THEN I FOUND YOU [mcd]

chapter three

Lilith coos and giggles in front of me, playing with the grass in her hands. Dimitri and Nekoette run wild, playing with each other as they pretend to battle evil.

I carefully twist and tuck stems of wildflowers between my fingers to create a crown. A very small crown that I know Lilith will rip off her head within seconds of resting it there. It gives me something to do as I watch over her.

Once Lilith takes a nap, I have promised both Dimitri and Nekoette that I would play with them. Children have done me no wrong. I have always wanted to be a mother, but I don't believe I will ever have that option. In order to be a mother, I must find a lover to become my husband. I've never had much luck with love, so I cannot see my future looking bright. It's a shame, really.

I place the crown on Lilith's head, but she instantly shakes it off. She doesn't wish for it to be on, and she's instead playing with it. She plucks the pedals from the flowers and nearly rips it to shreds. I giggle, having to move the broken pieces away from her to keep them out of her mouth.

Nekoette runs to me, plopping herself down lazily before leaning forward. She watches Lilith before bringing her attention back to me. Dimitri follows behind, and I figure it's time for lunch.

"Why is Lilith tipping apart the flowers?" She asks me, watching as Lilith finishes with the flower. Lilith lets out a small cry, making grabby hands to me.

I sigh and pick up the small child, grabbing a bottle to feed her. I look at the fallen flowers before answering Nekoette. "I had made her a flower crown, but I don't believe she liked it very much."

Nekoette giggles before placing down her sandwich. She picks up the pedals before looking around at the flowers. She smiles brightly, rushing off to a nearby patch and grabbing onto a handle, stem and all. "Can you teach Nekoette~Tan? Mama would love one!"

I nod my head, offering a smile before telling her to come back to lunch and finish her food. She obliges and runs back over with another lazy plop. I shake my head before focusing back on Lilith.

Soon, the three children finish eating, and Dimitri goes back to playing by himself. He claimed that learning how to make a crown was "boring" and didn't wish to know how to. Lilith is beginning to calm down and is playing with her toys beside me.

Nekoette lets out a little whine, confused why her flowers aren't cooperating with her. I do my best to explain why, and she soon begins to understand and gets the hang over it. My head ends up being used as a makeshift measurement for Kawaii~Chan's to see how large it should be.

I look up at her with a soft smile, placing the crown I made on top of her head. She beams with a large smile, thinking of it to be pretty, even if she cannot see it. As she finishes her crown, I watch as Lilith nods off into a quick slumber. Nekoette takes notice of this and grabs onto my hand and pulls me back over to Dimitri.

This is the first time I have genuinely smiled in a while. This morning, while Garroth held me in his embrace, I cried. I cried and yelled and questioned why. He sat through it, listening to every word I told him. Then, when I finished, he began an entire speech of how everything will eventually be okay and how there are people out there for me. Kandi had to tell him that he was beginning to ramble to make him stop. While I am still angry over what was kept a secret from me, it'll take time to open up to others again.

I hear giggling before other voices come closer to us. It comes to my attention that it's in fact Dante coming. Nekoette runs to him, landing in his embrace as Dante kneels down to her. Dimitri slowly follows after, already tired from his playing.

I move from my position to look over to Lilith's sleeping figure before walking back towards Dante. He has Kawaii~Chan with him. When she comments on Nekoette's flower crown, Nekoette squeals and dashes off to get the one she made Kawaii~Chan.

I can't help but watch from a distance, wondering if that's something I'll look forward to when I'm older. My daughter is proud of some creations she's made as she gives them to me.

Dante and I have always had a special relationship. We were never ones to find a romantic interest in each other. To me, after returning from the Irene Dimension and learning of my father's passing, he became more of a father figure to me rather than a close friend. While he still is a close friend to me, I have managed to distance myself since Laurance left. Then when Vylad left, I was almost completely isolated from the world.

I rarely indulge in deep conversations with anyone. I'm working on trying to talk more once again and opening up. At least I want to, but it's hard, and I've only decided that this morning after my conversation.

Dante's eyes lock with mine. He offers a smile and volunteers to help carry supplies back if I was ready to return. The children have grown tired, and I'm sure that Lilith would like to see her mother.

I nod my head and try to smile back, reaching forward to grab onto Lilith to walk her back.