old dogs and new tricks

The words that fell from her lips were far less than her son deserved, but at this point she also had no right to even call him that. At the point in her life when she should have been putting all of her efforts into raising her children, she had been far too weak and fell apart. Hannibal’s abandonment had torn her into pieces, and she was unable to pull herself together for the young children that she had been raising. As a result they had practically raised themselves, and she had lost the privilege of calling them her own.

She fully expected a little sneer and for Chimera to turn away from her. That was what she truly deserved from him, after she had allowed their family to so fully be broken. Just like herself. Part of her dark broken heart hoped that wasn’t the way this meeting would turn out. When he first started to step forward her uncertainty brought a blossom of fear into her chest. He had every reason to take whatever penance he felt was deserving of her. Deathbelle projected her own feelings on his actions and squeezed her eyes shut, ready for whatever blow would be dealt. She couldn’t have predicted that he would wrap her up into a tight embrace.

Deathbelle was stiff for a moment, but as those words that she didn’t deserve fell from his lips she relaxed into his arms. A heavy yet relieved sigh fell from her lips as she hesitantly hugged him back. Half in disbelief that she was allowed to show affection to the boy.. No the man that she had wronged so deeply. She had been a terrible mother to all of her youngest children. ”I don’t deserve forgiveness.” Deathbelle protested despite how he held her.