What if Mrs. Coulter gets given a second chance with Lyra

Chapter two

Ever since Marisa Coulter gave birth to her daughter Lyra, she used every ounce of her being to try and forget her. Some days it would work and sometimes it wouldn't. Marisa could be out walking and she's spot a mother and daughter shopping together, or a mother holding her baby to calm it down. Those days Marisa Coulter craved her daughter, sometimes so bad that she'd have to hold back tears and walk in the opposite direction.

Lyra's first birthday came around and Marisa was sitting in her office doing work for the Oblation Board. The phone rang, it was the receptionist from the lobby saying there was a package for her. So Marisa went down collected it and took it back to her apartment. Having no idea what would be inside and it was odd that something was sent on her daughters birthday.

She slowly opens the box to find a photogram of little Lyra and Pan, sitting on a blanket with toys and books around her. "What sick joke this is" Marisa thought to herself. She throws the photogram into a draw in her desk and went back to work.

The golden monkey couldn't stop thinking about the photogram and he knew that it upset his human, but he wanted to see it again. Every time he'd think off the photogram Marisa would hit him, as his pain would help with forgetting what came in the mail.

That year went in a blur, Marisa got promoted to be head of a experimental program for children and their dæmons. She didn't like what they did, but she saw the good side, removing sin from children so young so they could live not full off sin and regrets.

Lyra's second birthday came around and again Marisa got another mysterious package with a photogram in it, but this time it was just Lyra and she had the biggest grin on her face.

Secretly Marisa liked this photogram as Lyra looks so much like her when she was that age but saw a hint of Asriel as well. Marisa hires a private investigator to see if they could find out where these packages were coming from. The investigator came up empty handed and Marisa wasn't happy.

Marisa would make her dæmon sit outside her office door sometimes and during those times she'd just stare at the photograms of her daughter. She had them put into beautiful gold frames. Marisa loved having them out but only when she was alone in her office, other times she'd have them hidden as she was ashamed of her sinful self.

Lyra's third birthday was coming up and this year Marisa thought she may actually do something this year. So she went out and bought a cake and a number 3 candle. When it was the time of Lyra's birth, Marisa lit the candle and blew it out and silently wish her daughter a happy birthday. No mystery box came on Lyra's birthday but a week later with a letter and another photogram of Lyra. This time Lyra was posing in the photo. Marisa just smiled and put the photogram away.

Marisa quickly read the letter that came a weeks ago. Not much jumped out but the parts that did made her emotional and Marisa Coulter doesn't get emotional. The parts that stood out were Lyra constantly asks about who her parents are and when will they come and get her, trying to climb the roofs of the college, running off all the time. "Maybe we should visit and see the Master", thought the golden monkey.  Marisa didn't say anything but she knew it was a good idea

Marisa wrote to the Master and requested his time when he wasn't busy. The Master wrote next Tuesday tea at 2pm. Marisa had wrote it down and made sure she wasn't busy that day.

It finally came, the day she has tea with the Master. Marisa was more excited hoping she'd see Lyra, even if it's just for a split second.

Walking through the grounds towards the Masters suite, she saw a older woman running after a child, not taking much notice she kept on going. Once she got to the suite, before the Master even sat down , Marisa started bombarding him with questions.

The Master raised his hand as if to say, if you just stop for a second I can answer your questions. The first question was about Lyra and where she was, the Master replied "she's hopefully keeping out of trouble" Marisa glared at him thinking my daughter can't be that bad.... can she?
The second question was can I see her? The Master sighed and said "I'm sorry, but it's not possible right now" Marisa really wanted to use her power to over rule him, but then she thought "if I do this I may never see Lyra again" Marisa let out a big sigh and her final question was, were you the one who sent me those photograms off Lyra in her birthdays?

With a big sigh and a sad look on his face the Master said "yes that was me, I thought you may like them even though I was told you never wanted the child. Marisa didn't know how to react to that as he was right, she didn't want Lyra when she was born but since the first photogram arrived something in her started forming a love for the child.

When it was over Marisa left Jordan college a little sad but she didn't want to show it. Walking back to the airship Marisa could hear a young child giggling, LYRA gasp Marisa looking everywhere for her child. Her golden monkey heard it too but he knew how upset his human was getting so he'd think of other things to take her mind off the child.