As she stares into the eyes of the man that stands before her all she can see is the defenseless infant in the photograph.
"For months I despised being chosen to play host to human parasite. I was not in any way thrilled by your existence when it was initially confirmed."
His eyes search her, "Your actions say otherwise."
She has been writhing in pain for hours. The nearby timepiece reminds her she has been at this task for over thirty hours. Her twenty something self has never experienced pain on so many different levels. Ada squeezes her hand reassuringly. The powerless raven-haired witch wretches between contractions.
"Make this madness stop. I cannot take another second of this. Use magical scissors for all I care. Just get it out of me! Haven't I suffered enough torture for one lifetime on this subject?" Her face grows redder with each passing moment. Her entire body is drenched in perspiration as she lies in her bed begging for death to take her, as she is certain this must be worse. Miss Bat interjects.
"Sit up."
"I haven't ounce of strength left. This dreadful creature is resigned not to come out."
Ada, and Gwendolyn assist Hecate into a squatting position. Her knuckles grow white as she grips the metal foot-board.
"Give me whatever you have left, Hecate."
"I've got nothing left!" She cries.
"Dig a little deeper," Miss Bat begs.
The veins in her neck pulsate as she pushes. She offers every last ounce of strength until something monumental happens. The back and forth is interrupted by a glorious howl. Hecate's eyes fall upon the newborn creature. Without a word she slips him from Miss Bat's grasp.
"The second I saw you I realized I had never felt so connected to anyone in my entire life. You were the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on. In that first instant I knew I would always love you whether I wanted to or not."
"You didn't want to place me for adoption at all, did you?"
She solemnly offers a head shake, "Not after I laid eyes on you. I wanted to keep you close to me so that I knew you were protected, but I couldn't."
"How did you end the nightmare without breaking the code?"
"I didn't."
"You broke the code?"
"I wasn't the one who broke the code. I did not have the power to do so."
"Who did?"
"Agatha."
He furrows his brow, "Why? She hasn't done anything altruistic in her entire life."
"He was a threat to us all. She did what was necessary despite the fact that it broke the code. Ada made certain she never had any recollection of it."
"It seems that my most sincere heart-felt apology would not come close to offering relief from all of the pain that has been inflicted upon me because of me."
"Your perspective is totally off base, Sebastian. You brought more joy to my life than you can ever know."
"Only have that joy abruptly ripped from your arms."
"Dwelling on the rear-view increases the odds of crashing into a tree a hundred-fold."
"I am eternally grateful for the life that you afforded me."
"Will you stay?"
He offers a toothy grin, "Under one condition."
"I'm listening?"
"I'm going to need you to seal this with a hug."
Instead of her body becoming rigid as he expects her shoulders relax, and she closes the gap between them. Her long arms wrap around him. He wonders if his heart is going to explode as he hugs her back. Eventually her arms loosen their grip, and he stares into her eyes.
"You deserve to have a second chance at all of this without such abysmal circumstances."
"That window of time is rapidly narrowing to naught."
"You may be a prisoner of your own device, but you are not a prisoner to this place."
"Anymore," Hecate responds.
"You have all the facts before you about my existence. I can imagine your mind might inquire what it might be like to begin again with intention in such an endeavor."
"I have wasted too much time in sea of my own despair to find myself entangled in a web of opportunities lost."
"I am reminded that peace, and happiness are two totally different concepts. The resolution of this chapter may offer you peace, but…"
"What would propel you to believe it would not offer happiness?"
"The circumstance leaves me feeling bittersweet. The most pitiful part of a reunion is the time that is lost forever between parties, which can never be returned."
"Sebastian leading a life in the rear-view will lead you down a path filled with too much darkness, and despair."
"How is it possible that you have never been tempted by the darkness?"
She exhales as she carefully contemplates the question. She subtly shakes her head, "It is not that I have never been tempted. The thing about darkness is that if you have a true friend they will offer a light when you cannot ignite your own."
The sky is onyx dotted with countless silver lights from afar. The moon taunts her as she sits on the end of her bed. She carefully places a folded blanket inside an empty bassinet. Her hands tremble as she palms a vial of potion. Her young face is stained with tears. Her hair hangs freely as she returns to a seat on the end of her bed. Every item in the room is exactly in its place. The absence of one small presence echoes in her mind. The pain fueled by her grief is diffuse. Her entire world has vanished in an instant.
She removes the cork from the vial as she ruminates on her options for a passing moment. Before she can act fingers wrap around her wrist as another hand removes the vial from her grasp. She turns to her right to find Ada has materialized beside her. With a wave of her hand the vial disappears. The anger washes over the young witch. Her nostrils flare as the tears rebelliously stream down her face.
"I can fix this, but your solution simply will not remedy anyone's grief, Hecate. It will only multiply the burden on those around you."
Every fiber of her being wants to argue. Her voice refuses to offer so much as a squeak. Her instinct is to push away as her superior secures her in a hug. Her body betrays her, in inaction.