The next day, Desmond arrived at his family home. The familiar sight of the large storey building, with its well-tended garden and the comforting scent of his mother's cooking wafting through the air, gave him a fleeting sense of nostalgia. He took a deep breath before stepping inside.

"Mom? Bella?" Desmond called out as he closed the door behind him.

His mother sauntered from the kitchen while wiping her hands over the apron. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Desmond, my son! It's been a while," she said, pulling him into a warm embrace.

Desmond had thought she would be angry at him but she wasn't. She was...