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There was nothing that Luna wanted more than to crash on her own bed for the rest of the night. She was walking home from school after a tiring day of dealing with complicated assignments and cranky teachers.
Luna was eager to get home and go into her room for the rest of the night, but she was surprised to see Shannon sitting at the small dining room table as she patiently waited for her daughter to come home.
Shannon was still processing everything that happened a few weeks ago, and Luna knew that she was having a hard time coping with it. The woman continued with her normal life just like Luna, but it was obvious that she was still struggling. The two didn't really talk about Vince ever since that night, so the situation was still unresolved.
"Hey," Shannon greeted, watching as Luna slowly approached the table. "How was school?" She quietly asked.
Luna nodded, setting her bag down. "Fine."
Shannon bit her lip, taking in a deep breath as she looked at her daughter. "I was hoping we could talk."
The brunette was prepared for this, mostly because the tension between them was still very much there.
"Okay," Luna replied, taking a seat across from her mother. "About what?"
"Everything." Shannon dryly chuckled as she shook her head. The woman looked exhausted, and Luna was able to see the dark bags under her eyes. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun messy bun and it was obvious that she was in sweats all day. Luna felt guilty for how her mom was taking all of this.
"You know, the day you were born was the best day of my life." Shannon smiled, sighing and shaking her head in thought. "I remember how excited your dad was the entire time I was in labor." She told the girl. "I wanted to kill him for annoying me so much."
Luna chuckled, feeling emotional as Shannon brought up her dad. It had been so long since they've even mentioned him to each other.
"You were the most beautiful little baby I've ever seen. I felt so blessed to be your mother."
Luna looked down, staring at her fingers as she picked at her jeans.
"Your father was such a good dad, and you loved him so much when you were a baby." Shannon smiled at her. "He always knew how to make you stop crying when I couldn't."
"Mom," Luna looked up at the woman. "Why are we talking about this?" Her voice was weak. Luna didn't want to come off as rude when it came to this subject, but she didn't understand why her mother was bringing up the past all of a sudden.
"I've been thinking a lot lately," Shannon quietly replied. "And I just need to get this off my chest."
The girl stared at her mom, and she was able to see just how genuine she was being. Shannon's eyes held so much sorrow, and it was enough for Luna to hear what she had to say.
"Raising you with your dad was the most rewarding thing we have ever done." The woman bit her lip. "Not to brag or anything, but we were that family who everyone wanted to be." She joked.
Luna stood quiet as she let Shannon continue.
"He was my rock." The woman shook her head as she tried holding in her tears. "He always protected us and made sure he was the best husband and father."
Luna felt tears as well. Her dad was her best friend, and there wasn't a day that went by without thinking of him. The memories that Luna shared with him was the only thing that kept her going throughout the entire time she suffered from abuse.
"And when he died," Shannon shook her head in disbelief. "I felt like I lost a part of myself. I never thought I would have to deal with something as tragic as that. He was supposed to stick by my side no matter what, and I know it was a selfish way of thinking, but I couldn't help it. I was completely devastated."
Luna felt emotional, but she continued to hold herself together.
"I didn't even stay strong enough as a mom to be there for you." Shannon let her tears fall. "It seemed like my life was over, and I know it shouldn't have been that way." She cried. "It was selfish of me to stop being there for you because I lost by husband, mostly because I didn't even consider the fact that you also lost your father."
Luna didn't know what to say. She was completely speechless as she realized what her mother was trying to do. She was trying to make amends.
"When I met Rick, I was so desperate for happiness." The woman scoffed, clearly having to remind herself that Rick wasn't even the man's real name. "He wasn't even a nice person from the start, but I decided to go for it anyways." She told the girl. "I didn't consider how you would feel about it nor did I ask you."
Shannon felt disgusted with herself. All she was doing for the past few weeks was think. The more she thought, the more she realized what a horrible mother she was. Ever since her one true love passed away, things were never the same. Shannon emotionally abandoned her daughter during the worst possible time.
"I'm so sorry, Luna." The woman's voice cracked. "I'm sorry for letting this man come into our lives and ruin everything." She explained, watching as Luna tried processing what she was being told. "I let him treat you so horribly, and I wasn't there to stop it. I should known about it because I'm your mother, but I failed you."
"Mom-" Luna tried to speak.
Shannon shook her head. "There is no excuse for what I've done to you. I put you through so much by forcing you to go to therapy after your dad died, and then having Vince come into your life just to make you miserable." The woman listed off. "I feel like such a failure for putting you through all of that when all I've should've done is be there for you. It will haunt me for the rest of my life."
Luna slowly nodded. Shannon was right, all the brunette wanted was her mother. She wanted to feel a sense of security, but she was never given it.
"You're truly the best thing that's ever happened to me Luna," Shannon cried, sniffling as she took in a deep breath. "And I don't deserve you after everything that's happened."
Luna sighed, her breath getting caught in her throat. She honestly didn't know what to say. The girl had been dealing with such horrible things, and it felt weird knowing that Shannon was actually apologizing for it. She never thought this day would come.
"I want you to know that I'm here for you now." Shannon told her. "I'm not gonna leave you to deal with things on your own. I'm your mom, and it's about time I start acting like it."
Luna stared at the woman, trying to figure out if this was actually happening. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I don't think I can just go back to normal." The girl weakly shrugged, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I know," Shannon nodded understandingly. "But all I'm asking for is another chance. You won't have to doubt me ever again, I promise."
The woman's voice sounded so genuine and truthful. She was practically pleading Luna to forgive her. Shannon finally realized the mistakes she's made since her husband died, and now she was willing to do anything to fix it.
The older woman stood up from her chair, making her way around the table and in front of Luna. She knelt down and put her hands on the girl's knees.
"I'm so sorry for what happened at that warehouse. It was all my fault." Shannon spoke. "I should've never let him into our lives in the first place."
Luna was caught off guard when her mom suddenly pulled her into a hug. That simple action was enough to make Luna break down in tears. The girl hated being so weak. She wanted to push her mom away and yell. She wanted to scream and tell her that it was too late for an apology. However, her emotions completely took over as she felt her mom's arms around her. Luna missed having this, and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around Shannon as tightly as she could.
"I love you, Luna." Her mother comforted. "Don't ever forget that."
The woman stroked Luna's hair, whispering to her daughter and telling her that everything was going to be okay.
This was all Luna wanted.
All the girl hoped for was a loving mother who would always be there for her, but Vince never let that happen. The man was so invested in destroying Spider-Man's life that he didn't even care how much misery he caused Luna while trying to accomplish his one goal.
The brunette spent everyday crying herself to sleep when she had to deal with so much abuse and torture. There were so many times when Luna had to patch herself up after receiving a variety of cuts and bruises. It was such a dark time for the teenager, and she didn't even know how much longer she could take before eliminating herself completely.
Luna never wanted to feel that way again, and now she believed that she wouldn't have to anymore.
She finally had faith.
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Today is a very special day guys! It has been exactly ONE YEAR since Avengers: Endgame came out in theaters. I literally can't believe it's been a whole year since all the hype! I remember how excited everyone was to see this movie, including me! Everyone at my school would talk about it, and it made me so anxious to see it. I saw the movie the day it came out a year ago today, and it was awesome!
Watching Endgame was honestly a once in a lifetime experience. The theater carried so much energy and I remember how much everyone was cheering so loud throughout the final battle. I still even see videos on Instagram of other people's experience in the movie theater and I could just see how hyped everyone was. It really makes me want to go back tbh :( It was honestly unforgettable.
Anyways, I just wanted to point that out lol. Please continue to stay safe guys. We're all going through this together, and we should all try our best to keep everyone and our families safe.
-E