Wings [Levi Daughter]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"You were born during a storm..."

Sitting in the candle lit room, Levi and Iris shared a cup of tea as he began his tale about her mother. Iris across from him, listening to her father.

"The Underground was flooding... people were trying to get somewhere where they wouldn't get wet, luckily, your mother's home was at a high place, so there was no problem. The problem was... due to the commotion, no one could hear her calls for help, that was until Farlan and I came to the door bringing extra food..." Levi sighed. "To be honest, I didn't know what to do, so Farlan did everything, he gave me orders to look for a midwife, there was none, but your neighbor was a prostitute who knew how to handle children..."

Iris smiled.

"Your mother named your 'Iris', it meant the colorful light after the storm – a rainbow..." Levi lightly chuckled. "Fitting, because just as you came out, the storm stopped..." he turned to Iris, guilt in his eyes as he remembered what she told him before. "You asked me before if I wanted you. The moment that your mother told me she was pregnant if I accepted you... I can't lie to you, Iris, but the truth was... I was scared. I didn't know how to raise a child... I was only nineteen when you came."

"Dad, it's okay..." Iris said.

"But, as you grew, I know that I made a mistake on pushing away your mother... for not coming back and ask for forgiveness... I wanted to be with you two... I just don't know how... the day when I left with Farlan and Isabel to kill Erwin, I negotiated with Lovof to give me two more citizenships, so I could take you two with me. I wanted to give us a fresh start, here at the surface, where we could live somewhere you could run around, watch the stars... I wanted to fix things with your mother. But things didn't go as planned.

"After Farlan and Isabel died, I requested that I went back to the Underground to get you two. I was accompanied by Mike... but when I came to your home, you were sick... and your mother was dying at the foot of your bed..."

"Mom told me." Iris said. "She said that she begged for you to save me instead... why did you tell me that you abandoned Mom?"

"Because I didn't want you to think badly of her... and didn't want for you to get your hopes up that she would still be alive if you went to the Underground to see her... I know that you love your mother, and it would break you if you knew that she chose to die there than live at the surface with us..."

"But now we know why..." Iris said.

Levi nodded. He then took out a piece of paper from his jacket, unfolded it, and placed it on the table before Iris. Iris' eyes widened when she saw the image.

"Mom?" Iris said.

"I found it in one of Erwin's books." Levi said. "I wanted to give that to you and make amends, but I just couldn't find the strength to face you then... and..." Levi took off his necklace and placed it on Iris' hand.

"Mom's necklace." Iris said. She felt the surface of the necklace, the familiar feeling – "That's Titan crystal."

"I was shocked as you were." Levi said. "Your mother gave this to me before we left the Underground, she wanted me to give it to you... for you to remember her."

Iris caressed the surface of the Titan crystal, she remembered her mother always wearing it under her shirt, treasuring it. She even refused to sell it to a lady that was offering huge money, when she was selling some of their things so they could buy food and medicine.

To Levi's surprise, Iris stood up and placed the necklace on his neck again. When she sat down again, she smiled at him.

"I think Mom would want you to have it instead." Iris said.