shadows

they came for her, stayed for him (5)

Fanny took a nap. Woke up late in the evening. She didn’t realise just how tired she was until she woke up. The excitement kept her going. Now, with the scary part over, her nerves weren’t as taut. And she collapsed the moment she shut her eyes. When she woke up in the evening, she was lightheaded more than refreshed. A meal. And a good night’s sleep would have her feeling much better.

And, she was ready with the answer. She walked out. There was still time for dinner. And everyone would be home for dinner. Now was the perfect time for a talk with mum.

Renee was in the living room when Fanny walked in. The two shared a look, and knew what they were thinking. They went out to the garden. It was just the two of them. No one eavesdropping. At best, there were eyes looking at the mother and daughter pair curiously, but not surprised.

“I have decided mum.”

Renee looked at her daughter without an expression on her face. Fanny shook her head, and continued.

“I will do as you say. I will leave. But I can tell you right now. Nothing will change. Not how I feel. Not what I decided. I will be no less of a mother to Emil.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Renee said, surprising Emilia. “But let that not change anything. You can leave tomorrow. Have you decided? Three or five?”

“Can’t it be lesser? One? Let’s do two?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah?”

“Okay. Two it is.”

Fanny was surprised again. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that she could have gotten one.

“Can it be one?” She asked.

“No,” Renee said, wearing a teasing smile. “Two was your choice. I did ask if you were sure. And you said you were. Two it is.”

“Mum, please,” Fanny begged, turning back into the little girl who got away with anything with enough begging.

Renee didn’t think she would be affected. She had expected Fanny to pull this. Fanny had always been a crybaby, and didn’t change growing older. What Renee didn’t expect was that she would be softened after visiting Emilia.

“Fine,” Renee said defeatedly. “One it is. But you leave the first thing tomorrow. The first flight out. To wherever. Find another flight from there, to wherever you want to go to.”

“I’m thinking I’ll go on the trekking trip I talked about. Remember? I was actually planning on a month or two. But this is perfect. It’ll be a year now.”

“Okay,” Renee agreed immediately. “You will be safe.”

“I will be. It’s not like I’m just going to some new place that we haven’t heard of. I’ll be going to uncle Thomas’. I’ll draw up a plan with Willie and uncle Thomas himself. We’ll be perfectly fine. You know uncle Thomas.”

“Yeah,” Renee said. “I do know Thomas. I do trust him. You will be fine as long as he’s around. Go on then. Have the best year.”

The conversation having reached the end, they walked back in. Renee didn’t tell Fanny about having met with Emilia. That was a surprise Fanny decided to keep for later.

-

Fanny called Emilia after dinner. They spoke for a long time. Fanny told Emilia about her conversation with her mother. And her decision to go away for a year.

“I’ll call you every day. Alright? I said trekking. But I changed my mind. I won’t be going anywhere I wouldn’t be able to call you from. Emil will not be forgetting me.”

Emilia didn’t tell either, about Renee coming to see her, and about the conversation.

After playing with Emil, mostly listening to his cooing and giggling before he fell asleep again, Fanny ended the call. And went to sleep.

The next morning, she was in the plane and in the air long before the sun lit up the sky. She looked out the window at the city far below, promising her return exactly a year later.