51 A Big Leap

The tint of uneasiness in Zoey's eyes upon seeing her mother limping her way inside the room was reflected against the full spring moon. She shifted in her bed and moved her sight to the floor so her parents would not see the shame in her eyes. She felt a warm hand touch her bandaged wrist and when she looked up, she saw her daddy's face, instantly making her frown. The worry lines on his forehead were distinct no matter how much he forced himself to give a reassuring smile.

In the far corner of the room, Auntie Greta prepared the food that their helper delivered for them. From Zoey's vantage point, she could see her mother's resolve crumble into tiny bits of pieces — her head hung low and her shoulders trembled at the poor sight of her child. Auntie Greta bit her lower lip, blaming herself for her daughter's attempt to take her life for the second time. Her mind was blank and empty for the last few hours, and now, a rush of incoherent questions clouded her mind. She took a deep breath and went on to prepare a light meal for her child as she thought to herself: 'My child, where have I gone wrong?'

"My princess…" Uncle Long hugged his only child. He just arrived home when he saw Grant by their doorstep.

"Uncle… Zoey…"

The boy didn't need to say anything more. He knew what must have happened. His only child. His miracle. 'My princess, where have I gone wrong?'

Zoey buried her head on her father's chest, unable to find the right words to say and the silence comforted her more than ever. She heard her mother's footsteps and forced herself to steal a glance. Their eyes locked with each other and Zoey's left with no choice but to hold it or else she will lose to that woman. She saw her mother holding a bowl filled with steaming hot food and automatically, her stomach roared, demanding to be fed at the instant.

Auntie Greta sat on the other side of the bed and said, "You haven't eaten anything. I… I made…" she caught another breath to keep herself from crying, "I cooked this…" Auntie Greta tried to finish her sentence but the polar caps of the Capital Military's Ice Queen thawed, sending an avalanche of tears on her face.

"I'm sorry, Zoey. Mother's sorry. Please forgive me. Punish me next time instead ok? Mmm?" Auntie Greta's tears fell straight into the bowl. Zoey howled her reply — the mother and daughter a complete crying mess. Uncle Long pursed his lips and nodded his head. He held his wife's hand and his princess's hands — bringing them together. He didn't have to utter a word, his small act is a big leap to patch things up between the mother and child.

Auntie Greta pulled her hand away when she remembered her purpose: to feed her child. So she spooned a good amount of food and was ready to feed Zoey when she realized how awkward the situation was. She never took care of her child because she was busy with her career. She worked herself tirelessly day in and day out and left her daughter under a nanny's care. By the time she took a pause in life, her once clingy child had grown up and became a stranger. She tried to reach out but their line of communication have been tangled in an impossible knot.

Zoey opened her mouth awkwardly that the spoon won't fit, earning a chuckle from Uncle Long. Another tear fell from the corner of Auntie Greta's eye at her child's indirect consent — allowing her to spoon feed Zoey for the first time.

Edited by Swaning