Aurora's pov:
    I didn't die of hunger. I'm very much alive thanks to the pancakes Jon made for us. I want to eat more but I have to pretend to be demure.
       We’re all sitting in silence now, bellies full and hearts still tangled in confusion. The movie playing on the TV is some random rom-com Arc picked probably to distract me.
 I've accepted that he can be sweet sometimes. Key word: sometimes.
    I’m nestled in the corner of the couch, legs tucked beneath me, nursing a cup of tea that’s gone lukewarm.
   Jon lounges on the floor, his back to the couch, close enough that I can feel his warmth. Arc is sprawled on the other side of the couch, arms crossed, pretending to watch the screen but really just stealing glances at me every few minutes.
   None of us are saying anything. The air still feels thick like the answers we need are hiding just behind the silence.
   Arc is the first to stir. He shifts forward, lips parting like he’s finally going to speak.
But then, a voice comes from upstairs above us.
  Faint but firm.
"Jon?"
 We all jolt like we’ve been slapped with cold water.
   Jon is on his feet in a second, Arc following suit. My cup nearly slips from my fingers as I scramble up, heart pounding. Footsteps follow, slow but steady. She’s coming down.
And then, there she is.
   Jon’s mother appears at the bottom of the staircase. Her face is no longer ghostly pale, though she still looks like she’s been through a war. Her shoulders are back. Her expression? Grim… but calm.
   But it’s her eyes that strike me most, something in them has softened. There's no fear now. No confusion. Just… recognition.
   I don't know whether to accept this new side or not, to be honest. Let's see.
Just calm down.
  We all rise.
Nobody speaks.
She walks toward me, and I swear every hair on my body stands up. My pulse thunders in my ears. I don’t know if I should step back or forward. I stay rooted.
And then, she smiles.
Not wide. Not forced. Just soft. Like a mother seeing her child after a long time apart.
And before I can react, she lifts her hand.
I brace myself, my heart caught in my throat. But she cups my cheek.
Her palm is warm. Steady. Comforting.
Like home.
   My breath catches. The chaos inside me quiets instantly, like someone pressed mute on my soul. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t even know if I can.
But in that moment, I feel… safe.
    Her thumb brushes against my skin gently. "You're her," she says softly. "You’re Mavilla’s daughter."
   "Wha-what do you mean?" I finally find my voice.
  Instead of responding to me, she takes my hand and leads me to the sofa. She takes a seat and pats the space beside her softly. 
  I sit down beside her, my eyes trained on her movements in anxiety.
   "Let's first get the introductions out of the way. I am Loni. I'm sure you already know that I am Jon's mother." Her expression looks really giddy, nothing like the horrified one I was welcomed with. 
 I start relaxing in my own skin now and put on a polite smile.
   "I'm Aurora, Jon's friend." She doesn't reply for some seconds, staring at me with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
   "Aurora," She says it slowly, as if trying to keep it in memory. She looks up again with a smile on her face. "I'm sorry dear, I'm just trying to get myself to store your new name." 
  Huh? Okay this keeps getting more confusing by the minute. Bad idea coming here...
Calm down.
   Before I can respond to Loni, she waves Arc and Jon over. Damn, I had even forgotten they were in the room.
   "Why are you guys so far off? Ouu, who is this handsome lad?" She gestures towards Arc as they both take a sit in front of us.
   Surprisingly, Arc has a sheepish smile on his face and a pink tinge on his nose. Is that... Is he? He's blushinggggggg!
   I wish I could take a picture of this. Next time, next time. I mentally pat myself on the back.
   "Hi ma'am. I'm Arc, Jon's...umm...roommate." He gives her an awkward polite smile.
   "Do I look old to you? What do you mean by ma'am? Please call me Loni." She tells him with a stern look.
   "Jon, have you served your friends something to eat?" She turns to him. That's when I notice Jon's irritated face.
Hehe.
   "Yes mum. I made pancakes."
"Okay good. I'll make something later. I'm so sorry for behaving like that earlier and scaring you guys. I'm sure you must be curious about what happened."
    I sit upright, staring at her with hopeful eyes. 
   "Before I start, please don't get freaked out or scared at any point. I'm sure fate brought us together to help us."
   Is she clarifying or confusing me further?
I nod regardless. From the corner of my eyes, I can see the interest in Jon and Arc's body language. Loni takes a hold of my hand. 
   "For starters, where are those pictures that I brought downstairs?" I immediately take them from the table beside me and hand them over to her. She stares at the picture at the top with a wistful smile on her face.
   "You know, your resemblance is so uncanny. If I didn't know any better, I would have said you were reincarnated in another body." She lets out a small chuckle.
   "Yeah, we do look alike, why?"
"Where did you grow up?" She asks me abruptly.
What does that have to do with anything?
   "America."
"Parents?" She cocks her head to the side.
   "Foster care."
"Hmm. Ever met them?" 
   Is this an interview?
"No."
   She nods and starts going through the pictures in her hands and finally stops on one.
   She removes it from the bunch and places it in my hands.
  "These are your parents. Mavilla and Bruce." She points at the two figures in the picture.
  "What?"