Tais-Toi

Chapter Nine

*Cully Green POV*

Politely, I invite my mother to take a seat in the living room. Gwen greets her with a hug and together, we sit down. My mother immediately starts talking:

"She's still in that prison?" Of course, I immediately know she's talking about Willow. She always starts our conversations with her

"Yes."

"How did you let her know?"

"Text."

"And you don't want her to suspect anything..."

"I'm sorry, mom. What am I supposed to do? Just tell her?"

"Maybe, yes!" I sigh and I see Gwen looking bored. I know everything would be better if she knew, but it just isn't possible. It's difficult enough as it is. "So, she's still at that school?"

"Yes." I say again.

"How could you possibly do that to her? She's seventeen, Cully! Merel wouldn't have liked that. One day, Willow has to know the truth."

"First of all, I wanted to tell her from the moment she was old enough to understand, but Merel made me promise to tell her when she turns 18. And second, I-I just don't know how to tell her."

"Cully, Merel died eight years ago! It's time to start doing what you think is best for Willow. She's your daughter, not somebody else's! It's time you start to accept that!" I know she's my daughter! Of course she is!

"Mom! I can't accept that when I have to look at her every weekend!"

"Just saying..." I sigh. "And by the way, I want to see her, in real life. Not just photographs. I want to say something to her even when she can't answer. I want her to know I exist!" It is true that she hasn't seen Willow since Merel's funeral, eight years ago.

"She already does." Gwen suddenly says. Silence. Don't drop a bomb like that, Gwendolyn!

"What does she know, Gwendolyn? What did you tell her?" I ask, scared of the answer.

"Not much. But dad, if you don't tell her soon, she will figure it out on her own. We're still talking about Willow. And the truth will hurt more if she figures it out by herself, than if you just tell her the whole story."

"What does she already know?" I ask again.

"I just told her that there's a secret and I don't know what it is. And she knows that Grandma Heather exists and that you visit her in Washington from time to time."

"So, she knows I just lied to her in that text?" I conclude

"I couldn't tell her nothing! Dad, she suspects things, okay?"

"But Merel wasn't who you think she was. And if anyone finds out..."

"Cully, how long is it going to take her to arrive here on one of those weekends? How long is it going to take until she figures out who I really am?" My mother asks. She has a point. But she won't run away from school, will she? And how would she get here?

"She won't! She can't even take a taxi, she can't speak! This is London! A little city compared to Washington. She's just a fragile girl! She needs protection and help or she'll get lost! That's her problem! You're nothing in this society without a voice!" I breathe heavenly because of what I said and before I can say anything else, I jump up because of the noise of glass shattering and cold wind. I look up and see a broken window and a stone. Through the window, I see Willow, crying and defeated. Then, she runs away. I want to go after her, but my mother stops me.

"You've done enough!"