Abandonment is one word to describe Evelyn Ward's childhood.
Known as an orphan freak and paranoid schizophrenic, she was dragged through years of therapy after admitting to hearing whispering voices and seeing creatures and living shadows.
...
The thundering of my heart roared in my ears almost drowning out the sound of Elelas' knuckles tapping against the sturdy oak door we stood in front of. With little hesitation, the massive doors swung inward.
Elelas dipped into a courteous bow. "Your Grace." He straightened, smiling a charming smile at the ethereal woman with luminous, silver wings standing before us. "This is Evelyn --"
"My daughter," she breathed.
Startled, I blinked once, then again. With her smooth porcelain skin, she appeared no older than thirty -- too young to be my mother but the depths of her crystalline eyes held the wisdom of many years beyond that.
Her silvery hair cascaded down her shoulders in loose waves, stopping at her slender waist. She stepped forward, her white gown pooling around her feet as she stopped in front of me and rested her delicate hands on my arms. Up close, I could see the similarities in our features; the slight tilt of my eyes, the shape of my chin, I got from her. From my mother. My heart soared on the wings of joy. All the imagining in the world couldn't compare to the magnificence of this moment.
"Your Grace." I curtsied, nearly stumbling over my own feet. The shadow of doubt began to darken my elation. She was grace and elegance, her beauty stunning -- how could I possibly compare? What if I didn't live up to her expectations? If I wasn't good enough, would she turn me away?
A radiant smile lit up her features as she grasped my face. "My beautiful daughter... No need for such formalities. You may call me Aurora, or mother if you're comfortable. Whatever you wish to call me."
Her affectionate tone cut through my gloom like a ray of sun, piercing my heart with giddiness. Throwing my arms around her, I nestled my cheek against her shoulder. "Mom," I choked out, squeezing my eyes shut to trap the welling tears.
Her gentle fingers brushed my hair. "Elelas, leave us. I have much to discuss with my daughter."
His soft footsteps receded down the hall.
"Come, darling, let us sit so we may talk more comfortably." Taking my hand, she led me through the doorway into a large sitting room filled with lush, ivory colored furniture.
Sitting on the antique couch, I trailed my hand across the velvet cushions, savoring the silky feel of the fabric beneath my fingertips. How luxurious my surroundings were. From the dark cherry wood floors covered in silk rugs to the crystal chandelier that hung from the towering ceiling, just the contents of this room must have had more value than the entirety of the apartment building I called home.
How would it have felt to have grown up in such comfort? How would it have affected my personality? Surely I would have been more regal, more refined and dignified. Confident and self-assured rather than cowardly and selfish. But would I have appreciated what I had? Would I have recognized the novelty of having a loving mother and wanting for nothing had I not grown up with so little?
Aurora perched on the edge of the chaise lounge opposite me. With her hands placed in her lap and the soft glow from the fireplace lighting a halo around her, she looked every bit regal as a queen should be, but she leaned forward with eagerness alight in her azure blue eyes that matched the wonder swelling inside me.
"There must be so much you wish to know."
Indeed, thousands of questions buzzed through my head but my tongue failed to form the words stuck in my throat.
"Every night since you were stolen from me, I've dreamt of this moment. Through every search that turned up empty handed I never gave up the hope that we would find you, not for one second. I knew one day I would get you back, and now you're finally here."
"Why did you wait so long to tell me then?" The bitter words snapped from my mouth faster than I could take them back. "You could have had Zev tell me and I could've met you weeks ago, but instead you kept it from me -- you let him keep this from me as though this isn't everything to me. As if I haven't been wishing for this every moment I can remember."
"My sweet child. My dear, sweet girl." Her lilting voice softened the blows my uncertainty delt. "It was careless of me to agree to hide this from you but I only meant to shield you from harm. I didn't want to cause you distress and when Zev reported that he had found you and you had a life in the human realm, I didn't want to uproot you any farther or pressure you into coming here. It was a poor judgment call -- I should have known you would have grown into strong enough a woman to handle this, to make your own decisions."
Now there was a decision left for me to make. I could choose to see past the insecurities I had always let govern me and forgive her mistake. Or I could choose to give into my anger, to retreat behind the wall of thorns my hurt had grown and close myself off from my mother's warmth.
Twenty-one years. That's how long I had been deprived of love, of kindness. Twenty-one years spent in the bitter darkness of the solitude the demons had forced on me when they stole me from my home.
Twenty-one years.
Far too long for anyone to live with such cold turning their bones to brittle ice.
So, I chose warmth. I chose love. I chose forgiveness.
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So Evelyn has finally met her mother. A long-awaited moment of happiness - and she has taken a step away from the darkness looming on her. Did she make the right choice in forgiving Aurora? Let me know what you think in the comments - I always love hearing what you have to say!
