Lia's apology

All of Giselle's worries melted when she embraced her sweet little daughter, warming up the freezing linen to make sure Lia is all safe in her hands. The emotional reunion lasted for several seconds that Lillian's existence almost faded to both of their notice.

'Well, isn't this heartbreaking!'

'I'm completely getting ignored here!'

Lillian thought to herself as she watched the mother and daughter express their affection. Frankly, this doesn't include her, so she let them stay as long as they desire. Several minutes pass to Giselle examining Lia, to make sure she never got hurt or so.

'Does she thinks I'm some kind of a child-hurting monster?'

Lillian appeared displeased by Giselle's examination of her child. It seemed as if Lillian is not trustworthy to take care of a child. Receiving indirect humiliations, Lillian still bothered to remain quiet until the scene in front of her ends.

After scrutinizing her child's safety, Giselle returned to shower the child with kisses and tight hugs. From the looks of it, Lillian felt the scene might never end and that she got stuck posing for no audience. The longer the time passed, the more restless Lillian became from her sore legs. To her aid, Lia, who was also in a similar position getting tightly squeezed and worshipped by her beautiful mother, signaled Lillian to sort out a plan sooner before she gets smashed from the overwhelming affection.

..

"Alright! Let's take it easy!" Lillian said to separate the two bonding birds and gave space to let the little one catch a breathe.

"I told you that Lia was only with me, all safe and sound," she added to calm down the mother bird.

Having recovered slowly from the worries, Giselle thought clearly to realize what Lia had done behind her back. It certainly agitated her emotions, and she glared to confront the little girl who's at fault. Lillian gaily stepped in to save Lia, telling her to go to get changed while they wait. To Giselle's shock, Lia obeyed to flee away in an instant. But before disappearing from their sight, Lia met Lillian's eye, appealing to help her.

Lillian signaled her to be at ease.

'You don't worry! I'll convince Giselle- leave it to me,' she subtly nods to send her message, and Lia thanked to dash away.

****

Lillian knew she pledged Lia to help convince Giselle, but here at the end of telling the entire story of a daughter's secret to the mother, she couldn't resist controlling herself.

Giselle had a complete meltdown from hearing and saw Lillian try so hard resisting her laughter.

"How can you laugh at this?"

"I'm sorry!" Lillian apologized to add, "It's just, seeing you-" she wanted to tease, but from the look of Giselle's face, she stopped herself. The erupting laughter faded, and she remained still.

"Look, Giselle-"

"This is not easy, Lillian. I'm glad she was safe with you, but I can't let this go easily without teaching her a lesson."

Lillian sensed Giselle intend to punish her daughter for this crazy play. She remembered her promise to Lia and chose to interrupt.

"Wait, Giselle, you're not going to punish her for this, aren't you?"

"Yes, I will!"

"Stop it!"

"I won't."

"Just stop it, Giselle!"

"What? Why are you defending her?"

"Because I already did what you plan to do!"

Lillian went on to explain how she enraged to lash out when Jake and Lia showed up at her place without Giselle's consent. She thoroughly made sure to let Giselle know that Lia got severe scoldings for her decision, and that convinced the child to realize her mistake.

"Giselle, look at me,"

Their gazes meet to an unexpected sway, realizing how close they sat next to each other. It lured both, but Lillian manages to stay focused on fixing Lia's trouble.

"Lia is feeling bad herself. She realizes her mistake now."

"So? That doesn't mean I let this go blindly. She needs to know that it is dangerous to keep secrets from your own family. If something happens to her, I can't take it, Lillian," Giselle wept.

"What- would I- say to Lia's father- who trusts me to raise her?"

Lillian felt slightly bitter from hearing about this man again.

"What are you going to do? Ground her. Never let her out of your sight. If Lia isn't feeling guilty already, then I would have told you to punish her. But it is not the case. Lia does realize her mistake."

"You don't understand me, Lillian. It's a new city for her. She is not old enough to travel by herself or with friends. What if someone kidnaps her?"

"Jake was with her, Giselle!" Lillian stood up from her seat, heated to emphasize Lia's safety again and again, but Giselle wouldn't let go of the irrational fear.

"He was with her from the moment she came out of her school till they reached my home."

Lia heard distant yelling and feared if she is going to get severely punished for her trouble. She prayed that Lillian somehow convinces her mother while getting changed.

"I'm not telling you to let go of this," Lillian appealed calmly.

"What do you want me to do then?"

Lillian's serious arguments made Giselle appear confused.

"For the record, I did already scold her- harshly- both Jake and Lia-" Lillian repeated a few details to enlighten Giselle, ensure she doesn't punish her daughter.

"I know she wished to surprise you, but please- for me, let this go. I'm telling you that I saw Lia feel bad for her actions."

With Lillian appealing, Giselle's stern face relaxed. She thought about it for a while.

"Did you truly scold her?"

"So harsh- you should have seen their faces," Lillian vouched for the done deed.

Her words came out stable and alive that Giselle had no choice to doubt again.

"Okay! I- I believe you-" she finally accepts.

Lillian's desperate front softened to a smile.

"Thank you."

She was successfully able to convince Giselle as vowed to Lia and now hoped that things don't get twisted in her absence. Just as Lillian worked up to formulate a new plan, Lia came out, dressed in a pair of fresh clothes.

"There she is! The little trouble-maker!" Lillian yelled at the sight of Lia's return.

Giselle turned to see Lia appear crisp to her nightwear look, cleaned face, and properly tied up hair. The way she stood was also different from usual, as the perfect straight stance screamed her guilt of doing something without her mother's consent.

"Perfect timing! Come here, Lia."

'What?' Lia's eyes bulged to send an emergency beacon.

'I did you a favor.' Lillian eyed.

"Come on, Lia!"

'I tried my best to calm down your mother from punishing you, so walk to her right now and apologize in front of me.' - Lillian glared to convey her intention.

Lia grew tense to face her mother. She refused to go along with Lillian's sudden change of plan. Firmly standing farther from the two and watching her mother from distant, Lia could visibly see the frustration in her mother's expression. She decided not to come clean right now.

"Lia, your mother is waiting for you!" Lillian said to warn.

'She is waiting for you to speak up right now! Just trust me and do it!' Lillian kept sending good omens to Lia, and slowly, the little girl approached towards the couch.

Giselle hasn't spoken a word thus far and remained quiet, watching the child come closer. She had her gaze somewhere else, conveying her lingering resentment.

Lia glanced to meet Lillian for help.

'I did my part. Go-' Lillian flipped her head to rush the child.

Panicked if she would receive hatred, Lia stuttered to speak.

"M- Mother!" she called.

Giselle still looked somewhere else.

Lia noticed her mother's disregard for her presence and kept calling several times. Giselle endured dodging her invites, which soon scared the child. Lia instantly jumped to her mother's embrace, cupping the adult face in her little palms to get the attention. Giselle resisted for a few seconds but eventually gave in to Lia's cry.

"What?" she snarled.

Lia's eyes swelled up naturally from the hostile mood, and she apologized sincerely, promising never to do such things ever again. Giselle remained quiescent, and the more Lia begged for her to speak, the more she heard Lia's weeps in between her confession.

"Promise me, Lia!" Giselle said.

Lia's confession paused to listen.

"Promise me that you won't keep a secret from me and that you won't do things behind my back. I'm still sad about this, but I'm willing to let it pass if you swear to me. If you don't, then you can forget about me,"

Lia did not hesitate to agree as forgetting her mother is worse than any happiness or surprise she could wish to give.

"I will not do things without your permission."

Lia pledged.

"I'm sorry, mother," she added with her most guilt-ridden face and genuine remorse.

"Okay."

Lia's face lightened from finally hearing Giselle's gentle voice.

It was touching to watch them as Lillian announced to take leave and let the family have their moment. She was about to retire when Giselle stopped her abruptly. Lia joined to stick closer to her mother, refusing to let go.

"I haven't properly thanked you," Giselle said.

Lillian knew Giselle got sickly worried and understood on her own terms that Giselle feels grateful within. She revealed not to receive such formal praise for her small deed.

"No-" Giselle raged, startling the leaving guest.

"If Lia weren't with you, I would have gone crazy," she admits to her honesty.

"Thank you, Lillian."

Lillian got quite stunned and couldn't find herself a way to react. She nods her head dumbly with a soft smile and proceeds to leave without wasting another minute.

"Wait, Lilly-" Giselle called again.

Lillian was sure to leave now or else she couldn't handle herself, but the moment Giselle called her Lilly, it got over. Her legs naturally came to a sudden halt to the friendly call. She leaped upfront to a slight jerk and got a balance of herself without getting embarrassed.

"Yes," she turned to see Giselle act shy as well. Both refused to meet each other in the eye and struggled to speak.

Giselle knew she didn't want Lillian to leave just like that. She wanted her to stay for a few more minutes, and that thought prolonged to an awkward silence. Meanwhile, Lillian's legs betrayed her. She found herself resisting to walk away. Finally, mustering the courage, one of them spoke.

"Stay for dinner!" Giselle somehow said it without any consideration. She had hoped that Lillian would choose to stay.

"Oh-" Lillian heard to stare at the child, who smiled endlessly, from her own happiness.

'Lucky that you're young. It's tough being in love!' Lillian thought to herself.

Every passing second became unbearable for Giselle as she began to regret sprouting such stupid thoughts. She chose to make amends.

"If you're busy-"

"Yes."

Lillian agreed before the chance in front of her disappears to her negligence. Giselle saw Lillian scratch her head shyly as she admitted.

"Yes! I can stay for dinner," she added subtly to hear a loud growl coming from her stomach.

Lia giggled at the sound.

Blushing hard from the embarrassment, Lillian couldn't help but join in with a chuckle.