Blood Lily

Before I could process my surprise and stumble out that I did not, in fact, mind her coming inside at all, she shot me a second question.

"Oh? What's the smile for?" she teasingly asked with her own knowing smile.

Realizing that I was still smiling, I quickly wiped the grin off my face.

"N-nothing," I said.

She lifted an eyebrow, questioning my blatant lie with a silent yet crushing demeanor.

"Ok, maybe I really like the room. M-my room."

She sighed a breath of relief and with a few, graceful steps, she sat on the foot of the rosy pink bed.

"I'm relieved you like it. I was afraid it was a bit much," she said as she motioned me to take a seat next to her.

"It's not," I said as I sat beside my new mother.

"But, admiring your room from the mirror is an odd choice," she said, catching me off guard.

"I- well..." I said as my eyes dropped downwards.

Gently, she rubbed my arm.

"It's ok, I understand, especially now that you've learned how the mirror works," she said, attempting to console my flustered self.

"Yeah..." I naturally said in response.

Though I didn't correct her, I already knew how mirrors worked. Enough to know you see yourself in them, at least. I wasn't that unaware of all the different things normal people used, so my pride was slightly hurt by her assumption.

"Just a bit longer," she said. "Okay?"

"Mhmm..."

"Perhaps only a week longer," she said as she gave me a wink.

That was the second time I've heard her mention something relating to a week from now. I had my guesses, but it didn't quite add up to me. If I understood what was going on with Amber then- oh! Amber and Millie, I nearly forgot.

"Could I ask you a favor?"

"Anything. What is it?" she responded without hesitation. With a motherly smile, too, of course.

"Um, could you allow Amber and Millie to speak casually with me?"

"Ohhh? Made some friends have we?" she asked more genuinely hopeful than teasingly.

Were they my friends? I didn't feel like they were, but then again I don't know what it's like to have a friend.

"I guess so," I said rather honestly.

"Just a guess?" she asked with a brow raised. "You learned their names and want them to speak with you casually in spite of having known them for the duration of an escort to the bathroom and an even shorter escort to your room. I think you've made two new friends."

I felt warm at the idea.

"I hope so," I said.

"And, permission granted," she said as she booped my button nose. "I'll let them know."

My smile could melt glaciers.

"Thank you..." I said leaning against her, preparing to do something I never thought I would have the chance to.

I rested my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around her. I gave someone else a hug for the first time in my life.

"...mom."

I think I startled her, but for only a moment. Within a moment, she was returning the hug as tightly as any loving mother should.

"You're always welcome, son."

My smile didn't fade, but I felt an odd twinge in my stomach. I had always dreamed about this, of a loving parent holding me in a loving way, saying that I was their child, that I was their son. That I mattered. And... while I did feel that I mattered, it just didn't make me as happy as I had always imagined. I was disappointed and confused.

I yawned.

…and tired.

She backed away from the hug, lightly holding my shoulders.

"Sleepy, huh?" she asked.

I nodded my head.

"You have a long day behind you and an interesting life ahead of you. I know I've had a far more interesting life this past century than I ever could have imagined the day father turned me. You deserve a good night's rest, so I'll leave you to that."

"Mmm," was all I needed to say in response.

"Oh, and if you're wondering about your name, well, I have something I would like to show you before the week is up. To help you decide on a name," she said.

I had nearly forgotten that I still don't actually have a name. I kind of liked Lil' O'Sang though.

"Decide on a name?" I asked.

"Mhmm, you might believe yourself out of place without a name, but neither myself nor my father kept our original names anyway. We chose a new name for ourselves, though I wouldn't force you to change your name even if you had one. It's just something like an optional family tradition."

"Ok," I said, nodding as my fatigue began to show.

She stood up and walked back towards the door, looking back at me and opening her mouth as if hesitating to say something, but seemed to decide against it. Instead, she simply smiled.

"Good night," she said as she flicked the lights off.

"Good night," I replied.

"And, welcome to being a vampire," she said as she exited the room.

Ker-chunk

I fell backwards onto my bed, lost in tired thought.

Son, huh...? It's not like I really look like a son at the moment, though. I've known how mirrors work, but that's mostly from looking at myself in the waters of the park's fountain or the glass of a shop's window. The image wasn't exactly crystal clear, so, to be honest, I didn't have an immediate image of what I looked like before in my head. I was aware of obvious details, like my black, unkempt hair that I would cut with anything sharp I could find, usually broken glass.

I imagined the faces of my parents, or well... my shacklers, as Magnolia put it. I don't remember their faces that well either, but they had black hair as well, so it's possible I looked similar to them, but the thought of looking anything similar to either of them, especially that heartless man, made me sick to my stomach.

I crawled up towards the head of the bed and slid under the covers. It was dark, but knowing the pillows and blankets were pink made me happy. Magnolia, the only mother I needed, wanted me to be happy, and that alone made me feel better.

But as wonderful as this day was, some things just kept nagging at the back of my mind.

I squeezed the soft, fluffy pillows tighter (and trust me, there were plenty of pillows to hug) as I wrapped myself tightly in the blankets.

"Sleeping in a bed really is the best..." I whispered to myself as I found the most comfortable position.

As I drifted off to sleep, my last thoughts were of more failed attempts at remembering what I used to look like.

If only I could see...