July 27, 2026 Dear Diary, I'm writing this from Lia's room tonight. Her house feels so... peaceful. Earlier, her mom knocked on the door just to ask if we wanted anything to eat. She smiled at me like she was genuinely happy I was here. When she noticed I looked cold, she handed me a blanket without me even asking. I don't think she realizes how much that meant to me. It's funny how little things can make your heart ache. Being here has shown me what a home can feel like. It's warm. It's quiet. No one seems afraid to talk to each other. And yet... I still miss my mom. Not the version of her that pushes me away. The version I keep believing is still there. Mom and Dad divorced when I was little. I've always lived with Mom, so I never really had the chance to know what life with Dad would've been like. Sometimes I wonder if things would've been different if I had. Maybe they would've. Maybe not. I guess I'll never know. Lia's mom hugged me before she went to bed tonight. It caught me so off guard that I almost cried right there. For a second, I imagined it was my mom. Then I felt guilty for even thinking that. No matter how kind someone else is, they can't replace her. She's still my mom. I keep wondering what she's doing right now. Is she sitting alone in the living room? Has she noticed how quiet the house is without me? Has she looked into my room? Does she miss me? Or is she relieved that I'm gone? I hate that my mind always asks that last question. Deep down... I don't think she's relieved. I still believe something is wrong. Sometimes I wonder if Dad has something to do with it. I know it probably sounds impossible, but I can't stop thinking about it. What if he's somehow forcing Mom to act like she doesn't care about me? But why would he do that? Then another thought sneaks into my head. What if it's because I chose to stay with Mom instead of him after the divorce? What if he's trying to make her seem cold so that I'd leave her and go to him instead? I don't even know if that's possible. Maybe I'm just trying to make sense of something that doesn't make any sense at all. I don't have any proof. It's just one of those thoughts that won't leave me alone. Because I can't bring myself to believe that my mom woke up one day and decided she didn't want me anymore. Maybe she's hurting. Maybe she's scared. Maybe she's trapped in something I can't see. I don't know. I just know that I don't want another mom. I want mine. I hope that one day she'll look at me the way she used to. Or maybe the way I've always wished she would. But for now... I'll stay here with Lia and her parents. They've opened their home to me, and I'm grateful for that. Maybe this is where I need to be until everything makes sense. Until then... I'll keep hoping. — Aria
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