Bringing Her Home

Belonging

Lyra's eyes fluttered as they adjusted to the light within the room, Lyra was comfortable within the queen-sized bed. Lyra felt and noticed she was in different clothing, she was wearing pajamas similar to the one's she used to wear when she stayed with her mother.

Lyra's eyes widened as Pan jolted up off her chest as Lyra glanced around noticing she was in a bedroom somewhere that wasn't the cafe in Cittàgazze. Then she saw her mother and Mr. Latrom to her right turn around near the doorway noticing she had woken up.

"Lyra"

Lyra jumped up from the covers bolting right away, she sprung up off the bed in a flash with Pan following as she quickly went for the nearby closed windows. The golden monkey had been knocked off the bed by the covers Lyra had tossed off her.

"Lyra! Lyra stop!"

Lyra heard rushed footsteps and two shouts behind her as she quickly made haste trying desperately to open one of the windows. Lyra with nimble fingers got the window to unlatch before the window opened less than an inch before a piercing screeching alarm tore out within the room at it being opened.

Lyra in shock and fear covered her ears instinctively at the loud piercing sound in reaction, Lyra still made moves to pry the window open further. Lyra clung on for dear life to the windowsill hoping to make a break for it as the alarm still sounded out piercingly loud announcing her attempted jailbreak.

Lyra felt arms hug her around her torso pulling her away from the window, Lyra resisted as she struggled to breathe from fear.

"Let go darling"

"No!" Lyra screamed out beginning to sob as she realized she was stuck and that the window wouldn't open all the way as the grip around her pulled her away from the window.

Mr. Latrom was pulling at Lyra's fingers and hands delicately to get Lyra to let go of the windowsill edge that she was holding on to. Pan, who had transformed into a cat, screeched and hissed at Mr.Latrom making swipes at the man's leg to get him to stop.

Lyra's fingers were eventually removed from the window causing Marisa to fall backward with Lyra within her arms onto the carpeted floor of the bedroom.

"No" Lyra cried out in a whisper as she realized there would be no way she would be able to escape, she continued to cry struggling to breathe as she was overtaken with emotions. Lyra felt herself being pulled into her mother's arms.

Marisa held Lyra close to her as she placed her chin atop of Lyra's head holding her close to her heart as Lyra cried and sobbed struggling to breathe.

"Shhh, it's alright. It's alright....you're safe now. I've got you....mummy's got you"

Marisa swayed slightly with Lyra within her arms as they sat upon the carpet, Lyra continued to cry as she tried to get some air.

Lyra's breathing began to even out as she was able to breathe in struggling with hiccups from crying. Lyra through tears could do nothing but let her mother for the first time ever comfort her. Lyra couldn't ever remember having someone hold her or cuddle her in all of her life so far, it had only ever been Lyra and Pan. Now, here she was in her mother's arms.

It confused the wit's out of Lyra, as she felt conflicted internally about her mother. Her mother at times seemed so good, how Lyra imagined her mother to be.

However, Lyra knew everything good with her mother was too good to be true.

It hurt, it was conflicting. Lyra wanted so desperately to believe her mother to be good, however, history has shown. Her mother wasn't to be trusted, she would just get hurt eventually.

Her mother had never hugged her before.....when they first met and she offered Lyra to be her assistant. Lyra had hugged her then, excited that for once. Someone had wanted her.

Lyra rested within her mother's arms, as Marisa rocked Lyra and herself back and forth soothingly holding Lyra for dear life as if she would slip away.

"I'm right here" Marisa pressed a kiss to Lyra's head softly, savoring holding her child within her arms. Something she had stridden for since the moment she realized she loved Lyra, she wanted her daughter.

With everything I have

"Let me go" Lyra softly begged her mother, through fallen tears as Lyra sniffled breathing in deeply.

"I let you go many years ago and it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life"

Lyra froze within her mother's arms sniffling through her tears, as her mother's words took her by surprise.

"Why should I trust you...you..you just hurt and lie...."

Marisa sighed as she held onto her child within her arms close to her, feeling Lyra's heart beating safe against hers. She knew after Lyra attempted to flee and after she had Pantalaimon attack her, she had to tell Lyra the truth. No holds barred, if she didn't she would fully lose her.

"I was foolish, I didn't realize that in my pursuit of power....it caused hurt to the one person that should have mattered most of all.....You"

"Why? Why didn't you leave me like him?" Lyra tearfully asked as she recalled how her father killed Roger, leaving her behind for his own ambition and goals not a care for anyone. It made Lyra's tears anew at the thought of Roger.

"You're my daughter, my place is with you Lyra.....You are my home and I vow never to leave you again"

Lyra buried her face into her mother's chest and shoulder as her mother's words registered, it's something Lyra dreamed one day her uncle would have said to her once upon a time. Her mother had traveled worlds and lands to go after her, to be with her.

Lyra was wanted, her mother loved her. Lyra cried as she felt and let all her emotions out for the first time. She sunk into her mother's arms returning her embrace, Marisa relaxed into Lyra's embrace as she felt that she had finally gotten her daughter back.