The Pride

"Mommy.... " I began to stammer from nerves.

She was the same as always, beautiful, with clear, tired eyes that seemed to gaze into the eternal. She had a calm countenance even though she had lived through so much. She was wearing a long dress with long, wide sleeves and a wool knitted vest. My mother always dressed as in the olden days, because she was very fond of things from the olden days. It suited her well and she looked like something out of a painting.

"My little Lysa..." she said, as she hugged me, holding me tightly to her chest.

I felt small, but in a good way, I felt like a daughter, even though I had recently become a mother. She radiated her protective spirit and held me in her arms, with the warmth of her presence. My heart beat slower, I steadied myself slowly, as if any problems would vanish with that embrace.

She watched me with guilt suffusing her eyes.

"You had to go through a rocky road, my dear daughter." She was sobbing, trying to make herself understood.

I took