Victorious Homecoming

Shane drove his car while Jenna sat impatiently from the call. They reached the destination as soon as possible. Jenna left in a hurry, and Shane followed.

Both ran to get stopped at some point.

"Lillian Grey?" Shane called.

Lillian, who waited, turned to see the face of someone who played games with her life. She instantly rejected his presence and glared at the person standing next to him, Jenna.

"Why did you come here with him?" she asked her favorite editor.

"Ms. Grey," Jenna would react happily, but having learned this person's past a few minutes ago, she couldn't help but to go and greet her beloved author with a hug.

"Did something happen? Jenna, I did not die yet," Lillian said at the startle surprise hug from Jenna.

Only after a few seconds, Jenna could digest Lillian's presence.

"Why did you leave without a word, Ms. Grey," Jenna cried with a tight squeeze that hurt the kind embrace.

"How come you are back now?" Shane asked, assuming that she returned with Giselle and the kid, but that wasn't the case.

He did not see Giselle and the kid to his quick hunt of the place.

Lillian did notice his nervous look and knew that was to aim at the guests he sent.

"Yes, why did you return- no, how come you returned now-" Jenna struggled to ask the correct question.

Lillian released her from the hug and calmed her down for a while.

"My self-house-arrest ended. My father kicked me out, saying that I was a nuisance to his peaceful life and that I have to leave like an adult and not sulk like a child."

Lillian's answer hinted that Edwin played from behind the scene to let this miracle happen. Shane noted himself to call Lillian's father and thank him. Also, he wanted to ask about Giselle.

"I'm starving already, Jenna," Lillian pouted as soon as she arrived.

"We just ate, Ms. Grey,"

"Wait, you two, together!" Lillian gave them a nasty look at which Shane replied with a glare not to frame fiction.

"Alright, Jenna take me home and cook something for me, even a scrambled egg would do, I am starving," Lillian cried.

"Did you not eat the whole day?"

"No, I did, but my old man suddenly kicked me out. These past days I grew up eating his rich food in a timely fashion. Hence, without it, right now, my stomach is making too much noise."

"Fine, We still have time left. Let's go, then," Jenna agreed to cook.

As Lillian collected her bags to leave, she stopped to turn at Shane and warned him to stay away in a menacing tone.

"Why?" Shane raised his voice angrily.

"You did something I did not mean to expect the least bit, but-" Lillian paused to calm herself down.

"I will meet you myself later, leave us alone, now," she ordered and grabbed Jenna to rush outside to catch a ride.

Jenna struggled in-between to properly depart with Shane and to match with Lillian's long strides.

Shane signaled her to take it easy and leave to talk later. He stood alone at the airport, wondering what happened with Giselle. He tried to call her, but it never got answered. Shane had no choice but to exit the place with an unsatisfied answer.

***

The usual routine followed, and Lia followed all of Giselle's words. She woke up early to get ready for school and returned home with her mother. Lia did her homework, played with her books and puzzles. Lia did everything she would commonly do in her day-to-day life, except she doesn't cling on to her mother. There's the newly discovered distance between the mother and the daughter.

Giselle watched Lia stay in her room dull till dinner and only came out to eat. After finishing, she returned to get ready to sleep.

It was a dire circumstance for Giselle to proceed. She isn't waiting anymore but steadily working her best to be interactive with Lia. However, the child retaliates with a reserved attitude. Lia obeys her well, does all her work without any intimation, yet there is no more attachment.

The sweet child's fondness and its mother's devotion died since their return.

Initially, Giselle thought that Lia might hate her, but the more she observed, it became evident that not only the mother grieved over the newly growing distance between them, but the child also struggled from it. Lia got hurt from behaving such way to her mother. Although she listened and obeyed, the poor girl did not still muster the courage to face her mother. Whenever Giselle approached to talk, Lia would turn her face away. She refused to her childlike nature.

All while during her absolute compliance, Lia displayed uneasiness from portraying such conduct to her mother.

The little one already witnessed the value of Lillian Grey, whom Lia named as the strange woman. To also, beheld their intimate expression, the child grew empty and scared.

When things became too much for Giselle, she quit venturing on her own. After dinner, she saw Lia go to sleep early than her usual timing.

The lights in her room went off, and there was no opening to leave a goodnight kiss, for Lia willingly shut the door to signal no trespassing.

..

Giselle returned to her room after finishing the chores.

After much consideration, she intends to seek help lastly.

"Hey," Giselle greeted after calling this person.

"Hello, my dear ladies, how are you doing?" he replied.

Giselle remained soundless.

"What happened?" Ethan asked after discerning the piercing silence Giselle defined.

"Tell me, Giselle. Is Lia alright?" he urged her to speak.

"Not really," Giselle said.

"What happened? Is she sick? Where is she? Give the phone to her. I'll talk,"

From the tone of the mother, Ethan's suspicion only grew to his interest.

"Ethan, She is not sick. Its-"

Giselle decided to call Ethan and solicit for his assistance, but words became tough to interpret.

"Then, tell me what happened, Giselle? Are you guys, alright?" Ethan bugged for the caller to talk.

"Lia-" Giselle started.

"Yes-"

When the conversation lagged, Giselle noticed Ethan losing his bearing, and the increasing tension let her spill the truth.

"I took Lia to meet Lillian-" she finally said.

Before letting Ethan react, Giselle interrupted to explain Shane's request and the obligation to go along with his plan.

"And?" Ethan asked, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Things went out of hands, and Lia- Lia saw us kissing-" Giselle said with much disappointment that she started sobbing.

Ethan apprehended that situation. Both remained hushed. He gave space for Giselle to restrain herself from breaking out.

The pouring tears explained her stress, her failed attempts with Lia, and the lack of attachment between the two.

"How is Lia reacting?" he inquired, following the sniffs from Giselle's end.

"That's the problem she- Lia is refusing to talk to me, but- I can see that she is not rebelling. However, she is scared to speak out and-"

"And?"

"She wants to see you, Ethan. Her state is getting worse," Giselle cried.

"Lia is a cheerful girl, but seeing her hurting makes me regret and hate myself. I don't want Lia to be like this- Please, Ethan, can you visit us soon, at least for her sake, please," Giselle begged.

"Okay," Ethan replied without a second thought, consoling Giselle to stop worrying.

"I knew this would happen someday! She is young, Giselle. Lia may not be aware, but it is our- both of our duty to teach her, tell her the truth. It's alright. I will see to it that I can visit you earlier. However, give me some time to handle things at work."

Giselle allowed.

"Don't tell her anything, even if it is to settle a fight, I want to surprise Lia. Don't worry! That sweet child never bears hatred, and she won't come to dislike you for this."

Ethan stopped to ask if she is regularly going to school and eating well. Giselle admitted that Lia performed her duties very well, but there is no much affection inside the house.

For someone who endured her troubles alone, Ethan heard Giselle admit the stress. He badly wished to be there to support her, but distance separated them. He did what he could do in this short time to make her feel better- his kind words of hope.

"You too, Giselle. Don't cry over this. You should already know it can happen, now, let's see what we can do next. I'll update you about my arrival."

Though they were not much to comfort the mother, Giselle appeared grateful to have someone to help her go through these times.

The call ended with Ethan reassuring Giselle with more strength and requested her to keep faith in her child.

Following the call, Giselle reached out to Shane and informed her incompetence to bring back Lillian Grey. She avoided mentioning the kiss or the on-going conflict with her daughter.

Shane, having received a response finally, thanked her for the assistance despite its failure.

With or without Giselle's influence, Lillian Grey thankfully returned home- Shane thought.

He went on to inform Lillian's victorious homecoming just hours ago. Giselle showed no interest in learning more details from fatigue and ended the call weakened from worry.