After the conversation with Lilith, neither Luz nor Amity were able to be in a good mood anymore; the fairy's words continued to resonate in their heads even if they wanted to think about something else. Lilith had tried to cheer them up, but she knew she couldn't do it with words alone, so she advised them to take a walk to clear their minds. And so they had done: they had gone on their way, after having politely said goodbye to the fairy, and neither of them had said a word after that moment.
Luz felt worse than ever. The thought that Eda had suffered what Lilith had told them made her insides turn. If she had listened to her heart, she would have immediately run to her to hug her, but she wasn't sure if that was the right approach. Now it was clear to her why Eda was so reluctant to accept Raine's love, even though she loved them with all her being; who knows how she must have felt when her soul was broken... had it hurt? Or had it been something deeper, something that broke the emotions themselves? But Luz was sure that what Eda had suffered in that moment was nothing compared to what she had felt when she realized what she had done to her father.
She bit her lip. How terrible must it have been for her to come to her senses and realize that she had ruined one of the most important people in her life? Luz felt terribly guilty about what had happened to her mother, but she wasn't the one who called Belos or devoured her; Eda on the other hand... Eda was the one who had moved her hand. Eda was the one who had grabbed the weapon and struck. If Luz felt darkness fill her heart every time she thought of her mother, Eda was probably completely invaded by it when she thought of her father.
Finally the two girls stopped under a tree. They were silent for a while, then Luz asked: "Amity... what do you think I should do?"
Her girlfriend shook her head dejectedly. "I wish I could advise you, Luz, I really do, but... I don't know what to say to that" she admitted. "But… I think you should talk to her"
The puppet looked at her in surprise. "That's all? Talk to her?"
"I know it doesn't seem like much, but trust me... you have the gift of always saying the right thing when needed" Amity told her. "If you're the one talking to Eda, I'm sure you'll find the right words"
"But I don't even know what to say to her" Luz protested.
"Then do as both our fairies have always taught us: just let your heart speak" Amity replied. "After all, from a heart made of gold like yours, can only come out beautiful words that warm people's souls"
Luz blushed visibly at the compliment. "Amity, my heart is made of wood" she reminded her with a bit of irony in her voice.
"And who said that? Have you ever checked?" Amity answered her with a winking look. "I'm sure it's not like that. Your body is made of wood... but the magic inside you has definitely concentrated in your heart and made it golden"
Luz blushed to the tips of her ears, and then she threw herself at Amity, knocking her off balance; the two girls rolled on the grassy ground for a couple of meters and when they stopped they were on top of each other. They looked at each other for a moment, then Amity said again: "Trust me, talk to Eda. Even if you don't believe it, I know you will tell her what she needs to hear"
Luz smiled and took advantage of that position to rub her nose against her girlfriend's. "Okay. I will follow your advice" she replied; and needless to say, the next second their mouths were already glued together.
They weren't words spoken in the heat of the moment: Luz meant it... even though she also meant it about having no idea what to say to Eda. But in any case, talking a little about that issue was now a must. So that evening she waited patiently for everyone to go to sleep; she too got into bed, but she didn't close her eyes but rather waited for everyone to sleep; and when she was sure that all her friends were snoring deeply, she got up and, trying to make as little noise as possible, left the bedroom and went to look for the fairy.
She found Eda sitting in the living room mixing some strange ingredients to make some potion. "Oh, kiddo! What are you still doing up?" she told her as soon as she saw her.
"I wanted to talk to you" Luz replied. She wasn't sure what to say, so she tried to start the conversation a little casually: "Is that a magic potion?"
"No, it's just a decoction" Eda replied hastily, and then she said: "Don't beat around the bush, Luz, I know that look. You have something bothering you, right?"
Luz sighed. She just couldn't hide anything from Eda. "Yes" she admitted, and then she dropped the bomb: "Today I went to Lilith's house. She told me... the reason why you don't want to be with Raine"
Eda's body seemed to become the same consistency as iron; an expression of pure dismay that Luz had never seen on her appeared on her face. The puppet waited for the fairy to say something, but not a single word came out of her mouth; on the contrary, Eda turned her gaze in a very similar way to how she did when she didn't have the courage to look her in the face. Luz opened her mouth a couple of times to say something, but each time she realized she didn't have a clue what to say. In the end she let herself be guided by instinct: she sat next to Eda and without any warning hugged her tightly, even smearing her face on her chest, and whispered: "Eda... I'm sorry for what happened to you... with your father, with Raine, with everything. You didn't deserve it"
Eda had gasped when the puppet had hugged her, but then she remained still; she slowly raised her arms and in turn returned the hug, touching her hair with a certain intensity as if that gesture helped her release the tension. The two remained locked in that position for a long time, and even though Luz never looked up she could still feel a couple of hot tears falling on her head. Finally she tried to say something: "Eda... I understand why you didn't want to talk to me about it..."
"I didn't want you to worry about me" Eda said hastily in a clearly strangled voice. "It's no use, I can handle it myself"
But Luz didn't give up and raised herself a little to be able to meet the fairy's golden eyes. "I know you can handle this on your own, Eda. You are strong, courageous, determined, and good... even too good, especially to me. But... even if you can handle this on your own... that doesn't mean you have to"
Eda giggled slightly. "It sounds a lot like something I would tell you"
"Well, you educated me after all. And when I was the one in trouble, you told me not to keep it all inside but to spit it out" Luz reminded her. "I know it hurts to talk about it. It hurt me when I said those things. But afterward... it feels better. And like that wonderful friend named Gus once told me... you can't make bad things go away, they are part of life, but it is easier to manage them if someone helps you bear the burden"
Eda smiled at her tenderly. "You've really grown up, Luz" he whispered to her. "You have truly learned from all the experiences you have received. Everything can be said about you, but not that you don't learn from your mistakes"
Luz blushed a little. "Thank you... even though I technically can't grow up" she said with a bit of sadness in her voice. She was silent for a moment, then she asked: "Eda... can you give me a specific answer to why you don't want to be with Raine? Is it because of guilt, is it because of fear, or is it because of all of these things?"
Eda didn't answer immediately, but not because she was thinking about it but because she lacked her voice; Luz noticed that because she could clearly hear the irregular way the fairy was breathing, and to encourage her she hugged her even tighter. In the end Eda said: "The sense of guilt is strong... I haven't had the courage to speak to my father since that day... but what really stops me is the fear of what I could do to the others... to you". She shook herself a little: "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that you are an obstacle..."
"Don't worry, I know you didn't mean that" Luz anticipated her. "Eda... in your opinion, am I responsible for what happened to my mother?"
Eda looked at her surprised. "What are you saying, kiddo? I've said it a thousand times, it wasn't your fault"
"I know. You repeated it to me until you were exhausted. And yet... I can't help but think that it's my fault" Luz told her. "And sometimes... I am afraid of myself. I wonder if I'm the one attracting trouble, if I'm always destined to make the wrong choice... and I wonder if one day I won't do harm to you, or to Amity, or to Willow, or to Gus, or to all my friends. And even when I don't think about it, I still feel that horrible feeling... it's like a woodworm that has made a nest in my wooden head and continues chewing on my brain. The only time I don't even really feel like this... when I really don't think about it... is when I'm with Amity. When I'm with her... all the negativity goes away, even this"
"Love does better magic than magic itself. It can heal very deep wounds" Eda told her with a smile.
"I know. That's why I don't want you to deprive yourself of your love" Luz told her. She paused again, then she said: "Eda... when I lost my mother... I was about to make the same mistake as you. I wanted to isolate myself from everything and everyone, I kicked out my friends, and I probably would have run away from you too if you had been present at that moment. I was afraid of what I could do to them... and also... I hated myself. I really hated myself, I didn't want to live anymore, I felt unworthy of being among others, of aspire to have even the smallest happiness. But you didn't give up. You came looking for me, and Gus and Willow didn't abandon me. You stayed with me... and slowly managed to make me forget about that hatred and of that fear, even if not completely. You helped me lift that weight that was on my heart". She looked up and stared the fairy straight in the eyes: "Tell me... was it the same for you too?"
Eda had listened to everything very carefully, and when Luz asked her that question she nodded. "Yes. I admit that it was like that for me too" she replied. "I too wanted to stay away from everyone, that's why I lived alone in the woods. But when you came into my life, kiddo, everything changed. You, your friends, your adorable girlfriend... you all made me rediscover the happiness of remaining among others. And even if I still have a feeling of fear for you... I would never want to separate from you. You are my new family"
"Yeah, I figured so" Luz said, and then she stared at her even more intensely than before: "You and I are the same, Eda, that's why you always knew what you had to say and do to help me... and that's why now I know for sure I have to encourage you to be with Raine. Because you see, we both went through something bad, we both blame ourselves for what happened, we both managed to bear the weight placed on our hearts thanks to the people around us... but contrary to you, I also had the courage to accept immersing myself in the world of love. And that love... doesn't help support the weight, it just makes it disappear. Staying close to Amity... it makes me feel light, lighter than ever, even in the saddest moments. That's why I want you to be with Raine and let yourself be lulled by that happiness"
Eda was surprised by Luz's speech, although not too much: that puppet contained too much sweetness and purity in herself not to tell her those things. However, she was still doubtful. "Luz, it's not that simple. You don't risk hurting anyone because of that love..."
"I know, and so I know that it's even harder for you than it was for me" Luz replied with a determined voice. "But it doesn't matter. I know I'm asking you for a lot of courage, Eda, but you have to do it. You have to stop making yourself unhappy for a fear that you know will never go away"
Eda smiled involuntarily when she heard the puppet repeat her own words. "You remembered them"
"I remember every one of your teachings, Eda. Sometimes I don't listen to them because I'm an arrogant and stubborn puppet, but that doesn't mean I don't remember them" Luz replied. "Eda... I know you're afraid, it's right that you have it, but you have to face it. Raine was afraid too, that's why they let you go, but they decided to move on and came back to you, and they won't give up anymore until they will have you. They love you, and you love them. Let this love guide you. You don't know if this will have negative consequences, so live with the thought that it will only have positive ones. You said to me that no one know the future after all. Just as I am trying to keep believing that I will become a real girl, you must try to keep believing that the love of you and Raine is one of the most beautiful things in this world and that you have to live it to the fullest and that it will always be so magnificent regardless of what happens"
There was a long silence between the two, then Eda caressed her cheek. "You've become really mature, Luz. You don't know how proud I am of you" the fairy murmured with a smile.
Luz enjoyed that touch, and actually shook the fairy's hand. "I just want you to be happy, just like you just want me to be happy. Let yourself love Raine, just like I do with Amity. Live in the beauty of the present, not in fear for the future"
Eda nodded. "I don't promise you anything... but you have my word that I will think carefully about these words of yours. Even if... you managed to convince me almost completely" she said, pressing a small kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, Luz. I really needed to hear those things"
"It's always you who advises me. For once, I advised you" Luz replied, leaning on her and hugging her again. Eda rubbed her hair again, and then she transformed back into her fairy form and wrapped her in her wings.
Luz smiled with joy at feeling surrounded by those soft and warm feathers that made her feel so protected. "Eda... can you sing me a song, like last time?" she asked her a little reluctantly, fearing of sounding childish.
But Eda didn't see it that way at all. "Of course, kiddo. I'll gladly sing it to you" she replied, and immediately she began singing the melody. Luz leaned against her chest and listened to her carefully, and like the other time it seemed to her that that beautiful voice was a blanket that warmed her soul. What she didn't know was that the fact that she was there hugging Eda listening to the song was what was warming the fairy's heart instead; a very small gesture, but one that was making Eda feel happier than she ever remembered being.
Neither of them moved until the song was over, and even after that they remained in that position for a while. Only when Eda noticed that Luz's eyelids were becoming heavy did she say: "Come, it's time for me to take you back to bed. You need to rest, you have to go to school tomorrow"
Luz nodded and got up, and she followed the fairy to her room; the two entered and, being careful not to wake the others, they walked to the puppet's bed and there she lay down. Eda pulled the covers up on her and then she said: "Luz... thank you so much. I think... you gave me a lot of courage tonight". Then she gave her a kiss on the forehead and whispered: "Now sleep, you need it. Goodnight, Luz"
The puppet smiled back, even if she did it with her eyes closed because she could no longer keep her eyelids open. And then she whispered: "Goodnight... mom"
Eda opened her eyes wide at hearing herself called that, and she looked at Luz in surprise, but the puppet had already fallen asleep. The fairy couldn't stop a tear of emotion from rolling down her cheek; almost without thinking she gave her another kiss on the forehead and then another one again for good measure, and only then she left the room, even though she still continued to feel her heart so hot that it seemed to have just been immersed in lava.
And so we have a new maternal moment between Luz and Eda. And finally Luz called Eda 'mom'. Don't thank me