𝒜𝓁𝒶𝓎𝓃𝒶 𝒮𝒾𝓃𝓈: 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐅𝐈𝐀

The rain poured down heavily on the porch of the brown house. Estella stood at the door, anxiously waiting for her daughter to come home from school. She hugged herself tightly, shivering as the wind cut through her skin.She glanced at her wristwatch repeatedly, each passing minute increasing her worry. I wonder what happened to her. Should I go get her? I don’t think she has an umbrella. These thoughts raced through her mind, her maternal instinct fueling her concern. Finally, she made up her mind. She hurried back inside and grabbed a large umbrella, big enough for two. "I hope she's okay," Estella murmured to herself as she stepped back out into the storm. Making her way to the gate, Estella closed it behind her. As she turned around, she saw her daughter walking towards her with an umbrella in her hand. The sight filled her with an immense sense of relief, and her pounding heart began to settle.She planted a smile on her face as she walked towards her daughter and took her hand. "Come here, Mary," Estella said as her daughter, Mary, closed her umbrella and joined her. "I didn't know this umbrella would come in handy," Mary remarked, smiling back at her mother as they started walking back to the house. "You should have texted me! I was worried about you," Estella said, playfully slapping Mary’s shoulder."Did you buy another umbrella again?" "Ouch! That hurt, Mom," Mary replied, rubbing her shoulder where her mother had hit. "And no, I didn't buy another one. It's my friend's umbrella; he let me borrow it." "He? So it's a boy?" Her mother asked teasingly, giving her a knowing look. "Mom, why are you looking at me like that? We're just friends nothing else," Mary exclaimed as they reached the porch. She wiped her wet shoulders. "Are you sure he's just a friend?" her mother asked eagerly, hoping to hear more than "just friends" as she closed the umbrella and placed it near the door. "Yes, we're just friends. And I have something to tell you, Mom," Mary said, leading her mother into the house and to the kitchen. She sat down, ready to talk. "Mom, can you make me a cup of hot cocoa?" "Sure. So what is it? Is there another project in class? Do you need something?" Her mother asked, making the hot cocoa and placing it on the boiler. While waiting, she sat in the chair opposite her. "Uhmm... when I was practicing singing on the rooftop at school, I didn't know there was a visitor up there listening to me. She recommended me to join the choir at the church where she works as a nun, so..." Mary looked at her mother, who was waiting to hear what she would say next. "So... what?" Her mother looked seriously at her, waiting for her to continue. They were interrupted by the sound of the boiling cocoa. Estella hurriedly turned off the boiler, poured the hot cocoa into a cup, and brought it back to the table. She gave the cup to Mary and sat back down. Mary placed her cold hands around the cup of hot cocoa and took a sip before continuing. "So I said yes. I'm sorry I got home late because I was at the church, and I'm sorry I made you wait," Mary said, looking down at the cup of hot cocoa in front of her.Her mother went to her and gave her a warm hug. "It's okay, Mary. I'm so proud of you, honey," Estella replied with a smile. "So don't worry about me having a boyfriend because I'm going to be a nun!" Mary said as she hugged her mother back. "Mom, can I ask you something?" "Of course, honey. What is it?" Her mother asked as she went back to her chair and sat down. "What is my father's name? I'm just curious. I've never seen him in my entire life. You said he died when I was two months old, and you never had a picture of him, so I just want to know. But if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay," Mary said, reaching out to hold her mother's hand at the table "Your father's name is Romeo Castro, and that's all I can say about him. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but maybe someday I'll tell you everything about your father," her mother said, placing her other hand on top of her daughter's hand. Mary Alayna Castro and her mother, Estella Castro, live in Marseille, France. Mary was 14 years old when she joined the choir at St. Vincent De Paul Church and began studying to become a nun. Now, at 18, she is the most beautiful and gorgeous young woman in Marseille. Mary Alayna Castro is a soft-hearted woman, with thick, long eyelashes, with hazel eyes, and long blonde hair that makes her even more stunning. Every man in the city knows her and courts her, but she rejects them because she wants to be a nun, breaking her suitors' hearts. Everyone admires her nobility and kindness. They are the only Castro family in the city, and Mary, who now leads the choir, sings with a soft, angelic but cold voice that makes her mother very proud. She doesn't have a father and doesn't know what he looked or sounded like because her mother said he died of a heart attack when she was a baby. It was heartbreaking for her to hear about her father's death.