Title: Love Goes A Long Way
Author: anamolly02
Disclaimer: 1. This is a work of fan-fiction. 2. No money is made on this work. 3. JKR retains her rights. 4. Thanfiction retains his portions.
Rating: PG (to be safe)
WIP/Length: Complete/724 words
Main Characters/Pairings: Li Su/Anthony Goldstein
Warnings: none.
Summary: Written for the 24 FB mini-contest. Prompt: Journey. Li's a new mother, and it's all so new, but some of it is all too familiar.
Author's Note: OC's by Than used with permission.
Love Goes A Long Way
Some of it was new.
The combing of thick hair in the early hours of the morning. The purchasing of school supplies, small clothes and friendlier foods. The cautious choosing of words, and careful eyes searching for tiny ears. The shuffling of small feet across the tiled floor of the kitchen as she cooked dinner. The light suddenly leaking between the bedroom door and the floor while there was still a solid weight beside her in bed.
And some of it was all too familiar.
The silent questions in wide, expectant eyes. The guarded attitudes and worrisome nightmares. The sneaking into her bed at midnight. The tightening of teensy fingers on her arm. The questions that had no answers. The fear in young faces as they screamed about scary men in the dark. The pain in the tears as they leaked down soft cheeks.
Li was used to small children looking to her for help, for answers, for care. But never had they been so little. And never had they been her own. Never had they lived in her home and slept between her and her Love.
These beautiful little angels needed her. And she and Tony had done everything they could to bring them home, had done everything they could to save them. But it hadn't been enough because the pain was still there. And didn't Li and Tony know all about Not Enough.
But then, they knew all about Exactly Enough, as well. And so they showered them with love. They held them as they cried, and sang them lullabies, and checked closets and under beds, and answered as best they could. They held back no truth, taught all they knew, provided what they could. Tony was shaping up to be an excellent father, just like Li knew he would be. And she knew she was doing her best as well.
The love and care and patience and support would go a long way, they knew. Asabi and Firyali had been through so much horror, so much pain, and Li was positive that their pasts would likely never truly leave them. After all, didn't she wake up soaked in sweat from the image of herself running through the stone corridors with curses flying overhead just last night? But then there would be a point, she knew, after much effort and assurance and protection, where they would move on, allowed to be the lovely little sweeties they deserved to be, the darling little babies they were.
And the first night it happened, Li had never felt so relieved and accomplished. The first night neither of the toddlers shouted for help, or scurried into their room, or could be heard sniffling; the first night where every time they got out of bed to check, both girls were sound asleep in their own beds; the first night a small quirk of the lips resembling a smile was seen on Asa's beautiful face, and Firyali slept looking peaceful, Li turned to Tony with a smile that could fill the entire world with light forever, letting it spread even wider when she saw it reflected on his handsome face.
It was what she had dreamt about. It was what she had envisioned when she first told Tony about the girls. It was what she had worked so hard for. They were at peace.
And it's not that every night after this was slept straight through. Of course, not. But in that time there were less tears. There was less of a paranoid avoidance and more of a curious nature taken on by both young girls. Less questions with dark undertones, and more light hearted topics. More opening up.
And there were more smiles. More laughter. More love reciprocated. And when they called her 'Mommy', it was with every ounce of affection and pride that she listened, because she had earned that.
And in the years that followed, the girls cried and laughed, dreamed and fought, slept and woke, danced and cheered, hurt and lied, loved and were loved.
And Li was happy for all of it in the end, if not in the very moments.
Because that's life. It happens to everyone, and some of it is all so familiar.
But then, it's life. It's a hell of a journey. And some of it all so new.