Opportunity | Lana Parilla fanfic

Chapter 5

The day had not started in the best way in the Parrila house and had continued slowly. Lux and Lana had spent the whole day on the couch cuddle to each other in front of the television to which neither of them really paid attention.

The little girl refused to eat lunch and the woman let go because she knew that the little girl needed time but when dinner time came Lana decided to get up from that state of trance and cook two cheese toasts, one for her and one for the little girl.

"Lux, dinner ready"

The little girl had been warned that she was supposed to eat dinner with no fuss but she had barely eaten half of her toast when she pushed the plate away.

"Can I go to bed?"

The woman knew that it would do no good to push at that moment except to make the child even more sad so she agrees and lets her go. When she starts tidying up her kitchen, her eye falls on the file the child had given her.

Lana takes the file into her office and sitting at her desk with a glass of wine opens it.

Lux's birth certificate, a medical report from a few years ago, a key to a safety deposit box and two letters.

The first letter she opens is the woman's willingness to entrust her daughter to her cousin and to keep the contents of the safe deposit box for the child when she comes of age.

The second letter was for Lana..

Dear Lana,

time has been our enemy, it has divided us and so many things have happened that I don't have time to tell you and I know I would bore you. The best thing in my life is with you now, it's my little miracle, my sunshine on a gray day. Lux is a special, intelligent, funny child.. she needs to discover the luminous part of the world and through your eyes I am sure that she will have no difficulty in understanding that there is no such thing as being alert to constant danger ..

I've done a lot of bullshit and I already know my fate that will come sooner or later but my mistakes don't have to be paid for by Lux and this is the only reason why I'm only parting with it now. I'm not a badass like you I never had the strength to part with it even though I knew it would be better, I couldn't resist, I wouldn't hold out until this moment.. It was the best 8 years of my life with Lux.

Tell her about me, the me you knew, when we were little girls. Remind her that I loved her more than anything. Tell her that I fought to the last just for her because she is precious.

Love her as if she were your flash and blood and make her feel special like only you can.

I love you,

Maria

Tears flowed smoothly down her face. It took her hours to calm down and decide to go to bed. Once in the room she realizes that she wasn't the only one in despair because Lux was awake and a complete disaster. The poor girl's eyes were on fire with the many tears that had fallen.

Without saying a word, the woman scoops the girl and places her between her legs, holding her against her chest and drawing circles with her hand on the kid's back. When the girl notices the woman she tries to stop crying.

"I'm sowy .."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Because I promised my mother that I would not cry and that I would be strong"

"Oh Sweetie it's okay to be sad sometimes she helps us process what happened and understand that we're still here and we need to move on"

"I feel pain.." the woman at that moment wanted to take all the pain and take charge of it.

"Do you know that my dad died? When it happened I felt so bad that I thought I could not breathe anymore then over time I started breathing again"

"Is the pain gone?"

"It never goes away baby but we learn to live with it and therefore it hurts a little less"The little girl seemed to have taken what the woman said for good and closed her eyes exhausted. Her crying had exhausted her. The woman on her side couldn't sleep and didn't want to stop hold the kid. Lux had found safe haven in Lana's arms that evening and Lana had found her safe haven in Lux.

After a few hours of disturbed sleep the little girl wakes up with a start in the throes of a nightmare, finding herself still tight in the grip of the woman who was looking at her whispering that she was okay.

"No it's not ok, it really happens"

"What is really happening?"

"Mom's friends are bad and they always send me to the attic and it's dark and mom screams and they scream and then mom cries. I put my hands on my ears but they make a lot of noise and if I cry loudly or try to go down the stairs because I'm afraid and I want my mommy one of them beats me until I stop crying " the little girl says all in one breath with her eyes closed.

"Do you know what's new?" the girl shakes her head "You are safe and mum's friends can no longer touch you, you are ok now" the woman says confidently looking the girl in the eyes and touching the tip of her nose with her finger. The girl throws her arms around the woman's neck and hides her face "Promise?"

"To touch you they must first pass over me sweetheart"

"Mom was right"

"About what?"

"Mom told me in the car that even though I'm so very afraid you make me feel safe"

"Mothers are always right" the woman says smiling to the child "Shall we try to sleep a little?"

"Do you lie down with me?"

"Sure thing"

The woman lies down on her side so as to face the little girl holding her head in one hand and stroking the little girl's long silky brown hair with the other.