lunacy of luna

"Luna was sitting beside her mother's bed, waiting patiently. She was holding her mother's hand, waiting for her to wake up -- she had been asleep for a while now. Luna couldn't help but watch the gentle rise and fall of her mother's chest. She noticed the tubes inserted into her mother's nose and the beeping of the machines around them. Was her mother okay? "Are you okay?" Luna asked softly. No response. Luna started to worry... "Are you okay, Mummy?" Luna asked softly, worriedly, gently shaking her mother. Luna's mother didn't seem to react to the touch; her face remained impassive, unconscious, still. Luna looked around the room, checking the monitors for any signs of improvement, but they all showed the same thing: stable, yet critical. Luna couldn't help but worry, and her mind began to race with anxious thoughts. "What if mummy doesn't wake up?" she thought. "What if mummy's not okay?" Luna began to panic... Luna's heart raced faster and faster, her thoughts becoming more and more frantic and incoherent. She was terrified, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to lose her mummy, she didn't want to be alone. She tried to keep her tears in, but they just kept falling. "Mummy..." Luna whispered. "Please wake up..." Luna held her mother's hand, feeling her fingers tighten around it. "Mummy... wake up..." But her mother's body remain still and unmoving, unconscious and unresponsive. Luna couldn't stop crying, she couldn't stop panicking... Luna continued crying and sobbing as she watched her mother's face -- she looked so peacefully asleep. But at the same time, Luna was painfully aware of the fact that this could be the last time she ever sees her mother again. "Mummy, please don't leave me..." Luna whispered through her tears. "I love you so much... I need you..." But her mother didn't move. The only sound Luna could hear was the beep of the monitor. She sat there, desperately wanting her mother to wake up and take her in her arms again... Luna wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled. She held her mother's hand in both of her hands, tightly squeezing. She couldn't let go, she couldn't let her mother go. She just sat there by her mother's side, waiting, hoping, praying for her mother to open her eyes and be awake. Then, suddenly, Luna's mother's eyes flickered open, slowly and hesitantly. She looked over at Luna, and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Luna..." her mother whispered. "Is it... you?" Luna nodded, wiping tears away. "Mum... you're okay, it's me... Luna..." Tears of joy and relief rolled down Luna's mother's face, and she pulled Luna into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Luna..." she sobbed, "I'm sorry..." Luna held her mother, holding back her own tears, and just breathed in her scent and warmth. Her mother was alive and okay, and that was all that mattered. "Mum, it's okay," Luna said, holding back her tears. "I'm here now, with you..." Luna's mother just held her tight. "Sweetie, I'm sorry," her mother sobbed. "I know I haven't been a great mum..." "Mum, don't say that, you're the best mum in the world!" Luna said, hugging her tightly. But deep down, she knew her mother was right. But Luna loved her mother anyway -- no matter how flawed she might be, she was still her mum. "I love you, Luna," her mother said, her eyes red and swollen from crying. "More than anything.. Luna smiled, hugging her mother tightly. "I love you too, mum," Luna said. "I always will..." Luna's mother took a deep breath and tried to control her own tears. "Luna, there's something I need to tell you," her mother said. "About our family... and why we are the way we are..." Luna nodded, wiping her tears as she listened intently. What could her mother be referring to? "Luna, you know how we've talked about how I was raised, and how our family was... different?" her mother asked. Luna nodded as her mother continued. "I didn't want to tell you this, but you need to know... I was raised by narcissists." The words hit Luna like a ton of bricks, and she immediately felt her stomach drop. "Mum... what?" Luna asked, her voice breaking. "No, you can't be serious..." Luna looked at her mother with eyes full of shock and disbelief. "Luna, it's true," her mother said, her eyes filled with sadness. "I never wanted to tell you about our family's past, but I thought it was important for you to know... because I don't want you to end up like me." "Like you?" Luna asked, her voice filled with both concern and confusion. "Mum, what do you mean?" "Luna, I love you more than anything in the world," her mother said. "But our family... we're all broken in one way or another." "Luna, your grandmother and uncles are all narcissists," her mother said. "They've always been that way, and they've passed the same narcissism on to me, and I've done the same to you..." Luna just listened silently, with tears in her eyes. Now it all started to make sense. "Mum, is that why I am who I am?" Luna asked, sniffling. "Yes, Luna," her mother said, her voice quavering. "That's why you're so fragile, why you're so sensitive, why you overthink everything." Luna was silent, taking in her mother's words. "Mum, are you saying I'm a narcissist too..." Luna whispered. "No, Luna, I'm not saying that," her mother said, putting a soft hand on Luna's face. "You're not a narcissist, you're my precious baby girl, and I love you more than anything in the world. You're not a narcissist, you're just sensitive and fragile because you've been raised by narcissists." "So, I'm just fragile then... I'm not like them?" Luna asked. "No, Luna, you're nothing like them," her mother said. "You're not evil, you're not manipulative, you're not selfish... you're kind, and sweet, and caring. You're not a narcissist, Luna. You're amazing." Luna smiled, tears in her eyes. "Mum..." "It's okay, Luna," her mother said gently. "I love you, and you're nothing like them." Luna leaned her head against her mother, her eyes closed. "Mum... thank you," Luna said softly. "Thank you for telling me the truth. For reassuring me that I'm not a monster." "I love you, Luna," her mother said, hugging her tightly. "You'll never know how much." Tears rolled down Luna's cheeks, slowly turning into smiles and tears of joy. She had finally learned the truth. She had finally been reassured that she wasn't a monster, that she wasn't broken, that she was loved and she was enough.