Butterfly Effect

33: Promises

Hailee's Pov

I was reading out loud Madame Bovary with my girlfriend cuddled against me on the couch, when the apartment's door opened and my moms entered.
Maya had bloodshot eyes, and even before I could say something, she disappeared in her room, closing the door behind her back.
"What's wrong?" I asked and Manon sat down next to me, looking at Carina with a confused expression. For a moment my mom didn't say anything, looking at us and then back at the slammed door of their room.
She didn't know what to do...
"Mamma, cos'è successo? (Mamma, what happened?)" I asked again in her native language. My pronunciation was still wobbly, but I knew that she would be happy about it.
"You're getting really good at it Bambina, you'll be fluent in no time, trust me" she commented "And... About your mom... Let's just say that she met someone from her past that had a strong opinion about her. It was rough and it brought up some bad memories from her childhood".
"Oh...".
"Don't worry though, she just needs a moment alone" she tried to calm me, but I could perfectly read in her eyes that she was not convinced about her own words.
I looked at Manon who nodded at me, already knowing what was going on in my mind, and I stood up from the couch, sprinting to my parents bedroom.
"Go away Carina, I want to be left alone" Maya said from the inside as I knocked on the wooden door.
"It's Lia, mom. Can I come in?" I asked, and when I received a wobbly yes in return, I opened the door, seeing my mom crying, hugged to mamma's pillow.
"Hi Sunshine" she said softly, trying to hide her tears from me.
"You don't need to hide the fact that you've been crying, mom. I know that right now you are not okay, so I came here to cheer you up. To make you feel a bit better..." I responded, getting into bed next to her and putting my head on her chest. She started to play with my curls almost instantly...
"That's supposed to be my job, you know, since I'm the parent" she tried to joke, but her cracked voice and her sad gaze said enough.
She wasn't fine...
"I know, but I want to be here for you, like you're always there for me" I said and she relaxed at my words.
"I saw my brother Mason today and he hates me. I didn't... I didn't protect him from our father and his abuse, so he's not wrong... But, I don't know, his words scared the shit out of me. What if he's right and I'll turn out like my father? What if your brother will feel like Mason did? What if I screw everything up?" her questions left a bitter taste on my tongue. How could she doubt herself so much?
"You are a great mom... And also, do you really think that mamma wouldn't help you? You two are a team, a great one... You're not like our father, you are just like Maya. Just like my mom..." I stopped to look at her face that was slowly losing her frown
"No, you're right... Carina... She would tell me if I was screwing up something" she said to herself, still a bit lost in her own mind.
Seeing her so defeated like that was hard because to me she always looked so confident...
"You won't screw up, mom..." I responded, cuddling closer to her and enjoying the warmth of her body next to mine.
"Talking about your mamma... Have you seriously left her alone with your girlfriend after you told her that you tried to sleep with her? That's... I wish I had your courage, Lia" she asked and I realized that she was trying to distract herself by thinking of me and Carina.
If that's what she needed to do, I would have happily been a distraction for her.
"Oh shit!" I exclaimed, starting to laugh at my own reaction and getting a small giggle from my mom in response.
"Do you want to go back to your girlfriend? Maybe save her? You can go if you want..." she said and I shook my head, hugging her tightly.
"I'm good where I am. Manon will be fine for five more minutes" I answered.
"I like her. She's tough... And she cares for you, Sunshine. That's the most important thing for me" she said and that made me smile so hard that my cheeks started to hurt a bit.

Carina's Pov

Manon has been dead silent since the moment that Lia had walked away to reach Maya in our room, avoiding my eyes and I figured out that my daughter must have told her about our conversation regarding sex.
"Manon?" I called her after a while, laughing slightly at her embarrassment but also feeling a bit guilty about the fact that she was so uncomfortable around me.
"I'm sorry Carina!" she blurted out "I don't want you and Maya to think that I would ever take advantage of Hailee when she's upset, because I would never do that... I would... I would respect her time, and always make sure that she's really comfortable and ready to do it because I love her so much and I will never use her like that douchebag did...".
"Manon? Bambina, I know..." I stopped her nervous rumble "I wasn't going to scold you in any way. I wanted to thank you".
"T-t-thank me?".
"Yes, thank you for taking care of my babygirl in that moment" I started to explain "Thank you for stopping her before she did something that she would have regretted after it was done. Thank you for respecting her like that, and for making her feel okay. And last but not least, thank you so much for loving her..." I said and she blushed hard.
"She's easy to fall in love with..." she admitted in a whisper and I smiled widely at her. That was something that every parent wanted to hear about their child...
Manon was a really good person and I was glad that my daughter had someone who cared so deeply about her and her wellbeing by her side.
"Manon, you will be her first love, her first time..." I added on a more serious note "And I'm not here to stop you. I'm not here to discourage you two from having sex, because it's something normal. But I just want you to know that when she will feel ready to have sex, you will be her first time. She will trust you completely, with all of herself. Mentally and physically... What I'm asking you is to be gentle. You two will have the time to explore what you like and don't like during sex, but she's been through a lot, and she will gradually build up her trust and her confidence to try and enjoy also the different aspects of sexual intercourses".
Manon remained silent for a while, taking in everything that I had just said and thinking about the best thing to say back to me.
"I promise to always be gentle and caring with Lia, even if or when she will have the confidence to explore more. If she'll have that confidence, I also promise you that I will come to you and ask about the stuff that I can't talk about with my parents. Just to be sure that we are both being safe" she promised with a smile that said more than a thousand words, so I opened my arms, welcoming her in my embrace.
"And I promise you that I will always answer every question that you might have. I care about you Manon, and I'm having this conversation right now because I want you to feel safe too..." I explained, still holding her close.
She has always looked so confident, but during that hug I realized that she was just a kid full of doubts and insecurities that was trying to find her place in this world.
At one point, strong and sharp pain released itself through my body, making me groan in discomfort. It hurt like hell...
"Carina? Are you... Are you okay?" she asked, worried for me.
"Call Maya please. I think... I think I'm in labor" I answered, touching my bump with my fingertips "Tell her that we need to go to the hospital".
"Now!?" she asked again, almost yelling.
"Yes, now. But breathe Manon, I'm okay..." I reassured her "This is literally my job. Trust me, I'll be okay, but please, call Maya".
Manon stood up from the couch, rushing down the hallway, calling loudly my wife's name.
"Maya! Maya!" she screamed "It's Carina! You need to go to the hospital!".