Only Aiden knew how much her hesitation was killing him.
She was withdrawing from him —and he would give up anything to stop that from happening.
So, when she stopped him from helping her, he didn't insist. He stepped back, ready to give her the space she seed to need.
But what he didn't realize … was that she wasn't withdrawing from him.
She was retreating from the situation, acting out of fear.
And then —her arms wrapped from behind, making his heart skip a beat.
He froze —not just in place, but in ti. Her touch, her hold, stopped everything.
"Did I disappoint you as well?" her voice soft and aching.
The words cut through him. They snapped him out of his stillness, making him realize just how deep her fear ran.
Taking her hands, he turned to face her, looking at her. The tears were no longer just welling in her eyes —they were now rolling down her cheeks, making her look lost … defeated.
"Moon, you can never disappoint ," he said, his voice both gentle and unwavering. "Why did you even think that?"
He cupped her face in his hands, urging her to et his eyes.
"You didn't disappoint ," he repeated firmly again. "You never would because you are ant to be happiness … my happiness. Always."
Arwen stared at him through fresh tears. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, as if grounding herself in his warmth.
"Please never be disappointed in . Please," she whispered.
"Shh, Moon! I told you —I am not disappointed in you. I never will be. Trust my words, trust . Will you?" he asked softly, almost pleading.
But she didn't respond.
After a beat, she spoke again —this ti in a whisper that was soaked with years of pain.
"All my life, I just wanted to make her happy. I did everything that I thought would make her happy," she said, shaking her head. "But no matter what I did, I was never enough. I gave up my dreams, my passion, even myself —and still, it was never enough for her. Nothing I did was enough to make her proud … or happy."
Aiden felt his heart clench, the weight of her words settling deep in his chest. If he weren't holding her, his fists would have clenched until his knuckles turned white. But with her in his arms, his touch remained gentle —soft and steady, for her.
Arwen pulled away and sat down in the warm water. She dipped her fingers in, staring at the surface as if trying to find sothing that wasn't there.
"You know, I even copied other kids," she said with a sad smile. "Acted cute, pretended to be sick, tried to be clingy —hoping she would notice . Hoping she would love the way other mothers loved their children. But nothing ever worked."
"For the things other parents would praise, she would scold . I thought maybe if I just listened, if I followed every rule, every plan … maybe then she would finally see ."
She looked up at Aiden, her expression full of broken determination.
"And I did. I let go of dance —the one thing that brought to life. I agree to marry Ryan, even though all I got from that was humiliation and pain. I erased everything I liked, everything that made '', just so there would be nothing left for her to disapprove of. And still … it was never enough. I never got the love I craved for —not even once."
She choked on a sob, her voice trembling.
"And today —even today—she didn't let feel better. She pushed again. Told if I just listened, if I obeyed her, she would love ."
She grabbed Aiden's hand tightly and looked up at him, eyes wide with desperation and grief.
"...But tell sothing, Aiden. Why do I have to kill myself —piece by piece —just to get her love? Don't mothers love their children no matter what? Don't they just love them because … they are theirs? Then why is my mother so cruel? Why are there conditions to her love?"
Aiden stared down at her for a long mont before crouching beside the tub, levelling himself with her.
He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and whispered. "Because she doesn't know how to love, Moon. Not the way you deserve. Not the way a mother should."
Arwen blinked up at him, fresh tears rolling silently down her cheeks.
He continued, his voice calm but firm. "So people don't know how to love freely. Their love holds the conditions. They only know how to control, how to demand, how to take. And never to give. And that's exactly what your mother had been."
"But she being like this is not your fault. It has never been your fault. She didn't deserve you, but got lucky to have you." he caressed her cheeks gently, adoringly. "You didn't fail her, Moon. She failed you."
Arwen's lips trembled. Her fingers reached for his, her touch timid, as though he would pull away.
But he didn't. He held her tighter.
And then, for the first ti in what felt like forever, Arwen let herself cry. Not quietly. Not carefully. But fully … unrestrained.
Aiden didn't stop her. He simply stayed there with her, with his arms wrapped around her, protectively. She needed this mont to vent … he knew.
Once she cried enough, she lifted her face again and wiped off her face, softly … gently with all the care and love he had for her.
"You have cried enough, Moon. I didn't stop you —not because I didn't want to, but because after today, I didn't want to see you crying again."
Arwen didn't speak. She just stared at him, watching him take care of her. She had thought that this side would repulse him. But even like this, all she could see in his eyes was … love for her.
"You have been sitting in water for too long, Moon. Let help you, or you will catch a cold."
With that, he didn't wait and helped her clothes off.
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