The plane landed at Cumbernauld Air Strip. A Rolls-Royce drove up once the plane was finished. Selena had upgraded on the plane. Luckily, a nurse was on board. She was still dazed but surprised about the scope of the tools available to her.
A.A. had upgraded to the executive version, at least the juvenile version. It allowed the affluent in the future to follow their dreams. As much as you could, that dystopian hell needed some silver lining. Too bad it was for the rich.
If she had integrated in her first life, she would have figured this all out right away. It turned out it was coded to your genes.
The upgrade included safety features that could be used, so the assistant software could take control of her body if she can't in an emergency and get her to safety. Next was fatigue; it would be a thing of the past. She had PowerNap back and could sleep restfully for however long she wanted.
Performance mode allowed her to sing with perfect pitch, play musical instruments, and learn quickly. The karaoke feature would be a blast, and it had future hits. Would it be so bad to rip off an artist who would use their fame to do awful things? Tianna Lee had a catalog, and she was a prolific serial killer and deviant. She was 3 years older than her and already on the prowl.
"You okay, little Moon?" Eun Ho asked, her voice soft with concern as she gazed at her daughter. Selena seemed very dazed and agitated, and her eyes darted back and forth as if trying to process the shocking revelation.
Eun Ho's heart went out to her daughter, remembering the struggles Selena had faced in the past. She had grown out of her seizures by age 20, but Eun Ho knew that the emotional scars still lingered. Watching Selena's eyes cloud over with confusion and pain was like reliving those difficult times all over again.
"Yeah, I'm just tired," Selena said. Selena was dazed, but she could function. The new updates were just awesome.
Eun Ho's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of concern etched on her face, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she gently helped Selena into the luxurious Rolls-Royce, the soft leather seats enveloping her daughter's fragile form.
As she lifted Selena into the car, Eun Ho's eyes softened, realizing that this was the first time, and probably the last time, she would carry her birth daughter.
Selena was thin but muscular and healthy, and Eun Ho was surprised by how easy it was to lift her. She felt a pang of regret, knowing that she had missed out on so many moments like this, so many opportunities to care for and nurture her daughter.
As she settled Selena into the car, Eun Ho's mind wandered back to the photos that Molly had sent her. There were so many of them, and they told a story of a happy, loving childhood.
But what struck Eun Ho most was the way that Selena's face lit up in the photos, the way that her eyes sparkled with joy. It was a joy that Eun Ho had never seen before, a joy that she had been denied.
Eun Ho's thoughts turned bitter as she thought about Tricia Loomis, the woman who had stolen so much from her. She wanted Tricia to feel the weight of what she had done, to know the pain and the regret that she had caused. Eun Ho's eyes hardened, her jaw clenched in determination. Tricia's death would be the final price she would pay for what she had done. She was waiting for her, stewing.
As she hugged Selena, Eun Ho felt a sense of longing, a sense of loss. She had missed out on so much, and she couldn't help but wonder what could have been. Selena could sense the change in Eun Ho's behavior, and she knew that her mother was struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened.
"Mom, I'll be alright," Selena said, trying to reassure her. "But can you hug me longer?" Eun Ho's eyes welled up with tears as she held Selena close, feeling a sense of gratitude and love.
She knew that she couldn't turn back the clock, that she couldn't make up for all the time they had lost. But at this moment, she felt a sense of connection, a sense of belonging.
Selena knew that Eun Ho wanted a daughter who still needed a mother, a daughter who would cling to her and rely on her. And so, she decided to give Eun Ho some childish and spoiled behavior, to let her mother feel needed and wanted.
As they hugged, Selena felt a sense of peace, a sense of belonging. She knew that she would never be able to fully repay Eun Ho for all that she had lost, but at that moment, she felt like she could try.
Eun Ho's heart ached as she thought about the baby pictures of McKenna. She had given Molly a copy of them, and now she was planning to have them edited to replace McKenna with Selena.
It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that she would be erasing the memories of the child she had raised, but at the same time, she couldn't bear the pain of seeing McKenna's face and being reminded of all that she had lost.
As she thought about the childhood pictures, Eun Ho's emotions swirled in a mix of sadness, anger, and longing. She felt a deep sense of loss, knowing that she had missed out on so many precious moments with Selena.
She had been robbed of the chance to watch her daughter grow up, to see her take her first steps, to hear her say her first words.
Eun Ho's anger simmered just below the surface, directed at Tricia Loomis, the woman who had stolen so much from her. She couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if Tricia hadn't intervened. Would she and Selena have been happy together? Would they have had a normal, loving relationship?
But even as she felt this anger and sadness, Eun Ho couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. She longed to turn back the clock, to go back to the moment when Selena was born and to be able to raise her as her own. She longed to be able to erase the pain and the heartache of the past and to start anew.
As she thought about the edited pictures, Eun Ho felt a sense of trepidation. She knew that it was a lie, that Selena had not been the child in those pictures. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a sense of hope.
Maybe, just maybe, these pictures could help her to heal, to move on from the pain of the past. Maybe they could help her to create a new reality, one in which she and Selena could be happy together.
Selena looked around, dazed at this rolling luxury affront to nature. The interior of the car was sleek and sophisticated, with polished wood accents and crystal glass fixtures.
The air was filled with the sweet scent of exotic flowers, and the soft hum of the engine purred in the background.
Eun Ho settled in beside Selena, wrapping a comforting arm around her daughter's shoulders and fawning over her, taking the request very seriously. She would indeed hug her.
Jonathan and Jonah got into the car, Jonah turning to Selena with concern etched on his face. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked, his voice soft with empathy.
Selena's eyes met his, and Jonah could see the faintest glimmer of appreciation in their depths. It warmed his heart to know that he could be there for his sister, to care for her and support her.