Mei Dragon loved her mother, and her mother loved her.
But maybe her mother loved her too much. Of course, one could always wonder how anyone can 'love too much'. Isn't love a good thing, after all?
---
Mei looked up at the tall walls around her home. They often resembled prison walls over safety measures. She recalled the days of loneliness, even if this place was filled with servants and her parents. But they were too protective, too paranoid.
But today was going to be the day!
She'd met a kid at school, MK. He was funny, sweet, and super cool. And he invited her to a sleepover! The only sleepovers Mei could ever have were between family, but she had very few cousins and such. But she'd never gone to a friend's house!
The child swallowed down her nerves, fiddling with her sleeved as she greeted her parents. She inhaled swiftly, "I made a friend today. He invited me to a sleepover--"
Her mother frowned, "No. Absolutely not." Her father seemed hesitant, smiling gently, "Maybe when you're older, Mei." The girl slumped, "But... You can meet his parents! A-And he lives above Pigsy's Noodles! He said so!"
"Mei, what if he was lying? You don't know that for sure." Her mother softened, leaning down to tuck a stray hair away, "It is for your safety."
---
MK wasn't lying.
Mei only knew because she managed to get her parents to agree to let her celebrate his birthday with him this year. She was fifteen now, and had a cell phone! She just had to send them updates and it was okay. And it was worth all the begging and tears, Pigsy was a magician when it came to food!
As they ate, Mei gushed, "I'm so glad my mom let me go this time! And now I can totally tell her that you weren't lying!" MK blinked, looking over at his best friend, "Lying? About what?" Mei gestured, "About where you live! I told her you weren't lying and that this cool place really is your home!"
The brunette frowned, but turned back to his food. Mei, unaware of his thoughts, happily did the same.
---
Her mother patted her head, soothing her tears, "I love you. A mother and a daughter's bond is forever, as is my love. I'm proud of you, did you know that?" Mei leaned in, sniffling softly. She loved to hear her mother speak to her so sweetly, and at the same time, it hurt.
Mei wished she could grow up the same as everyone else.
She couldn't even use her phone for more than an hour a day without her parents breathing down her back about phone usage. It was a miracle she could sneak in a couple more hours every now and then. She wished everything could be private if she wanted.
Mei wished for a life where she could be rowdy, gushing about going over to her friend's house or to a park by herself. But there was no such thing within these suffocating walls. Mei felt trapped, but she felt guilty as well.
Her mother pulled away, "Go wash up. Dinner's almost ready." She leaned forward, planting a kiss on top of her daughter's head.
Mei watched her go, heart thrumming in her ears. What was she to do without her mother? Life surrounded her, and she needed Mei. A mother and daughter's bond is forever, isn't it?
---
Once she turned eighteen the first thing she did was dye her hair. The next thing she did was enter her first race.
Her parents had been upset, scolding her for hours as they lectured her to no end. Mei didn't care, she was too angry. Too free.
And there was so much in the city to see.
Her mother couldn't do anything, and their relationship was stretched thin. Mei would've chopped her mother out...but...
A mother and a daughter's bond is forever.
Her mother still needed her, and Mei still needed her mother. She loved her, just as much as Mei loved the same woman who'd kept her away from the world. They had fought often, with nasty words thrown around, but they still loved each other.
So try as she might, Mei could never keep her far enough away.
---
Once she got the Dragon Blade, she felt complete.
Her mother was proud and happy with Mei. She didn't even seem to mind the strange nature of her friends and had hugged her closely along with her father. Mei felt warm and relieved.
But it felt wrong.
In the smallest corner of her heart, it felt wrong. Temporary. As if her mother only loved what Mei was capable of. But that couldn't be true. Her mother loved her just as dearly as Mei loved her.
A mother and a daughter's bond is forever, is it not?
YOU ARE READING
Grow Up, Little One
FanfictionLMK one-shots based off of some of my own childhood experiences to build on headcannons, character arcs, and who each of them are as a whole!
