The following day, Vee sat at the kitchen table with deep seated bitterness bubbling beneath the surface, her hot chocolate doing little to temper her emotions. Hunter, equally uneasy, sat across from her, his tea unable to soothe his frayed nerves. The others had thankfully given them space, but Vee suspected that they were lurking in the hallway, waiting to overhear their conversation. The only positive thing was that Luz was at school and Camila was at work, so they wouldn't get to witness first hand the mess that Vee was going to make of this. Either way, she knew that this awkward conversation was really their only chance to confront their issues head-on, however that didn't mean that she knew what to say. So the room was filled with an awkward silent, until Hunter finally broke the tension. "I thought we agreed not to discuss this," he pointed out, his tone laced with worry and anxiety.

Vee let out a deep sigh. "That was the plan, but Luz and the others had other intentions," she replied, her voice shaking a little with unease.

Hunter arched an eyebrow, considering her words for a moment. "We could always lie and tell them we talked," he offered.

Vee shook her head vehemently. "Gus and Willow are most certainly eavesdropping at this very moment," she muttered, the awkwardness of the situation making her feel suffocated. She wished with all her heart that this conversation would just end.

A heavy, suffocating silence descended upon them, the air thick with tension. Vee had been dreading this conversation ever since Luz had suggested it, but deep down, she knew it was inevitable. Hunter's dark past was a shadow that loomed over them, poisoning their every interaction. They had to face it, no matter how uncomfortable it made them.

Hunter's gaze drifted to his tea, the warmth doing little to ease the knot in his stomach. "What exactly are we supposed to talk about?" he asked, his voice low and strained.

Vee shrugged, her hot chocolate now almost bitter enough to make her gag. "Anything that will stop us from avoiding each other like the plague and pretending to be friendly in front of the others," she replied, hoping that he would take the hint.

Hunter's face twisted in a scowl. "Friendly?" he muttered to himself before a flicker of realisation lit up his eyes. "Luz said that honesty is the foundation of friendship. Maybe we should try that?" he suggested, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

Vee's eyes were fixed on the murky liquid in her cup, contemplating whether forming a genuine friendship with Hunter was worth the risk. "Any ideas where to start?" she asked, unsure if she was ready to let her guard down around him.

Hunter leaned forward, his intense gaze fixed on her. "How about your true form? You could transform back into a basilisk," he suggested.

Vee scoffed. "Not happening," she replied, still fixated on her drink. "Besides, why would you even ask that?"

"You don't have to stay in human form around me," Hunter insisted. "I don't mind seeing your true self."

Vee shook her head doubtfully. Could she really trust him? She wondered if he knew what he was getting into. "I highly doubt that," she muttered. "Amity made me promise not to scare you away, so you're stuck with human Vee today."

"What if I promised that your basilisk form didn't worry me?" Hunter asked earnestly, trying to bridge the gap between them.

Vee scoffed. "I'll be honest with you. I'm not staying transformed so that you feel comfortable," she groaned, regretting agreeing to this conversation. "I'm in this form because I like it. Though the fact that it also ensures that you keep thinking that I am a sentient being instead of an animal to be eradicated is a nice bonus."

Hunter's expression fell, and Vee knew that she had struck a nerve. "I would never do that," he protested, but his words lacked conviction.

Vee raised an eyebrow. "You're either lying to me or lying to both of us," she said flatly. "I know what the coven guards were taught about basilisks. They repeated it to me enough times to remind me of my place, beneath them. Beneath you."

Hunter looked away, his guilt evident. Vee wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. "I don't think that way," he said, trying to defend himself.

"I don't believe you," Vee told him stubbornly, finishing the last of her drink and eyeing the tin of hot chocolate powder. She deserved something sweet after this conversation. The bag of marshmallows beside it could easily make a dozen drinks, so surely Camila expected her to have more. "Besides, this form is basically also me."

"Well, you did transform into that form so how is it really you?" Hunter's query about her transformation made Vee's blood boil. She snapped at him, her figurative fangs bared and only her human form stopped her actual fangs from showing. This form was hers, and she wasn't about to change it on a whim. Vee wasn't going to let Hunter scrutinise her like she was some specimen to be poked and prodded. She had her pride, even if it wasn't much.

"I'm still me like this, just you are still you when you throw on a shirt or a suit of armour," Vee snarled. "I'm not about to switch out of it because you want to see what my scales look like up close. It's kind of weird to ask, don't you think? I'm not asking you to strip down and parade around in front of me to show off the real you. So think about what you're asking for."

Hunter's face turned red with embarrassment. "Ah, right. Sorry. I didn't realise it was that personal."

"It's not that personal," Vee replied, though she wished there were an easier way to explain the intricacies of her weird biology to someone who couldn't transform. "Letting go of a transformation isn't that indecent, but..." She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"I understand," Hunter said, trying to placate her.

"I doubt that any other living creature does, but we're getting off track." Vee rolled her eyes. She wanted to move on from this awkward conversation. "The point is that, no, I am not going to transform on command from you. Let's get back on track."

Hunter shifted in his seat, his discomfort palpable. "Forgive me, I didn't intend to cause any offence," he said, his tone soft but with an edge of formality that Vee didn't appreciate. He was putting up walls already, and she knew that she had to drag him back.

Vee simply shrugged her shoulders, her expression unreadable. "It's not like I'm going to hold a grudge over a simple question," she replied, her voice even as she hoped it was enough to pull him back from being overly defensive.

Hunter let out a deep sigh, his gaze flickering up to meet hers. "But that's just it, Vee. I realised that I know next to nothing about your kind," he said, his words coming out in a rush.

Vee frowned, her confusion plain on her face. "What do you mean? You're probably one of the few who was told anything about my species." she asked.

Hunter fidgeted uneasily, his eyes darting nervously around the room as though searching for a way out. Vee could sense the tension radiating from him, and it only fueled her growing suspicion. "I had no idea how little they had taught me about your kind," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "And what little they told me was clearly inaccurate."

Vee raised a questioning eyebrow, her tone edged with scepticism. "And what, pray tell, did they teach you about us?" she demanded.

Hunter hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering towards the door as if longing to make a swift exit. "Not much," he finally confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just that you were dangerous creatures, capable of draining even the strongest of witches until they perished."

Vee let out a bitter, mirthless laugh. "Sounds about right," she muttered, her voice heavy with resentment. "Did they not think to inform you that we are living beings, with thoughts and feelings? That we are more than mere tools to be wielded at the whim of the Emperor?" She added sarcastically, knowing all too well that they had not.

Hunter's head hung low as he spoke, his tone full of remorse."I'm sorry, Vee. I had no idea."

Vee's fingers tightened around her cup, her frustration palpable but she wasn't sure whether it was solely aimed at Hunter. "It doesn't matter anymore, what's done is done," she replied in a resigned voice. "Did they tell you anything about their experiments?"

Hunter's expression turned awkward as he admitted, "Belos was in charge of the project. The reports I got to see were just about safety incidents or to approve guard schedules. I wasn't in charge of any of the covens, so I wasn't directly involved."

Vee's disbelief was evident in her voice. "But you were Belos' right hand, weren't you? Surely he confided in you."

Hunter shook his head. "He kept information segmented. I only knew what I needed to know."

"Which is just a fancy way of saying he kept you all in the dark," Vee mused, feeling her anger towards Hunter start to wane. It was hard for her to hate someone who wasn't actually involved. "So, did you really not know anything?"

Hunter's head drooped, his eyes avoiding Vee's probing gaze. "I swear on my life, Vee. I was kept in the dark just like everyone else," he implored, his voice strained with emotion. "Belos never trusted me with the full extent of his plans. He only ever gave me the bare minimum of information I needed to do what he wanted. Sometimes not even that."

Vee's eyes narrowed, searching for any hint of deception. She wanted to believe him, but the weight of their situation was heavy on her mind. "And what about the experiments? Did you know anything about those?" she pressed, her tone sharp.

Hunter hung his head, shame etched across his face. "I knew there were...experiments," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But the specifics were always kept from me. "

Vee's frown deepened, her eyes heavy with sorrow. "I'll admit, Hunter, it's difficult for me, but I do believe you." She pushed her cup away with a trembling hand, trying to keep her thoughts away from remembering her past and what the Coven had done. However it was becoming all too painfully clear that Hunter wasn't the true target of her frustration. "I can see why Luz was so insistent that we talk. You're not the monster I thought you were."

Hunter shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes darting around the room. "What did you think I was?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Vee exhaled a heavy breath, her eyes locking onto his. "I thought you were a power-hungry leader who would stop at nothing to please the Emperor," she admitted. "Someone willing to do unspeakable things in the name of power. You know, someone evil or whatever."

Hunter's face fell, the weight of his guilt bearing down on him like a heavy stone. "I did do a lot of bad things in the Coven," he confessed, his voice thick with regret. "Things that I'm not proud of."

Vee let out a humourless laugh, her eyes meeting Hunter's. "Understatement of the century," she said, her tone biting. "You were Belos' right-hand man, the enforcer of his twisted will. You likely played a part in the imprisonment of countless creatures."

Hunter winced, his eyes filled with remorse. "I know, Vee. What we did was far worse than just imprisonment for some creatures. And I'll spend the rest of my days trying to make up for what I have done."

"I don't doubt that," Vee replied, her expression softening. "In a way, I understand you. I was also forced to commit some things that I wish I could forget when I was imprisoned. Some things stay with you forever, no matter how much you want to forget them."

"Not all of my actions were things I was forced to do," Hunter weakly argued, although his face showed the weight of his own guilt. Vee felt a pang of sympathy for him, realising that he was already carrying a much heavier burden than she had realised.

"I'm not absolving you of responsibility, but I don't think it's fair to put all of the blame on you," Vee said, trying to ease the weight she had thrown onto his shoulders. "Just because Belos didn't physically harm you, doesn't mean he didn't manipulate you into doing things you never would have done otherwise."

"It was physical at times, too," Hunter admitted, his fingers tracing the scar on his cheek.

"Oh," Vee winced, a pang of guilt shooting through her as she realised the similarities between her and Hunter. It was a harsh reminder of the dark past that they both shared, and the things they had been forced to do. The weight of the realisation settled heavily in her chest, but she knew that she couldn't just ignore it. "Maybe we are a lot more alike than I thought."

A heavy silence enveloped them, but it was different this time. It was charged with an unspoken understanding and a newfound connection that neither of them could deny. Despite their past differences, they were bound together by their unfortunate histories. They were not exactly friends, but they were no longer enemies. Vee knew that this wasn't the way her friends would have wanted her to bond with Hunter, but she was grateful for the newfound empathy between them. Maybe, one day, she would be able to find the strength to confide in someone about her own fears, but today was not that day.

Instead Vee poured herself another hot chocolate and filled the mug with way too many marshmallows, she'd earned it.

The remainder of the day was not any less awkward between them than it had been for the past week, there were still a lot of reservations between Hunter and Vee that a simple conversation was never going to solve. However it was the first step towards them being amicable, even if it was a small one. Vee still had more than a few reservations about living with Hunter, knowing that he use to hunt down magical creatures for the Emperor did little to make her feel comfortable around him. Hunter was equally just as wary of Vee, unable to truly trust the magic devouring basilisk in a house filled with magical creatures.

Admittedly they both knew that they were actually safe around each other, but that did little to stop the persevering feeling of distrust between each other. However they still did their best to make the awkwardness work, adapting to the feelings as best as they could. To say that they were friends would definitely stretch the definition, but they had stopped avoiding each other and could work together. In all honesty, it was probably more than could ever be reasonably expected of them. Their shared paths were connected in one of the worst ways possible, but they made it work. However it still took effort from both of them to keep their spirits and attitudes in check when in the same room, so while they didn't avoid each other, they still spent time away from each other when possible. Maybe they would eventually become friends, but it would take time.

Which was why Vee was currently curled up on the lounge with Camila's tablet playing a spanish telenovela away from the others, enjoying the solitude. She was already two episodes behind Camila on more than one of the shows and it was becoming a real battle to find some alone time to catch up on everything that was happening in the show. She did not really fully understand why a tequila cartel was involved in the bank heist at all, but she definitely wanted to find out.

Vee was engrossed in the melodramatic twists of the telenovela when Luz's sudden voice violently pulled her back to reality. She paused the video, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she looked up to find Luz leaning over her scaled shoulder to see what she was watching. Amity stood in the doorway, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Huh?" Vee asked in confusion, completely missing what Luz had said.

Luz's voice was warm as she praised Vee's language skills. "I was just pointing out that you're really picking up Spanish quickly." She gave Vee a quick hug from behind, and Vee couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth spread throughout her body. Luz's support meant the world to her. "I am surprised to see that you're already watching mom's telenovelas."

Vee admitted, "Not really, I have subtitles on. I did try watching without them, but they talk way too quickly. Mi español todavía necesita trabajo."

"Tu español me suena bien," Luz told her, releasing Vee from the hug before raising an eyebrow as she noticed Amity's confused look. She straightened up and offered Amity a hug as well. "Sorry, I probably should try to stick to English."

Amity chuckled at Luz's display of affection, hugging her back with one arm while holding her palisman Ghost with the other. "It's fine, batata. I don't need to know what you're saying when I know what you mean."

"I said that my Spanish wasn't great, but Luz insists that it sounds good," Vee translated for Amity, her voice low and measured, not wanting to let the tension between them rise any higher. She still felt a little lost when it came to interacting with Luz's girlfriend, though at least this time she wasn't in Luz' form. "It's kind of her to pretend, but my Spanish is atrocious."

Luz let out a derisive snort, rolling her eyes in frustration. "No necesitas ser perfectamente fluido, Vee" she muttered under her breath, before heaving a sigh and breaking the embrace. "As much as I'd love to practice with you both, I've got a mountain of homework to tackle. I'll catch up with you both at dinner." She leaned in to give Amity a quick kiss on the cheek before bounding out of the room.

Amity shook her head in amusement, following Luz with her eyes as she left the room. "Do you think she'll ever learn to do her homework early?" she quipped, a sly grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Vee laughed, shaking her head. "Planning ahead isn't really Luz's thing," she replied, tapping on the tablet to rewind the video and resume her show.

Amity's voice trembled with excitement as she leaned in, pausing the video with a sudden jolt. "Before you get lost in that show again, could I ask for a favour?" she pleaded, collapsing on the couch next to Vee. "Luz has been speaking so much Spanish lately, and I really wish that I could better understand her. I don't want to be left behind, but I feel like I'm missing out on a huge part of her life."

Vee's eyes softened with empathy, her heart swelling with understanding. "I know exactly what you mean," she said, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Amity's shoulder. "I've been pushing myself to become fluent in Spanish, I really want to be able to talk with Camila with it, I think it'll make us closer."

Amity's eyes widened and she let out a high-pitched noise, "Aww, that's adorable."

"Thank you?" Vee responded with no small amount of confusion, noticing Amity's expression. She hoped that Amity wouldn't continue staring at her like she was a newborn kitten, it was already getting uncomfortable. "Are you done?"

Amity blinked and shook her head, "Sorry, it's just that was one of the most adorable things I've heard you say. It is okay that I call you adorable, right?"

"Don't worry about it," Vee cut her off with a dismissive wave of her hand, wanting to move on before Amity got distracted again. "What matters is that I can help you learn Spanish. I've been using Camila's tablet to study, she has a super useful app that teaches you. I can show you everything I've learned if you want."

A brilliant smile broke out on Amity's face, illuminating the room with her joy. "Thank you so much, Vee. I can't wait to start learning with you."

Vee cautioned Amity, her voice dripping with concern, "Please don't get your hopes up too high. My Spanish is only limited to some basic phrases. The app should give you a reasonable base to start with, though it doesn't perform miracles." Her face flushed with embarrassment as she remembered the confusion her lack of Spanish had caused only a few days ago, but at least she would never forget what mija meant.

Amity's face lit up with anticipation, and a faint pink blush tinged her cheeks as she spoke, "Anything to understand my cutie batata a little better." Realising what she had just said, she quickly shifted the conversation before her blush could overpower her. "Anyway, how do we get started?"

Vee produced Camila's tablet with a flourish and opened the app, presenting it to Amity with a determined look. "This app has an extensive library of courses that cover common Spanish words and phrases, designed to help you reinforce your knowledge daily," she explained, her voice carrying an air of confidence. A chill ran down Vee's spine as she thought about how important it was not to miss a day.

Amity's face contorted with displeasure as she stared at the cartoonish owl that adorned the app's interface. "Does it have to have such a creepy owl?" she complained, her voice trailing off as she remembered Hooty. "It reminds me of Hooty"

Vee raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You all have mentioned Hooty a few times, who is he?"

"I'm not sure how to describe it. He's a tube of owl or something," Amity shrugged, looking equally perplexed. "Hooty is just... Hooty. You'd have to see him to understand."

Vee sighed, feeling like she was missing out on yet another piece of Luz's life. "I guess there are some things about Luz's world that I'll never fully understand."

"Don't worry, you're not missing out there," Amity recoiled in horror, "Hooty is a complete enigma to us all," she whispered, still shuddering from the mere thought of the owl-like creature.

"Right, let's run through a lesson together." Vee muttered, not believing Amity but wanting to move on as quickly as possible. She opened up an introductory lesson and angled the screen to make sure that they could both see it. "It starts off with some pictures and the language below so you can understand some word association. Just tap on the work you think is the correct one out of the three shown."

Amity concentrated intently, analysing the pictures before selecting the right one, the tablet then reading out the selected phrase in its tinny robotic voice. She flinched as the sound startled her. Vee rolled her eyes impatiently and tapped next to move to the next question. After several more attempts, Amity took over, carefully tapping each image and paying close attention to the spoken phrases. She struggled with some of the more difficult ones, but after a few minutes of practice, she finally finished the course.

"Not bad, la niña" Vee told her genuinely, reusing one of the new phrases Amity had just learnt, giving her a quick hug with one of her arms as she took back the tablet with the other. "There are a few other lessons you can jump to next, or you can give it a day and come back tomorrow."

"I probably should start the next one if I want to catch up?" Amity asked awkwardly. Vee sighed as she tapped on the next lesson and passed back the tablet, leaning back on the couch and relaxing as Amity started the next lesson. Closing her eyes, Vee did her best to ignore the annoyed mumblings from Amity as the teenager tapped away on the tablet.

Half an hour later Amity was more than a few lessons in, but was starting to become a lot more irritable. Vee's eyes narrowed with concern as she watched Amity's frustration grow with each passing minute. Amity's fingers clutched the tablet so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Vee knew that it was only a matter of time before Amity lost her temper, and she didn't really want to deal with it. After what felt like an eternity, Amity finally finished another lesson, but she didn't look happy about it.

Vee took a deep breath and reached out to gently take the tablet from Amity's grip. "I think that's enough for now," she said softly, trying to diffuse the tension in the room.

Amity let out a frustrated groan and slumped back against the couch. "I'm just not getting it," she muttered, her voice filled with disappointment.

Vee placed a comforting hand on Amity's shoulder. "Learning a new language takes time and practice," she reminded her. "You're doing great, but it's important to take breaks and not push yourself too hard. Let's call it a day and come back to it tomorrow, okay?"

Amity let out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.

"Come on, don't be so hard on yourself," Vee urged, placing a comforting hand on Amity's back. "Learning a new language is hard for anyone."

"But I should be better," Amity grumbled, her frustration boiling over. "I've been at this for hours and I still can't get it right."

Vee chuckled, the sound echoing through the room like a soft melody. "You're not doing poorly," she reassured Amity, though she could see the frustration etched on the younger girl's face. "You're just pushing yourself too hard. Give it time, and you'll be speaking like a native in no time."

Amity let out a disgruntled sigh, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "But I'm not even close to being able to string together a simple sentence," she complained, her voice tinged with annoyance. "I'm normally good at this kind of thing."

Vee gave a small shrug, her eyes glittering with understanding. "Like I said, learning a new language is never easy," she said softly. "But don't worry, you'll get there. And as for me," she paused, her lips twisting into a wry grin. "Well, I've had a lot of practice ."

Amity's lips curved into a pout. "You seem to be gliding through it without a problem," she grumbled. "But I suppose it's easier when you have basilisk magic or something to help you."

Vee shifted uncomfortably. "Transformation is the only ability I'm aware of," she admitted. "I don't really know much about basilisks beyond that."

Amity's eyes widened with surprise. "How could you not know what you're capable of?" she asked, her irritation fading as curiosity took hold. "Weren't you taught how to transform and use your magic?"

"There wasn't anyone to teach me," Vee spoke with a shrug, a hint of awkwardness in her voice. "I mostly just rely on instinct. All I really know is that shapeshifting does require me to keep a really clear image of someone in my mind or it doesn't really look right, apart from that I just wing it."

"Oh, didn't your parents have time to teach you?" she asked, the frown on her face deepening. The mention of parents brought up a flood of emotions in Amity, memories of her own mother and her questionable style of teaching. "I know what it is like to have a parent not give you any time."

"I don't think I have any parents," Vee replied quietly, the topic clearly not one that she enjoyed discussing.

Amity's eyes widened in surprise as she realised how little she knew about Vee's kind. "Oh, I admit I don't really know much about how basilisk families work," she admitted with a tinge of embarrassment. "Everyone thought your kind was extinct for the longest time, so they never really taught us much about basilisks."

The mention of her past caused a shadow to pass over Vee's face. "Luz didn't tell you much about my past, did she?" she asked, her voice laced with a mixture of sadness and bitterness.

Amity's curiosity about Vee's past was palpable. "They were pretty light on the details," she admitted with a shrug. "You ran away from the Boiling Isles and now you're living with Camila, that's about it. Until you sort of told off Willow, and then we all kind of figured that there was more to it. But Luz didn't really want to elaborate, said it was your story to tell, not her's."

Vee felt a pang of hesitation, knowing that recounting her past would open old wounds. "There isn't really that much to tell," she said reluctantly.

But Amity was persistent. "I'd love to hear your story if you're okay with telling it," she said, drawing closer and wrapping a comforting arm around Vee's shoulders. "Or we can just sit here and watch some television until Luz has finished her homework?"

Vee weighed her options for a moment, considering whether or not she wanted to share the full extent of her past with Amity. But she knew that bottling up her emotions had never helped her before, and with Amity sitting beside her, offering a sympathetic ear, she couldn't resist the opportunity to confide in someone who might understand her. "I didn't run here because I hated the Boiling Isles," Vee said, her voice shaking slightly. "There's more to it than that."

Amity leaned in, her expression grave. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Vee took a deep breath, bracing herself. "It was Belos," she said slowly. "He is the reason that I exist. Basilisks are meant to be extinct, but he wanted to know how to drain magic. So he found a way to create basilisks and then would run tests on us to find out how we drained magic. I guess he worked out how to do it."

Amity's heart sank as she listened to Vee's words. "Tests?" Amity asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He kept us caged so we couldn't leave, and he experimented to find out how basilisks worked," Vee responded, her voice choking with tears. "Not all of them survived."

The full horror of Vee's experience hit Amity like a wave. She pulled Vee into a tight embrace. She let Vee hold onto her as if her life depended on it, feeling the weight of Vee's body against hers. As Amity ran her hands over Vee's scaled shoulder, she could feel the tension slowly easing out of her. The silence between them was heavy with the weight of their shared pain, but it was also comforting in its own way. They didn't need words to understand each other in that moment. The air was heavy with unspoken thoughts. Vee pulled away from Amity, giving a small smile, but no words were exchanged for a while.

Amity broke the silence, attempting to steer the conversation to a lighter topic. "So how did you learn to transform?" she asked, hoping to bring some levity back to the room. Vee's eyes flicked back to her, and Amity could see the remnants of her distress dissipating as they moved on to safer ground.

Vee confessed with a tinge of embarrassment, "I didn't really figure it out until just before I came here. I just needed to transform, and I managed to do it." She rubbed the back of her neck, relieved that they had moved on to a more comfortable topic. "I lucked out with Luz's form, to be honest."

"Well, she is cute," Amity smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. Vee playfully shoved her in response.

"Not quite what I meant," Vee chuckled as she playfully nudged Amity's arm.

"What?" Amity smiled in return, relieved to see Vee's mood lightening up.

Vee sighed, memories of her early days with Luz and Camila still fresh in her mind. "It was a struggle at first, but Luz's mannerisms made my odd behaviour seem less out of place." Her voice trailed off as she recalled the countless times she had stumbled over simple tasks that came naturally to most children. "However hings can still got a little awkward when I entirely forget Camila's name while I wase pretending to be her daughter."

Amity chuckled, before realising something. "You know, in some ways you were never pretending to be their daughter, Vee." Amity told Vee, a smirk on her face. "Camila saw you as family long before you realised it, so were you ever really lying about being her daughter?"

Vee's face softened at the thought. "I know that now, but at the time it was harder to really see it. Even when Camila found out about me, I was so focused on fitting in that I didn't realise how much they cared for me. Camila has been calling me 'mija' for weeks and I never even noticed. I guess I was just too afraid to believe that I could have a real family."

Amity's voice quivered with curiosity, "Mija? What does that mean?"

Vee's lips curled into a knowing smile, "It means daughter. Camila uses it for both Luz and me. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to work that one out,"

Amity's eyes softened at the warmth in Vee's tone, "That's sweet. Luz likes to use Spanish with me too, but I wish I knew what 'cásate conmigo' meant. She says it often."

Vee's heart skipped a beat at the words, a mix of shock and hope flashing in her eyes before she composed herself, "I think it's time we get you back to those Spanish lessons, Amity."

Vee didn't know what the future held for her, but what she did know was that she had a family that cared for her. A family that would always be there for her.