Chapter 2 - The Regret in the Snow
Outside in the falling snow, Mira’s father took a hesitant step forward. He looked up at the warm light spilling from the massive home, then down at the humble, cheap gift box in his hands. His eyes held a heavy layer of sudden regret.
"We saw it on TV... we didn't know," her father admitted, his voice low and barely carrying over the mountain breeze.
Behind the glass, Mira’s face remained still. Her eyes reflected years of silent, unspoken hurt, but her posture was steady. She lowered her wine glass slightly, taking a calm breath before speaking into the microphone.
"I invited you first," Mira said softly.
Her mother took another step, placing a gloved hand against the cold, outer surface of the glass window. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at her daughter enjoying the warm, luxurious holiday inside without them.
"We should have been here..." her mother whispered, her voice crackling over the intercom speaker.
Mira looked at both of them standing out in the cold. She took a slow, quiet sip of her red wine, gave her parents one last long, restrained look, and turned her back to head toward her guests laughing near the crackling fireplace inside.
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"It's all good," Mira murmured, cutting off the intercom channel.
👉 What brutal secret did her parents keep from Mira five years ago when they chose her sister over her?
