179 Storytelling, Secrets, and Little White Lie...

Lyra had one of her maid show Jonas to a guest room away from hers and Mika's personal space, allowing her to spend some quality time with her daughter.

Pampering Mika with everything she needed; from helping to prepare her bath, to unpacking her clothes while she bathes, and even to comb her hair and pick out her clothes. Lyra did it all happily.

She had missed and worried about her daughter from the time she left her sight. Her actions were more for herself than for the now thirteen-year-old Mika.

As she brushed out Mika's hair, she looked down at the soon-to-be young woman before her.

Where had the time gone? Lyra sighed as she just realized that Mika was on her way to being on her own.

"Tell me everything, don't leave anything out!" It was a pain not being able to comm Mika every day. Especially when she knew she was in trouble.

"Okay...Where should I start...?"

"At the beginning...right after you left the household."

"Okay..." Mika giggled at her mother's curiosity.