Alpha's Regret: The Seventh Time was Forever

Chapter 66 - You surprised me today

Joyce barely heard her, Seraphine’s vision narrowed until everything around them blurred into sound without shape, the chatter of parents, the shuffle of chairs, Leon’s distant laughter with another child. None of it felt real anymore.

She knew that mark. It was the same as the birthmark on her stomach, hidden at a place where no one could see it, but Joyce had it on her arm.

Her knees weakened, but she forced herself to kneel slowly, carefully, afraid that any sudden movement might shatter whatever fragile reality this was.

"Joyce," she repeated, her voice barely steady, the name catching in her throat like it had weight. Her fingers hovered just short of touching the girl’s arm, as though she feared that contact would either confirm everything or destroy her completely. "That’s... that’s a beautiful name."

Her pulse roared in her ears, and she studied the child’s face now with terrifying intensity, searching for pieces of herself, for fragments of memory in the curve of her nose, the shape of her lips, the faint arch of her brows.

The girl’s eyes were bright, curious, unaware of the earthquake happening inside the woman kneeling in front of her.

"I can write my J properly now," Joyce said, pointing proudly at the first letter on the page. "It used to look funny."

Seraphine swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill without permission. Her hand finally moved, brushing lightly against the edge of the brace as if by accident, just enough to see the birthmark clearly, just enough to confirm that her memory had not betrayed her.

It was identical. Same curve. Same shade. Same placement. Her chest tightened painfully. Could this be coincidence? How many crescent-shaped marks existed in the world? Was she projecting desperation onto a child simply because she wanted something, anything, to be hers again?

"Where are your parents, Joyce?" she asked again as she looked around, before returning her gaze to her, forcing her voice into something calm, something professional, even though her insides felt like they were unraveling thread by thread.

toward a woman across the other groups, seated slightly apart on a bench from the others, engaged on

this was her child, then everything would change faster than she expected

felt Leon’s presence draw closer, unaware of the storm brewing beneath her composed

he saw Seraphine’s gaze on Joyce’s arm, he chuckled. "You like that

Leon squatted beside her

Leon asked, "do you want me to get you one? They come in

and genuinely disappointed. "That’s beautiful progress, Joyce," she said, studying the effort behind each stroke of the girl’s

had now joined them and suggested small finger-strengthening games, playful activities that could build dexterity without making it feel like work. She listened intently, nodding with quiet

observant despite the oxygen tube resting gently against his nose. His

bringing herself into his line of sight. She spoke softly, explaining to his parents how gradual breathing exercises could help increase his endurance without overwhelming him. "Small improvements matter," she assured them. "Consistency will build strength more

warmth, something inside her loosened. Tears pricked unexpectedly at the corners of her eyes, not from sadness alone but from a swell of emotion

but her time with the kids relieved her of the pain of her lost child. Hope lived here. She had not expected to feel

with his arms folded loosely across his chest. The usual playboy

lunchtime," he said eventually, stepping closer. "Do you

a little amazed by how down-to-earth he truly was

hall filled gradually with parents and

one child while asking another about school, listening to stories of accidents, illnesses, setbacks, and