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The Hub seemed intimidating as Lilith made her way inside, Adelia on her left and Scott gripping her right hand with all the strenght he could muster. They had driven to the building in Adelia's car, silence taking over the family once more. It wasn't unusual for their mother to be silent but, for once in her life, Lilith would have liked some reassurance. Her eyes drifted to the older woman as they cut through the crowd, heading straight for the elevator.
Adelia's posture was impeccable as she led her two children further into the Hub, no signs of fear or sadness visible to the outside world. Bitterly, Lilith remembered how good her mother was at hiding what she didn't want other people to see. She questioned if she knew she had played such a large part in the choice she was about to make. The woman's heels clicked against the floor, before she stopped. One glance over her shoulder at her family made her meet Lilith's gaze and, much to her surprise, her mother offered her a small smile.
They stepped into the elevator, which quickly got crowded with people from Amity donning colorful clothes, a striking contrast to their outfits made up of black and white. Lilith had chosen a black jumpsuit for herself, and brought a white blazer along with it. Her fingers caressed the fabric of her jumpsuit for a few seconds; she had swiped it from Hortense's closet, before all of her clothing had been taken away, in order to be redistributed. It seemed only right to wear it in a special occasion, and the fact that it was too loose in some areas didn't even bother Lilith too much. It was comforting, to have a piece of her sister there with her.
After a few minutes, the elevator stopped, and they found themselves on the twentieth floor. Scott's grip on her hand tightened even more, but he refused to look at her when she gazed down at him. His jaw was clenched and Lilith realized that he was trying his best not to cry in front of all these people. Pressing her lips together, Lilith gave her brother's hand a squeeze, before they stepped out of the elevator and walked into the room where everything would happen. Her eyes drifted to the bowls on the stage immediately: each represented a faction, and it would be through them that Lilith settled her own fate.
A hand gently gripped her upper arm, and the girl's attention turned to her mother. There was a smile on the woman's lips, and a hint of hope in her eyes. Lilith desperately wanted to tell her not to be hopeful; that she wouldn't walk out of that room with them and go back home, but even she knew that that would be cruel. Instead, she released Scott's hand and placed her own over her mother's, returning the smile.
"Choose wisely," the woman gave her a nod, which she was quick in returning, "I love you, Lilith."
Her throat burned, and all she could do was avert her eyes from Adelia, letting her hand drop to her side. No matter how hard Lilith tried, she'd never been able to forgive her mother when it came to what had happened years prior. Hortense had made her promise that she'd try, and she did, but there was never a time when Lilith could face her mother and not be reminded of what had happened to her father.
