Delaney stepped forward next. She walked up to Aunt Margery, her hazel eyes shining with deep emotion. Margery had been a mother to her when she desperately needed one.
Margery had fed her, clothed her, and protected her without a single question.
Delaney reached out and hugged Margery tightly. She rested her chin on the older woman's shoulder, smelling the familiar, comforting scent of lavender powder.
"Goodbye, Aunt Margery," Delaney spoke softly, her voice shaking just a tiny bit with the weight of her gratitude. "Thank you for absolutely everything."
Margery hugged her back fiercely, wrapping her free arm around Delaney's shoulders while balancing the quiet poodle in the other.
"See you soon, my dear," Margery said firmly, her voice filled with absolute certainty. "Take good care of your beautiful home. We shall wait for the day you join our household properly."
Delaney broke the hug. She smiled at Margery one last time, feeling a deep sense of belonging.
