And for one dangerous second, warmth moved through my chest before I quickly pushed it back down again.
\nCareful, Eleanor.
\nVery careful.
\nI carried my coffee to the table slowly and sat across from them.
\nMorning light now filtered softly through the kitchen windows, pale and gray after the storm.
\nLily swung her tiny legs beneath the chair while feeding Bella little pieces of toast.
\nValerie watched nervously every time crumbs fell onto the floor, as if expecting me to explode over the mess.
\nThat alone told me how unstable her life must have become recently.
\nPeople living in survival mode become afraid of every reaction.<\/p>\n
Finally, Lily looked toward the hallway wall again where several framed family photographs hung.
\nHer attention locked immediately onto one picture.
\nSebastian at age seven sitting on Arthur\u2019s shoulders at the Bronx Zoo.
\nShe pointed.
\n\u2014\u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d
\nNeither Valerie nor I answered immediately.
\nLily looked between us.
\n\u2014\u201cThat\u2019s my daddy.\u201d
\nThe room went completely still.
\nValerie lowered her eyes.
\nI stared at the photograph for several long seconds before quietly answering.
\n\u2014\u201cYes.\u201d
\nLily studied the frame carefully.
\nChildren always search faces for pieces of themselves.
\n\u2014\u201cHe looks nice.\u201d
\nMy throat tightened painfully.
\n\u2014\u201cHe is,\u201d I answered softly before I could stop myself.
\nValerie glanced up at me quickly, surprised.
\nI ignored her.<\/p>\n
Because despite everything Sebastian had done years ago\u2026
\nthe man he was now trying to become deserved truth.|
\nLily slid off the chair unexpectedly and wandered closer to the photographs lining the hallway wall.
\nBella followed immediately.
\nI watched the child stop in front of a large family portrait taken almost twenty years ago.
\nArthur sat beside me smiling warmly while teenage Sebastian stood behind us pretending not to hate family pictures.
\nLily tilted her head.
\nThen asked quietly:
\n\u2014\u201cWas that before he got sad?\u201d
\nThe question hit so precisely I actually stopped breathing for a second.
\nChildren notice everything.
\nValerie looked stunned too.
\n\u2014\u201cWhy would you ask that?\u201d she whispered.
\nLily shrugged softly.
\n\u2014\u201cMommy looks different in old pictures too.\u201d
\nSilence spread heavily through the house.
\nI suddenly realized something painful:
\nThis child had grown up surrounded by emotional wreckage so consistently that sadness had become visible to her like weather patterns.
\nThat realization cracked something inside me.
\nNot fully.
\nBut enough.
\nLily turned toward me carefully.
\n\u2014\u201cDid my daddy live here?\u201d
\nI nodded once.
\n\u2014\u201cA<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/amazingstoryus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e56fcf1c-0923-42a1-a82e-c71b41bd3ea1-300x200.png\")
<\/p>\n
PART 6 \u2014 VALERIE WITHOUT THE MASK<\/h1>\n
\u2014\u201cA long time ago,\u201d I finished quietly.
\nLily nodded as if that answer somehow made perfect sense to her.
\nThen she reached up on her tiny toes to touch the corner of the photograph frame gently.
\nNot grabbing.
\nNot careless.
\nCareful.
\nAlmost respectful.
\nArthur would have loved that about her.
\nThe thought slipped into my mind before I could stop it.
\nAnd that frightened me.
\nBecause emotional attachment begins quietly.
\nNot with grand moments.
\nWith tiny ones.
\nA child feeding your dog pieces of toast.
\nA sleepy voice in the kitchen.
\nSmall fingers touching old photographs.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s how people enter your heart before you realize the door was unlocked.<\/p>\n
I turned away abruptly.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cLily needs clean clothes,\u201d I said flatly. \u201cThere are extra blankets upstairs too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie stood immediately.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI can wash her things by hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
The speed of her response caught my attention.<\/p>\n
Almost instinctive.<\/p>\n
Like someone used to apologizing for existing.<\/p>\n
I looked at her carefully for the first time in proper daylight.<\/p>\n
The transformation was shocking.<\/p>\n
Gone was the polished woman who once spent two hours preparing for brunch.<\/p>\n
Gone were the expensive nails, the perfect hair, the carefully curated elegance.<\/p>\n
Her blond hair now looked brittle and uneven, pulled into a messy knot at the base of her neck. Dark circles shadowed her eyes deeply enough to make her appear older than her thirty-six years.<\/p>\n
And her hands\u2026<\/p>\n
I stared at them for a moment.<\/p>\n
Rough.<\/p>\n
Dry.<\/p>\n
Small healing cuts across her knuckles.<\/p>\n
Working hands now.<\/p>\n
Not decorative ones.<\/p>\n
Valerie noticed where I was looking and immediately tucked them behind her back.<\/p>\n
Shame.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
I hated how complicated my emotions suddenly felt.<\/p>\n
Part of me still wanted to throw her out for what she had done.<\/p>\n
Another part saw a woman who had finally collided headfirst with reality.<\/p>\n
Lily wandered into the living room beside Bella while humming softly to herself.<\/p>\n
The sound filled the house strangely.<\/p>\n
This home had been quiet for years.<\/p>\n
Peaceful.<\/p>\n
But quiet.<\/p>\n
I suddenly realized I hadn\u2019t heard childish humming in this house since Sebastian was little.<\/p>\n
The realization hurt more than I expected.<\/p>\n
Valerie shifted awkwardly near the kitchen counter.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cShe likes your house.\u201d<\/p>\n
I kept my voice neutral.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cMost children like places where they feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words landed harder than I intended.<\/p>\n
Valerie\u2019s eyes dropped instantly.<\/p>\n
Good.<\/p>\n
She should hear it.<\/p>\n
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.<\/p>\n
Then suddenly Valerie swayed slightly where she stood.<\/p>\n
Just enough for me to notice.<\/p>\n
Her hand grabbed the counter edge quickly.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhen was the last time you slept properly?\u201d I asked before I could stop myself.<\/p>\n
She gave a weak laugh.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI don\u2019t know anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
I studied her face carefully.<\/p>\n
The exhaustion wasn\u2019t ordinary tiredness.<\/p>\n
It was survival exhaustion.<\/p>\n
The kind that builds slowly after months of fear.<\/p>\n
Her body looked permanently braced for disaster.<\/p>\n
I recognized that look.<\/p>\n
I had worn it myself after Arthur died.<\/p>\n
After the restaurant humiliation.<\/p>\n
After discovering my son planned to take my home.<\/p>\n
People carry prolonged stress physically. It settles into shoulders, breathing, eyes.<\/p>\n
Valerie suddenly rubbed both hands over her face again.<\/p>\n
Then quietly admitted:<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI haven\u2019t slept through a full night in almost a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
She laughed bitterly at herself.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cEvery time my phone rang, I thought it was another debt collector. Every knock on the apartment door made Lily cry because she thought someone was coming to make us leave again.\u201d<\/p>\n
That image twisted painfully inside my chest.<\/p>\n
Lily.<\/p>\n
Afraid of doors.<\/p>\n
Afraid of being unwanted.<\/p>\n
Children should never learn instability that young.<\/p>\n
Never.<\/p>\n
From the living room came Lily\u2019s tiny excited voice.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cBella! Come back!\u201d<\/p>\n
Then laughter.<\/p>\n
Actual laughter.<\/p>\n
Light and bright and innocent.<\/p>\n
Valerie\u2019s face crumpled instantly hearing it.<\/p>\n
She turned away quickly, pretending to adjust her sleeve.<\/p>\n
But not before I saw tears forming again.<\/p>\n
Not dramatic tears.<\/p>\n
Quiet ones.<\/p>\n
The dangerous kind.<\/p>\n
Because quiet crying usually means someone has finally run out of strength to perform.<\/p>\n
I crossed my arms tightly.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhy now?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked confused.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhy come here now after three years?\u201d<\/p>\n
Valerie stared toward the living room for a long moment.<\/p>\n
When she answered, her voice sounded almost hollow.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cBecause two nights ago Lily asked me if people stop loving you when you become poor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words hit the room like shattered glass.<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
Valerie swallowed hard.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cAnd I realized she learned that from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Heavy.<\/p>\n
Painful silence.<\/p>\n
Then she whispered something so quietly I barely heard it.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI think I ruined my daughter before she even had a chance to become herself.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time since Valerie arrived at my door\u2026<\/p>\n
I saw not a villain.<\/p>\n
Not an enemy.<\/p>\n
Not even Sebastian\u2019s ex-wife.<\/p>\n
I saw a terrified mother standing in the ruins of her own mistakes.<\/p>\n
And somehow\u2026<\/p>\n
that was far more unsettling.<\/p>\n
PART 7 \u2014 THE SECRET BOX<\/h1>\n
That afternoon, Lily fell asleep on my living room couch with Bella curled tightly against her side.<\/p>\n
Sunlight filtered softly through the windows, warming the faded quilt draped over her tiny legs. One small hand remained tangled in Bella\u2019s fur even in sleep, as if she feared waking up alone.<\/p>\n
Valerie sat silently in the armchair across the room watching her daughter breathe.<\/p>\n
Not scrolling through a phone.<\/p>\n
Not complaining.<\/p>\n
Not performing.<\/p>\n
Just watching.<\/p>\n
Exhausted mothers have a particular kind of stillness about them.<\/p>\n
I recognized it immediately.<\/p>\n
I had worn it myself once.<\/p>\n
The house remained unusually quiet all afternoon. Rainwater still dripped from the gutters outside, but the storm had passed completely now, leaving Brooklyn washed gray and calm.<\/p>\n
I stood in my study pretending to organize paperwork while my mind refused to settle.<\/p>\n
Everything felt dangerous suddenly.<\/p>\n
The child.<\/p>\n
Sebastian.<\/p>\n
Valerie sleeping under my roof again.<\/p>\n
The possibility of reopening wounds that had taken years to close.<\/p>\n
And underneath all of that\u2026<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s eyes staring back at me through a three-year-old girl.<\/p>\n
I opened the lower cabinet beside my desk searching for an old property tax file when my fingers brushed against something unexpected.<\/p>\n
A small wooden box.<\/p>\n
Dark cherry wood.<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s box.<\/p>\n
I froze immediately.<\/p>\n
For years I had kept it hidden in the back of the cabinet because opening it hurt too much.<\/p>\n
Inside were pieces of our life:<\/p>\n
- \n
- old photographs<\/li>\n
- handwritten letters<\/li>\n
- Sebastian\u2019s childhood drawings<\/li>\n
- ticket stubs<\/li>\n
- tiny memories too precious to throw away<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I slowly lifted the lid.<\/p>\n
The familiar scent of old paper and cedar drifted upward instantly.<\/p>\n
And suddenly I could hear Arthur laughing again in my memory so clearly it nearly knocked the breath out of me.<\/p>\n
From the living room came soft footsteps.<\/p>\n
Before I could close the box, Lily appeared quietly at the study doorway with Bella beside her.<\/p>\n
She looked sleepy.<\/p>\n
Curious.<\/p>\n
Her gaze immediately dropped to the photographs inside the box.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then answered softly:<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cOld memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lily stepped closer carefully, like someone approaching something sacred.<\/p>\n
Children understand emotional weight instinctively.<\/p>\n
I lifted one photograph from the box.<\/p>\n
Arthur sitting cross-legged on the living room floor helping six-year-old Sebastian build a toy train track.<\/p>\n
Lily\u2019s eyes widened immediately.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cThat\u2019s my daddy!\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled faintly despite myself.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cYes. He was missing his two front teeth in that picture because he fell off a skateboard two days earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lily giggled.<\/p>\n
A bright little sound that filled the study completely.<\/p>\n
Then she looked closer at Arthur.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cAnd that\u2019s the nice man again.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
Nice man.<\/p>\n
That was how children described goodness before adults complicated it.<\/p>\n
I handed her another photograph carefully.<\/p>\n
Sebastian age nine asleep on Arthur\u2019s chest while watching television.<\/p>\n
Lily studied it silently.<\/p>\n
Then whispered:<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cHe looks safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words hit me so hard I had to look away.<\/p>\n
Because that was exactly what Arthur had always made people feel.<\/p>\n
Safe.<\/p>\n
Even during chemo treatments, even during pain, even during fear.<\/p>\n
Safe.<\/p>\n
Valerie appeared quietly behind Lily then, stopping at the doorway.<\/p>\n
For a long second, nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
She stared at the photographs like someone looking through a window into a life she had once broken apart with her own hands.<\/p>\n
I expected tension.<\/p>\n
Defensiveness.<\/p>\n
But instead, Valerie whispered something so softly I almost missed it.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI forgot he used to smile like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
My eyes moved toward her slowly.<\/p>\n
She looked devastated.<\/p>\n
Not by me.<\/p>\n
By memory.<\/p>\n
That was different.<\/p>\n
Lily carefully pulled another picture from the box.<\/p>\n
This one showed teenage Sebastian standing beside me at his high school graduation while Arthur held flowers and cried dramatically in the background.<\/p>\n
Lily burst into laughter.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhy\u2019s he crying?\u201d<\/p>\n
A broken smile finally crossed Valerie\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
Tiny.<\/p>\n
Painful.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cBecause your grandfather cried at everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
Grandfather.<\/p>\n
It was the first time she had openly connected Lily to this family out loud.<\/p>\n
The weight of it settled heavily through the room.<\/p>\n
Lily suddenly climbed into my lap without warning to look deeper into the box.<\/p>\n
I stiffened instantly.<\/p>\n
Not from anger.<\/p>\n
From surprise.<\/p>\n
Children trust so recklessly.<\/p>\n
Bella rested her head against my knee while Lily flipped carefully through old birthday cards and photographs.<\/p>\n
Then she paused suddenly.<\/p>\n
Her small fingers touched a picture of Sebastian at around twelve years old holding a baseball glove almost bigger than his head.<\/p>\n
She tilted her face up toward me.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cDo you think my daddy would like me?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question shattered something inside the room.<\/p>\n
Valerie made a soft sound behind us like her heart had physically broken.<\/p>\n
And for one terrible second\u2026<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know how to answer.<\/p>\n
PART 8 \u2014 THE PHONE CALL<\/h1>\n
The question stayed suspended in the air like something fragile enough to shatter if handled wrong.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cDo you think my daddy would like me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lily\u2019s gray-blue eyes searched my face so openly that my chest physically hurt.<\/p>\n
Children ask the most dangerous questions so innocently.<\/p>\n
Behind us, Valerie stood completely still near the study doorway, one trembling hand covering her mouth.<\/p>\n
I looked down at the photograph in Lily\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n
Sebastian at twelve years old.<\/p>\n
Gangly arms.<\/p>\n
Crooked grin.<\/p>\n
Arthur\u2019s old baseball glove tucked beneath one arm.<\/p>\n
My son had once loved deeply and easily before life\u2014and his own bad choices\u2014complicated him.<\/p>\n
And suddenly I realized something important:<\/p>\n
Lily\u2019s existence wasn\u2019t the tragedy here.<\/p>\n
The tragedy was that she had spent three years wondering whether she was lovable before even meeting her father.<\/p>\n
I carefully brushed a curl away from her forehead.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cYes,\u201d I said softly. \u201cI think your daddy would love you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lily smiled instantly.<\/p>\n
Completely.<\/p>\n
Like sunlight breaking through clouds.<\/p>\n
And behind us, Valerie quietly began crying again.<\/p>\n
Not loudly.<\/p>\n
Not dramatically.<\/p>\n
Just silent tears running down a face already exhausted from too many mistakes.<\/p>\n
That evening passed strangely.<\/p>\n
Too peaceful for the amount of emotional damage sitting inside my house.<\/p>\n
I made spaghetti because it was the only thing I remembered Sebastian eating happily for nearly fifteen straight years. Lily helped sprinkle parmesan cheese onto plates while Bella followed every step she took through the kitchen.<\/p>\n
At one point Lily laughed so hard after accidentally dropping noodles onto the floor that Bella practically inhaled them whole.<\/p>\n
The sound of a child laughing inside my kitchen again felt unfamiliar.<\/p>\n
But not unpleasant.<\/p>\n
Dangerous.<\/p>\n
That was the problem.<\/p>\n
Because attachment grows quietly before logic can stop it.<\/p>\n
After dinner, Valerie offered to wash dishes three separate times.<\/p>\n
The old Valerie would never have touched a dirty plate voluntarily.<\/p>\n
This Valerie looked grateful simply to stand in warm light without fear.<\/p>\n
At around eight o\u2019clock, Lily fell asleep sideways on my couch with Bella pressed tightly against her stomach.<\/p>\n
I covered her carefully with a blanket.<\/p>\n
Then I stood there watching her for longer than I should have.<\/p>\n
Three years old.<\/p>\n
Three lost years.<\/p>\n
Three birthdays Sebastian never saw.<\/p>\n
My chest tightened painfully.<\/p>\n
Behind me, Valerie spoke quietly.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cShe likes you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t turn around.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cChildren usually like people who make them feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words carried weight this time.<\/p>\n
Not accusation.<\/p>\n
Truth.<\/p>\n
Valerie lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n
Then after a long silence, she whispered:<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI don\u2019t think she\u2019s felt safe in a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
That decided it.<\/p>\n
Not forgiveness.<\/p>\n
Not trust.<\/p>\n
But decision.<\/p>\n
I walked slowly toward the hallway table where my phone rested charging beside a lamp.<\/p>\n
Every step felt heavier than the last.<\/p>\n
Valerie immediately stiffened behind me.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cEleanor\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up the phone.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cHe deserves to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fear flashed openly across her face.<\/p>\n
Not fear for herself.<\/p>\n
Fear of consequences finally arriving.<\/p>\n
Good.<\/p>\n
Consequences were long overdue in this family.<\/p>\n
My thumb hovered over Sebastian\u2019s contact for several seconds.<\/p>\n
The last few years between us had become careful and fragile in the best possible way.<\/p>\n
Slow rebuilding.<\/p>\n
Boundaries.<\/p>\n
Honesty.<\/p>\n
He came for coffee twice a month now.<\/p>\n
Helped repair things around the house without being asked.<\/p>\n
Never borrowed money.<\/p>\n
Never manipulated.<\/p>\n
Sometimes healing happens so slowly you don\u2019t notice it until suddenly you can breathe beside someone again.<\/p>\n
But this?<\/p>\n
This would crack everything open.<\/p>\n
I pressed call before I could lose courage.<\/p>\n
The phone rang three times.<\/p>\n
Then Sebastian answered groggily.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Hearing his voice suddenly made my throat tighten.<\/p>\n
Older now.<\/p>\n
Calmer.<\/p>\n
Sadder.<\/p>\n
Human again.<\/p>\n
I looked toward the sleeping child on my couch.<\/p>\n
Then toward Valerie standing frozen beside the dining table.<\/p>\n
Finally I spoke.<\/p>\n
Very carefully.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cSebastian\u2026 I need you to come over tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instant concern sharpened his voice immediately.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cWhat happened? Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes briefly.<\/p>\n
How strange life was.<\/p>\n
Years ago I would have hidden pain to protect him.<\/p>\n
Now I was about to hand him a truth capable of changing everything.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d I said quietly. \u201cBut there\u2019s\u2026 someone here you need to meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Long silence.<\/p>\n
Then slowly:<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cMom\u2026 what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Lily again.<\/p>\n
At Arthur\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
At Bella sleeping protectively beside her.<\/p>\n
At the little girl who had unknowingly walked straight into the ruins and hopes of an entire broken family.<\/p>\n
Then I answered the sentence that changed all our lives forever.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u201cSebastian,\u201d I whispered, \u201cI think you have a daughter.\u201d\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n
CONTINUE READ NEXT>>>> Section3:THE FATHER \u201cMy daughter-in-law invited me at 8:30 for a dinner that actually started at 6, and when I arrived, only the bill was left; my son mocked me, saying \u2018always so lost, Mom,\u2019 but when I called the manager over and they discovered who I was in that restaurant, the color completely drained from their faces.\u201d<\/a><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PART 5 \u2014 LILY AND BELLA The question hit me harder than any insult Valerie had ever thrown at me. Not because of the words themselves. Because of how naturally … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2218"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2222,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218\/revisions\/2222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}