YOU ARE WHAT I NEED [COMPLETED]

16

Claire's POV

The tension in the room was palpable, almost suffocating. I could see the unease on my mother's face and the stiffness in Selene's posture. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken words and lingering tension, and I felt like I was standing on the edge of a precipice, about to plunge into the unknown.

Taking a deep breath, I broke the silence. "What's going on?" I asked, looking between the two women. My voice sounded small, even to me.

My mother, Cathy, seemed to snap out of her daze. She swallowed hard and looked at me with a mixture of regret and determination. "Claire, that's what I came here to talk to you about," she began, her voice trembling. "But it seems everything has to come out now."

She took a step closer, wringing her hands nervously. "I'm sorry, Claire. For everything. For leaving you, for not being there... I was a coward." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away quickly. "I just... I wish you could forgive me. I want us to mend our relationship, to try and be a family again."

Her words hit me like a tidal wave, crashing over me and pulling me under. The emotions were too much, too raw. Before she left, we had been so close. I had adored her, looked up to her. Her departure had left a gaping hole in my heart, one I had never fully healed from. Hearing her apologize now, seeing her vulnerability, brought back a flood of memories and pain.

I felt tears prick at my eyes. "Mom," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I... I've been waiting for this. For you to apologize." I took a shaky breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I'll forgive you, but... we need to take it slow. There's a lot to rebuild."

She nodded, relief washing over her face. "Thank you, Claire. I understand, and I'm ready to take whatever time we need."

I nodded, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. It wasn't complete healing, but it was a start. A step towards reconciliation. But there was still the matter of the strange tension between her and Selene. I turned my attention to them, the question burning on my tongue. "How do you two know each other?"

Selene looked like she had seen a ghost. Her usually confident demeanor faltered for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure. She met my gaze, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and resolve. "Claire," she began, her voice gentle yet firm, "what your mom says is true. But I need you to trust me, to trust us. I hope... I hope you can still love me after the truth comes out."

My heart pounded in my chest, anxiety bubbling up inside me. "What truth?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

My mom took a deep breath, her face pale. "This is going to be the first step for us to get closer," she said, looking me in the eyes. "The truth is, Claire, we're not... normal. You and I, we're witches. I met Selene through... business, a world I tried my best to keep you out of. Your father and I wanted you to have a normal life, away from the dangers of our world. That's why I left. It was to protect you."

My mind spun at her words. Witches? Business? I felt like I was in some kind of surreal dream. My mom had never shown any signs of being anything other than a regular woman, a mother. How could this be true?

Before I could process this, Selene spoke up. "Your mom isn't lying, Claire," she said softly. "I'm... I'm a vampire."

I stared at her, waiting for the punchline. But there was none. They both looked at me with such serious, sincere expressions that my breath caught in my throat. This had to be a joke, a prank. But they weren't laughing. They were dead serious.

I started to laugh, a high, nervous sound that felt out of place in the tense silence. "You guys are joking, right?" I said, my laughter bordering on hysteria. "Witches? Vampires? This is some kind of weird joke!"

But they didn't join in. Their expressions remained somber, and I felt a cold wave of realization wash over me. This wasn't a joke. They were serious.

The room spun, and I felt my chest tighten. I couldn't breathe. My vision blurred as panic clawed at my mind. This was too much, too fast. Everything I knew was crashing down around me. My own mother, a witch? Selene, a vampire? It was impossible, it was insane... yet it felt terrifyingly real.

My knees buckled, and I felt myself falling. The last thing I saw was Selene's concerned face and my mom rushing towards me before darkness engulfed me.