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You pulled back from her embrace and forced yourself to look her right in the eye, even as your own eyes were watering.
<span class="mu-s">“If you wanted to protect me so badly, why didn’t you come and see me?”</span>
She looked like she’d been expecting this question, but it still left her momentarily speechless.
<span class="mu-r">“I wanted to. So badly…”</span> she said in a low tone, her head lowered. <span class="mu-r">“Not a day went by when I didn’t think of you. Me and your father wanted to take you back from whatever hell you’d found yourself in after our capture.”</span>
You stared down at her imploringly, waiting for her to continue.
<span class="mu-r">“Except when we did find you…you just seemed so happy.”</span> she said, laughing even as tears rolled down her face. <span class="mu-r">“You have friends now, and a new family to look after you. I was suspicious of them at first, but it really does look like they have your best interests in mind. I’ll have to thank them later.”</span>
Something in your mind <span class="mu-s">snapped</span>, and you <span class="mu-i">yanked</span> your hands away from her. She stared up at you in confusion. You were <span class="mu-s">shaking</span> with rage.
<span class="mu-s">“What’s wrong with you!? You let me believe that you were dead! We had a funeral for you! I looked for your bodies, just so we could bury you!”</span>
You were on your feet now, your chair tipping over behind you. You knew that you were yelling far too loudly, but you couldn’t stop it now. The dam had broken.
<span class="mu-s">“I mourned you! I cried myself to sleep some nights! And you couldn’t be bothered to come let me know that you were okay!?”</span>
Your mother rose slowly to her feet, her gaze filled with sorrow and self-pity. You had never seen her wear that expression before, and it made you lose some of the steam you’d been building up.
<span class="mu-r">“Everything I do is for your own good. Even if that means…even if that means that I must take a backseat in your life.”</span>
It sounded like it had physically pained her to say those words.
<span class="mu-r">“I have given you so little. Prepared you for so little…”</span> she said, seeming smaller than you’ve ever seen her. <span class="mu-r">“If all I can do is hinder your growth and bring you sorrow, then…I thought it best to let you decide things for yourself while I protect you from afar. So long as you are healthy and happy, that is all that matters. And, judging by your appearance, I think it's safe to say that your spirit is beginning to find balance, even without Khonshu's influence.”</span>
She regained some of her resolve from earlier with that last declaration.
(Cont.)
