Mummy Dearest

Chapter 3

"Except Birthday*, Christmas, and New Year (mostly a few hours before and after 12 A.M. of 1.1.), Manuela spent almost all day time of Winter holidays with her dearest teacher.

(*It's about real Manuela, so it's the 23rd of December.)

The girl couldn't wait to arrive to Elisabeth's. A hug, a kiss and then to sit in each other's arms and to be loved and to be comfortable together.

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"To think of it, seventeen years old!"

"Yeah, I couldn't wait to be an adult, and I'm so close to eighteen, and then only three years until all the privileges of an adult."

"Sorry to discourage you, but a year is whole twelve months."

"Whyyy?"

"I said, I'm sorry, if you mean I've verbalised the truth. However, no need to be sad. What we've had so far means you've not been treated like a child." Elisabeth smiled. Both of her statements were truth.

"So it's the best of all possible options? Not an adult yet but treated like one?" Manuela smiled widely.

"Exactly, meine liebe."

"Two last years had the happiest birthdays."

"Only kisses which you loved a lot. This time it will be different. I found a way how to give you a present that you'll take home."

"Liebling, how—? It's impossible."

"No, it's very much possible." Elisabeth went to a desk, opened top drawer, and took a book out of it. "Happy birthday, meine liebe."

Manuela turned the front cover to see a neatly written text, "Dear Manuela, happy birthday! - E"

"Thank you sooo much!" The girl put the book on the desk and embraced the teacher tightly.

"You know, E can easily mean your best friend." The woman smirked.

"I had a present from Edel before holidays, but if something, I'll say this gift is a surprise that I've been hiding to show later."

"Your Mutti is very supportive, but I'd want to have something that is only for us until we can be together completely."

"Liebling, you're such a wonderful person."

—————

As before, it was a lesson and Manuela had to be just a good and attentive pupil. No loving stares or even glances. The girl was a professional at this; despite in the beginning of the relationship, it took a lot of self-control to not let her classmates know her real feelings.

It was the end of the school day, and everybody wanted to go home. Except Manuela, of course. So, it was naturally that the girl agreed to help her teacher. In fact, it was more than just to wipe text from the blackboard.

"I have only three terms left before the end of the school." Manuela smiled, looking at her dearest teacher.

"A year and a half is yes, but—"

"What's wrong?" Despite Elisabeth didn't sound sad, it seemed for the pupil that something was wrong.

"What will be later with us?" Fräulein von Bernburg asked quietly.

"Please, in our situation I'm the one who can ask this question."

"No, you're a wonderful artist who will study Art-no questions asked-and I'll continue teaching here like before."

"I know, you want the best for me, but without you, only my wonderful Mutti is on the list of the best. If to move to study, she'll be far also. I cannot bear the thought to go somewhere because of education and be away from you every term minus holidays. Since I'd started to study here, we've been seeing each other at least once a day every weekday during school year and for two last years, also at least one day of almost every weekend. It's been about seven years."