"Mom, tell me a bedtime story, pleease."
A young girl curled up beside her mother on a rainy night. The bed was small for them but they still managed. The curtains flew with the wind creating an eerie atmosphere but the girl was deterred. She wanted stories about monsters, about dragons, about all the mystical beings she could think of.
It was her way of escaping the life she currently had.
Her mom tucked her in bed tightly and pinched her cheek. She looked haggard, her eyes tired but full of love. The water seeped into their apartment but she decided to handle it after her daughter went to sleep. In her mind ran thoughts about how bad of a mother she was, unable to provide her daughter with a good standard of living, she could only try her best with what she had.
"This time, I will tell you a story about a prince. It's the story your father told me. Once upon a time, there lived a prince, he wasn't just an ordinary prince, he was an immortal prince. He lived for years and years and he still could not find the girl he loved. He was a handsome prince and many princesses wanted to marry him but he wanted to wait for the maiden who made his heart race. Alas, years passed by but he couldn't find her, with each year he grew more and more upset."
The girl didn't seem too interested in the story, she pouted and mumbled, "But I wanted a story about dragons..."
"Why do you love dragons so much?" Her mother sighed and asked with a smile.
The little girl's eyes glowed, "Because they can fly, they are strong, and because they are rich!"
Her mother couldn't help but feel sad, her child wasn't oblivious to their situation, and money could solve most of their problems. She pursed her lip then continued, "But a prince is rich too, he is immortal so that means he has been earning and saving money for a long long time."
The girl shrugged, she accepted what her mother said. It made sense. A prince is rich, he is royalty, and an immortal prince would be even richer.
"Seeing his plight a goddess decided to save him some pain. She put him to sleep, and until his fated love came of age he wouldn't awaken. This saved him years of misery waiting for her only for her to never turn up."
Her mother noticed this caught her daughter's attention and continued with enthusiasm, "After many years, it finally happened. His fated love came of age and he woke up. But he didn't know who or where she was. This he began his journey to look for her. During this time the girl had no idea that she was his fated lover, she was a commoner and led a humble life. She listened to her mom, studied well, and was a good girl overall."
"I feel like you're trying to teach me a lesson, Mom."
"You are very smart, just like her. If you be a good girl and listen to me, maybe some prince will come looking for you too. Anyway, the prince finally found her, seeing her made his heart race and he knew she was the one. The girl couldn't be happier, she liked the prince too, who wouldn't? He was a loyal and kind gentleman. But the girl was worried, he was an immortal, but she wasn't. She wondered ho-"
The mother looked at her daughter who was sound asleep. She kissed her forehead and whispered, "I hope you believe in fairytales always."
She silently got up, placed pots and buckets under the drips, and made herself some warm tea. She looked at the picture on the wall as she sipped the tea, it was a picture of her and her late husband. She missed those days dearly.
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Ten years later
"Okay, I'm turning off the lights now." The young girl was now a young adult. College was going to start in a week and she was as excited as she could be.
She quickly made her way to the bed in the dark and just like the good old days she snuggled up beside her mom. She would have to live in dormitories soon and she wanted to make the most of the time she had left.
Since she got a part-time job at a hair salon they were able to move into a slightly better apartment. At least it didn't leak every time it rained.
"I will miss these nights Lyra. Let me tell you favourite story one last time before you leave."
Lyra turned to look at her mom and frowned, "Favourite story?"
"Yeah, the one with the immortal prince, you loved that one. You made me tell that story every day when you were younger." Her mother was lost in nostalgia and didn't see the change in Lyra's expression.
"That is a stupid story. There is no prince, he isn't coming to find anyone. I appreciate you protecting my innocence when I was younger, but you don't have to do it anymore."
"Lyra-"
"Just don't. Where is your prince? He died and left you to fend for yourself and your infant." Lyra turned away from her mother and refused to talk.
Her mother reached out to touch her but stopped herself. She spent a sleepless night thinking about her late husband, she almost forgot what he looked like. She hid away the picture of her and her late husband because of Lyra's growing resentment. And maybe she too held some resentment.
"I- I am sorry, Alice. It's my fault. I should have told you."
'Yes, you should have. What's the point of thinking of him now.'
She hated him but also loved him, she had to forget him for herself and her daughter's sake.
She didn't want to end the day like this, she wanted to make sure Lyra was okay before they slept.
"Lyra... Just you and me, against the world." She extended her pinky and waited for her daughter to respond.
After a few moments of silence, she heard a sigh. Lyra turned to face her and hooked her pinky with her own.
It always has been the two of them facing all kinds of problems that came their way.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you... and disrespecting... your husband."