Snowfall In Bluetail

Ch. 1

"Mother, what did you see in me? The first time you held me in your arms..."

Outside the window of the hospital, snow fell. It was the twelveth of December. Though the hospital was one of many on the island of Bluetail, it was the most packed. Men, women and even children filled up the waiting room, coughing and sneezing. Their bodies ached with sickness but despite the chaos, a lady with raven black hair laid on a hospital bed on the third floor. Ivy's body was covered in beads of sweat, her hair stuck onto her neck and forehead. Her face grew immensely hot as she bore a fever. On the lady's chest, a newborn's wail softened. Perhaps it was the soft sound of tiny icicles hitting the windowpane. Or the wind that was starting to pick up alongside the trees which made a ruckus outside. Perhaps, it was the comfort of the mother's heartbeat. The sound of warmth and compassion. Whatever the sound, it soothed the child.

"Lune, you are the light in the darkness." She whispered to the child, hoping he would understand just how much he meant to her.

The bedridden woman smiled. Her son's full head of inherited raven black hair and his chubby fingers holding hers. Compassion and neverending love grew for the child. The newborn cooed. Ivy gently played with the child's shining hair. Ivy knew that she would have toshe would work hard for this child to grow happy and healthy, unlike herself. Unfortunately, her hopes would be burdened on her sister, Lily in five years.

In five years, sudden sickness would overtake Ivy's life. Her body would begin to deteriorate from the inside out and she would later pass. However, despite the sudden passing, it could be traced. Ever since Ivy was a child, her immune system was weak. She would constantly stay home during the wintertime and never went out during the flu season in early fall. Even during her adulthood, where she had found her dream job as an art teacher, she would ask for leave during the winter, until finally, she quit and worked in the comfort of her own home. Despite the usual precautions that Ivy took every year, it was finally time. At her funeral, the child was held by his new guardian, Aunt Lily. His wails reminiscent of those in the hospital. Despite his young age, he understood his mother would not be coming home anytime soon.

The week beforehand was filled with Lune attempting to stuff his baby blue room into one suitcase. Toys and clothes filled the airplane-designed case. In the room next to his, Lily was packing Ivy's belongings into brown cardboard boxes. Ivy's room was pure white. The bed, pillows and even her closet which was still jammed with clothes and floral scent, was filled with pure white. The only thing that stuck out was a painting of a red spider lily which rested against the nightstand near her bed. Soon, all that would remain, would be the wooden bed frame. Her belongings would be moved into Lily's attic, where it would be forgotten until Lune's curiosity would get the best of him. Lune's belongings would be moved into his Aunt Lily's house. Lune would live with his Aunt Lily and her family, which consisted of her husband and a pair of red-haired twins named  Abel and Aphelia. The twins had inherited their glorious hair from Uncle Phil, alongside their pearly blue eyes. Despite the difference in appearance, Lune was considered a brother to the twins and a son to both Lily and Phil. Unfortunately, many of the outside world did not.

In school, many children and parents looked down upon Lune. Upon seeing the twins coincide with Lune every day after school, many would make remarks. Parents would snicker, accusing Lily of having an illegitimate son. Others would glare upon seeing Lune's raven black hair and brown eyes, comparing it to the twins' red hair. This anger and hate constantly reminded Lune that the world is unkind. And this sadness inside of Lune only brought him back to his mother's photo that sat on top of his desk. Her chin rested on her palm, while she smiled and stared at the man next to her. An unbeknownst man to Lune. He also had dark brown eyes, his hair was dark brown and his coarse hair looked similar to Lunes'. He was muscular and handsome.  When Lune had asked Lily whom this man was, she would go quiet. Lune could only guess who this man meant to his mother.

As Lune grew older, his jawline sharpened and looked similar to his mother. Lily would tell Lune stories. Stories of her sister, Ivy. How she swooned all the boys with her looks while Ivy remained oblivious. Lune scoffed. Telling Lily that he had better things to do than swoon his peers. When Lily asked, Lune would lean on the wooden console piano which was placed in the living room. On top of the piano was the large painting of the spider lily that Ivy last painted before her sudden passing. Lily gently smiled. Lily often looked forward to Lune's piano playing. His private concerts being better than the last. Lune would only play during holidays and when he did, it was highly anticipated. His thin fingers delicately dancing on the piano. It sometimes reminded Lily of Ivy in the ice-cold snow, where she shouldn't but defiantly decided to be.

Despite how many years it had been, it still felt like yesterday, when Lily sobbed over the phone, coming to terms with Ivy's death and Lune's loneliness. Ivy's hope for Lune passed onto Lily and she too, hoped for his success as a mother would.