end up in an orphanage."
"Poor thing… her life will be miserable."
Liz's eyes filled with tears. She began to cry softly, her small shoulders trembling.
Alex shot the room a cold, sharp glare—so fierce that the whispers died instantly.
Then she turned back to the girl, wiping her tears with gentle fingers.
She spoke softly, "I'm your aunt."
She offered a small, warm smile. "My name is Alex. I know you don't remember me, but I took care of you when you were very little. Would you like to come live with me? I'd be very happy if you did. I'll take care of you… just like your mother would have."
Liz looked at her, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You… you won't leave me in the orphanage?" she asked, voice trembling. "You'll take me with you?"
Alex pulled her into a tight embrace.
" I won't let anyone take you," she whispered. "Not ever."