Unexpected

First Moments

One of the staff served lunch for the two of them after seeing Marisa had company, it was quiet.

Marisa couldn't help but stare at Lyra neglecting her own food as she watched the young child eat, Lyra had this habit of holding her hand near her mouth as she chewed with her finger food.

Lyra shifted uncomfortably under Marisa's gaze, not knowing what to expect from the woman who looked at her in a way that her father rarely did when he thought she wasn't looking.

Marisa had no idea what she was going to do, she didn't know how to handle a child let alone raise one. She hadn't had the chance to, once the trial was over Lyra was taken from the nunnery by Asriel and she never saw her after she was born until now.

She hadn't gotten to know her child at all, now she had her for two months. Once Asriel came back she would give him her two cents until then Lyra was the priority.

Lyra chewed the carrots beside her untouched sandwich, having not eaten anything since early that morning when she had left Jordan.

Lyra sat low in the chair just barely reaching the right height on the table, she was a small thing captivating Marisa with a curiosity. This was the same baby that she held in her arms, who cried and she soothed. She only held her for one night.

The girl has grown a bit since then.

There was no denying who the little girl was, she had her nose.

Lyra dangled her feet from the chair, she then finished the last carrot upon her plate. Looking down noticing Marisa's eyes on her she swung her feet from the chair to fill her boredom.

"Aren't you hungry?"

Marisa asked, eying the untouched sandwich upon Lyra's plate, wondering why the girl had not touched it after she enthusiastically finished all her carrots.

Lyra's little eyes gazed back at her before eying the sandwich upon her plate in question.

"I don't like the crust"

Lyra supplied, mumbling nervous and unsure about not wanting to be rude after being taught by Dr. Carne and Charles manners.

Marisa had not expected the girl to be picky about a feeble thing such as crust on a sandwich, Marisa not knowing what overcame her suddenly stood up from her chair before walking over to Lyra's side.

Lyra watched her curiously not knowing what the woman was doing, Marisa reached for a knife upon the table from Lyra's place setting before promptly cutting off the crusts of the sandwich.

"There"

Marisa announced once she was done placing the knife back down, then Lyra smiled with a toothy adorable smile looking up at Marisa.

"Thank you"

Suddenly Marisa felt her heart flutter with an indescribable feeling. She smiled a soft genuine smile, the first one in years.

As Lyra reached for the sandwich and silently began to eat it, Marisa had the urge to brush the girl's hair from her face however she stopped herself.

Marisa then retreated back to her chair on the opposite side of the table, she continued to eat alongside Lyra.

Only glancing up when Lyra suddenly began choking upon her sandwich, which prompted Marisa to become fearful as the little girl reached her small hands for the glass of milk set out for her.

Lyra reached for the milk with one hand, before she could even comprehend the glass slipped from her hand spilling onto the floor into a puddle while Lyra continued to choke and cough from the sandwich.