93 Aunt Celia Early Days II

[Flashback continued] Celia stood hesitantly at the doorstep, her small fists clenched tightly at her sides as she took in the scene before her. She had been sent to her aunt's house, hoping for a respite from the loneliness that had plagued her at home. As she entered the bustling household, the sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air, but Celia couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. Her cousins, a rowdy bunch of children with mischievous glints in their eyes, eyed her warily as she approached. "Hey, isn't she that motherless baby Aunt Clara's always talking about?" one of them sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. Laughter erupted from the group, echoing off the walls of the small living room as Celia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She knew all too well the whispers and stares that followed her wherever she went, a constant reminder of the loss she had suffered at such a tender age. But the worst was yet t