"Mommy?" a small, golden-haired girl dressed in ragged clothes called out, her wide eyes full of innocence and concern. She looked up at another woman with the same golden hair, though the woman's body appeared frail and thin as if she hadn't eaten properly in days.
"Yes, Heli?" The woman's voice was warm and loving, her smile gentle, though the little girl couldn't quite see her mother's face clearly... it was blurred as if hidden behind a veil.
The little girl hesitated, then tore the small piece of bread in her hand in half, offering it to her mother with a hopeful expression. "Here, Mommy."
The woman's smile softened further as she shook her head. "I don't need it, dear. I already ate," she lied, rubbing her abdomen as if to emphasize her words.
The girl frowned, confusion knitting her brow, "Is that so?" She began to eat her half of the bread, her eyes still watching her mother with innocent curiosity, "But... I never see you eating."