Post by Shelzi on Jul 23, 2017 11:00:53 GMT -8
"Hi, Momma!"
Shelzi's heart swelled with bittersweet agony at the sight of her baby daughter. "Grace, sweetest, you should not be here."
The chubby cheeked beauty gave her an adorably puzzled look. "Why?"
Shelzi faltered to find a reason out of many their child would understand. Because newborns weren't supposed to be able to dreamwalk? Because she'd only been born a few days ago but managed to project herself as she'd be in three or four years? Now wasn't the time to set limits on her potential.
"You shouldn't stay too long," she finally relented. She sank down next to Grace, the vague fog around them receding enough for her to make out an oval of grass around them. No sun or blue sky above, but she could smell a fresh cut lawn and admire the vibrant colors of a clump of wildflowers between her and Grace.
Her attention shifted into admiring Grace herself. The toddler's bright orange hair made her smile. Large brown eyes were narrowed in concentration as Grace closely studied the flower, leaning so close her breath fluttered the petals.
"Why?" the tot asked again.
"Because your daddy's heart hurts when we leave him." Tears ran slow and unchecked down the sides of Shelzi's face.
"It does," her daughter simply agreed. "I'll go back." Grace lifted her head and Shelzi was captivated by the wisdom in the baby's eyes. "If you walk me."
Walk her back? She melted as realization dawned. "I won't be able to stay long, though."
Grace sagely nodded. "Because daddy's heart hurts since you left him."
"Yes."
They stood up together and Shelzi took her daughter's tiny hand. Silently they walked into the fog.
The fog rolled away at their approach and refilled in their wake. She could no longer see Grace, their connection concentrated into the sensation of her daughter's small, chubby hand gripped in hers.
"Winny is mad at you."
Shelzi winced, intuitively knowing her pet name for Lilwen. "I left her, too. Just like her father said I would."
"You should say sorry."
"I'm not sorry."
There was a thoughtful silence. "You could lie."
Shelzi chuckled softly. "No. Lying is bad."
"Always?"
It was Shelzi's turn to think. "It's always bad for somebody."
The chubby cheeked beauty gave her an adorably puzzled look. "Why?"
Shelzi faltered to find a reason out of many their child would understand. Because newborns weren't supposed to be able to dreamwalk? Because she'd only been born a few days ago but managed to project herself as she'd be in three or four years? Now wasn't the time to set limits on her potential.
"You shouldn't stay too long," she finally relented. She sank down next to Grace, the vague fog around them receding enough for her to make out an oval of grass around them. No sun or blue sky above, but she could smell a fresh cut lawn and admire the vibrant colors of a clump of wildflowers between her and Grace.
Her attention shifted into admiring Grace herself. The toddler's bright orange hair made her smile. Large brown eyes were narrowed in concentration as Grace closely studied the flower, leaning so close her breath fluttered the petals.
"Why?" the tot asked again.
"Because your daddy's heart hurts when we leave him." Tears ran slow and unchecked down the sides of Shelzi's face.
"It does," her daughter simply agreed. "I'll go back." Grace lifted her head and Shelzi was captivated by the wisdom in the baby's eyes. "If you walk me."
Walk her back? She melted as realization dawned. "I won't be able to stay long, though."
Grace sagely nodded. "Because daddy's heart hurts since you left him."
"Yes."
They stood up together and Shelzi took her daughter's tiny hand. Silently they walked into the fog.
The fog rolled away at their approach and refilled in their wake. She could no longer see Grace, their connection concentrated into the sensation of her daughter's small, chubby hand gripped in hers.
"Winny is mad at you."
Shelzi winced, intuitively knowing her pet name for Lilwen. "I left her, too. Just like her father said I would."
"You should say sorry."
"I'm not sorry."
There was a thoughtful silence. "You could lie."
Shelzi chuckled softly. "No. Lying is bad."
"Always?"
It was Shelzi's turn to think. "It's always bad for somebody."
