Try to reconnect
I sat across from Mother in the magical custody cell, emotions swirling inside me. Evelyn and Asher waited outside, giving us privacy.
Mother's eyes, once filled with darkness, now held sadness and longing:
"Aria... can you ever forgive me?"
I took a deep breath, choosing words carefully:
"I'm trying, Mother. Forgiveness might take time, but I want to understand you – the person you were before darkness consumed you."
Mother nodded, tears falling:
"I was once happy – loving you and Evelyn, devoted to Father. Then fear of death and desire for power corrupted me..."
She reached out a trembling hand; I took it, feeling a spark of former maternal love.
"Do you remember anything good from our past – anything I can hold onto?" I asked.
Mother smiled faintly:
"Your birthday celebrations... Evelyn's laughter... family dinners together. Those memories remained hidden beneath the darkness."
My heart swelled with mixed emotions – grief, love, and hope for redemption.
I squeezed Mother's hand gently:
"Mother, how could Father not see your darkness growing – he loved you so deeply?"
Mother's expression turned poignant:
"Your father was blinded by love, ambition, and his own darkness – a desire for power and legacy. I manipulated his fears and desires perfectly."
My mind reeled – Father's flaws made him vulnerable to her deception.
Mother continued:
"He suspected something was wrong with me, but I convinced him it was stress or illness returning. He wanted to believe me – his wife, his partner..."
Asher's words echoed in my mind – "love can be a weakness" – and now I understood.
Mother added:
"Do you think your father can forgive me, Aria – or himself – for not saving me from darkness?"