Reunion

Tabitha was sitting on a rocking chair next to the fireplace knitting a piece that had not yet come to a guessing shape, but the color of the yarn was a warm one perhaps suggesting she could be knitting a tablecloth.

She was humming a sweet little tune peacefully. She looked lost in thoughts and also as if she was not thinking at all at the same time, an almost blank empty look. Loneliness might have take quite a big toll on her.

She then paused her humming and was still for a while as if she was anticipating something. Then she heard it again, someone was knocking on her door. She was quite alert for her age.

She got up and walked to the front door wondering who it was that would be knocking on her door this late. It sure wasn't normal for her to receive visitors, leave alone this late.

She checked through the peephole just to be sure of who it was that could be outside. She could only see the hair of the young man standing from outside and she already knew who it was, she was just ensure why Chris would come by this late.

Maybe he brought her a little bit of fish from their catch, which made her wonder even more why they were back so early given that they would be out all night.

She decided to unlock the door and see what it was. The moment she opened the door, she was torn between looking at who Chris was carrying on his arms or figuring out why Chris had that 'hard to explain' look on his face. It was as if he had seen something disturbing and hurtful at the same time.

She hurriedly allowed him in and looked at Chris's father Victor who followed behind with the same same look. She let them in and locked the door. "Who is this Chris, and why did you bring her to my house?" Tabitha asked in a concerned manner.

She wanted to know why Chris came into her house carrying a lady on his arms who was all soaked and looked weak. He could have taken him somewhere else, right? After all, this wasn't the only house he knew, he could have gone to his.

Chris then placed her on the couch and helped her to sit up. Immediately, Tabitha moved back a few steps and stared at her with fear, confusion and pain in her eyes.

She then looked at Victor and Chris with inquisitive eyes, at this point, tears could be seen already building up in her eyes. Chris then walked to her and held her shoulders, "It's Lily, it's her Tabitha"

Tabitha wiped off her tears and spoke in a shaking voice, "That can't be true, do you think you can just come to my house and play around with my mind? You know pretty well that my Lily died along time ago. Just because I'm old it doesn't mean that you can play around with my mind to make me be at peace with the fact that my grandchild and her mother are gone."

Chris and Victor were dumbfounded at how hurt Tabitha was and the fact that she was always sweet and quiet all the time, it seemed like she was hurting even more each day. More than ten years had gone by but the hurt that she felt was unmeasurable.

Chris felt so sad seeing her like this and he hated having to trigger her.

He then reassured her that he was sure of what he was saying and that she should look at her again and see for herself if she remembered Lily.

Tabitha sighed and looked at Victor and Chris, "well then, there's only one way to be sure because people do look alike"

She then got closer to Lily and looked at her keenly. She looked at her eyes and they sure did look like the ones she knew. Shen then got closer and stretched her hand to touch Lily but stopped midway and spoke, "it's okay child".

She then reached for her hair and pushed them away from her left ear then tilted her neck to look behind it. She then saw it, that scar, the very same scar that little Lily had behind her left ear.

She let her go and looked at her "Lily? My little Lily.." she was sobbing uncontrollably as Lily looked back at her and also reached out to touch her face. Lily blinked as if coming back to reality and looked at Tabitha and spoke again for the second time, "grandma.." , she sunk into her warm hug as they sobbed uncontrollably.

Victor could not believe this very moment, none of them could. It was very magical. Lily was actually back and alive. They had so many questions but they could not ruin this big moment when Lily was finally reuniting with her grandmother after all those years when they knew that she was actually dead.

Tabitha then pulled away from Lily's hug and asked, "what really happened out there my child? How did you survive? We have all know that you have been dead for more than a decade now."

Lily looked around the living room and across the walls, " not a thing has changed here, it's just like I remember it"

They looked at her and Tabitha smiled " she must still be in shock, let us give her time to easen up and rest, maybe she will remember what happened to her." She could not shake off the strange feeling she had when she thought about how Chris had found her by the shore and it seemed like she was swept by the water there.

Tabitha was so sad about what might have happened and how little Lily found her way back to her.

Tabitha helped her get up and walked her to the bathroom to take a warm bath. 'She sure must have been so cold and really does need the bath. She also has to get out of that soaked dress she was in', Tabitha thought to herself as she ran a bath for her.

Her old childhood bedroom would be perfect to accommodate her. It was still neatly arranged as if in use but no one really used it. Tabitha just liked keeping everything tidy and neat.

Lily watched her grandmother Tabitha as she left and placed down a fresh towel for her. She slid into the tub and sunk in the water with her eyes shut. The water felt nice, it was warm and gentle on her skin.

She held the tub as she immersed her body completely into the water. She spent a few seconds in there and slowly emerged from the water.

She looked at her hands and raised them delicately, and with her left hand she swayed her fingers sofltly on the surface of the water and suddenly ice started forming coating the surface of the water and slowly spreading across the bathtub.

Then suddenly as if she was shook awake, Lily gasped and stopped the movement...she then focused her eyes on the frosted surface and it slowly steamed up and became warm again.

"I think we should be more careful next time, don't you think?" A voice sounded from one of the corners of the room.

Lily didn't turn at all nor seem shocked from the sudden voice. She was rather too composed than expected, almost as if she did not hear anything. She continued washing her body delicately and staring dead into the water.

She then switched her gaze and fixed it on the wall ahead of her, which was just a blank plain white wall with nothing at all to look at. "You know better than to spy on me when I'm bathing", Lily commented then switched her gaze back to her hands.

A blurry figure suddenly began materializing from the wall ahead where Lily was staring at. A figure of a young man that seemed to be in his late twenties appeared. He had black sleek hair and sharp brown eyes. He was quite handsome but there was an aura surrounding him that felt quite terrifying. However, Lily seemed to not be affected by it at all.

The figure dressed in a perfectly fitting black suit stepped forward and gave a slight bow to Lily, "Your grace, sadly you can't get rid of me. I am accustomed to accompany you everywhere you go, those are the commands of the dark one. And please Luna, do not treat me like we are strangers, I have been by your side for centuries", Titus continued.

Lily looked at him with discontent then snapped her fingers signaling him to get her a towel. "In this world I go by Lily, and do not forget that we are in the human world, nobody should even hear a whisper of that name in this town or the next. We are treading on dangerous waters here Titus." Lily spoke with seriousness on her face.

"I understand very well why we are here Lily, as long as we are careful enough, the dark Lord does not have to send any other assistance. You just need to ensure that you don't get suspected, and please try to be warmer with your grandmother and that fine young man Christopher, you will need them."

Titus vanished from sight as if he was never there to begin with. Lily sighed and held onto the towel wrapped around her. Tabitha rushed in and looked at Lily with a sweet smile, "are you alright dear, I think I heard some voices from in here". Lily looked at her and smiled back and shook her head in disagreement.

Tabitha could not help but smile back happily because this was the first time she was seeing dear Lily smiling at her since she got here, and that smile looked exactly like her mother's.

Tabitha chuckled and responded, " Oh sweet child, it must have been nothing. You know I am quite old and my hearing must be bad. Let me give you some fresh pajamas to put on before you go to bed. Some of your late mother's old clothes are still here and I am sure they will fit you perfectly.

Lily looked at her grandmother with a shocked expression with a hint of sadness in it, "my mother is dead?" She zoned out for a moment and her eyes watered a little.

Tabitha did not know what to do because it was at that very moment she realized that Lily must not have known since she got lost in the woods leaving behind her mother who was still alive at that time.

She walked to her and hugged her. Lily sunk into her grandmother's embrace and gave a slight sob them she got quiet again. Tabitha took her to her old childhood bedroom and urged her to get some rest for the night. Lily got into the pajamas that were brought shortly by her grandmother then tucked herself into bed. She then closed her eyes and called out, "Titus."