The President's Hidden Legacy

(6) Echos of desperation

"Sure, I'd like that," Lucy Gray replied with a smile, a hint of warmth in her eyes as she anticipated reconnecting with Maude Ivory after so many years.

Maude Ivory left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving the mother and daughter alone. The soft click of the door settling into place marked the beginning of a quiet, intimate moment between Lucy Gray and Lumi, as they navigated the challenges that lay ahead together.

While caressing Lumi's head, Lucy Gray sang her lullaby:

Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe, here it's-

Lumi interrupted with a hoarse voice, "What was my pa like?" The question hung in the air, introducing a moment of heaviness into the soothing melody of the lullaby.

Lucy Gray's hands paused on Lumi's head, and she let out a weary sigh before responding in a solemn tone.

"He was a complicated man, Lumi. Trouble followed him like shadows. There were times when he brought laughter, but just as often, he brought storms that never cleared. I wish I could say more, but it's a part of my life I'd rather not dwell on." The room fell into a heavy silence, the lullaby now tinged with the weight of untold stories.

Lumi's voice, nearly breaking and laced with sorrow, uttered, "Why didn't he come back for us?" she tried to blink away her tears.

The question trembled in the air, carrying the weight of unspoken emotions. The room seemed to shrink with the unspoken ache that lingered between them.

Lucy Gray, her own voice thick with sorrow, met Lumi's teary gaze.

"Sometimes, darlin', people carry shadows they can't escape. It's a burden that drags 'em down, and they can't find their way back. He had his own storms, and maybe he thought stayin' away was the only way to keep everyone safe. But it's a choice I can't explain, Lumi, and it's a pain we both have to carry."

Lumi, her voice a mix of vulnerability and confusion, asked Lucy, "Does he even know about me?" The question hung in the air, laden with the uncertainty of a daughter yearning for acknowledgment from a father she barely knew.

Lucy Gray, with a sigh, answered Lumi's question plainly, "No, sweetheart, he doesn't know you exist. It's just you and me, and that's what matters now." The room held a simple truth, the weight of unshared stories between them.

"Now go to sleep, darling. You need all the energy you can get," Lucy Gray said, her voice gentle as she continued to soothe Lumi.

Lucy Gray laid next to her daughter, holding her close, a protective embrace that spoke of a mother's love and an underlying fear. She clung to Lumi, hoping she would never have to let go, scared that when she wakes up, she might find her daughter cold and lifeless. The room whispered with the vulnerability of a parent's deepest fears, as Lucy Gray cradled Lumi in the quiet darkness, willing the night to be kind.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Maude Ivory knocked on the door, announcing, "Lucy Gray, breakfast is ready."

Lucy Gray immediately snapped awake, her first instinct to check on her daughter, making sure she was still breathing. A wave of relief washed over her as she confirmed Lumi was okay. Lucy Gray then gathered herself, released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and stood up. With a lingering glance at Lumi, she walked to the kitchen and took a seat at the table, ready to face the day ahead.