Love Beyond the Veil

LIANA

“Mom!” I cry again. She’s here. I’m in her arms. For the first time in both our lives, we are actually holding each other.

“Oh, Liana. My baby! My beautiful, beautiful baby!” she croaks with pride, holding my cheeks in her hands and looking me over. Gently touching my features.

“H-how?” I whisper while she wipes away my stray tears.

“I couldn’t tell you anything, darling. Contact was forbidden until the time came that you met Lucian.” She looks over my shoulder and smiles at him, and he bows his head respectfully. “Believe me, Liana, I wanted to—but nothing could influence your decision about Lucian or it would never work. You had to love him for himself—without being swayed by advice or other people’s opinions.”

I nod, wiping my tears and looking back at Lucian.

“Your Highness, would it be okay if I had a private moment with my daughter?” my mother asks Lucian, who smiles and nods. Moving to my side, he presses a kiss to my temple, his hand on the small of my back.

“Stay close, my love,” he murmurs, and I nod, squeezing his hand before he pulls it away. He walks a little distance away in the company of his own mother, giving me space.

My mother and I seat ourselves on a nearby decaying tree trunk. Right now, I couldn’t care where we were. As long as I’m with her, wherever I am is perfect.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” I say dreamily after a few moments of comfortable silence.

“I’m glad I am… Liana, I want you to know I have always watched over you. I know I wasn’t here when you needed me…” Her voice breaks a little at the end. She touches my hair softly. “You’ve grown up so well, Liana. So strong and kind. You cannot begin to know how proud I am of you.” She smiles as she wipes a few stray tears of her own.

I take the moment to study her and what I see makes me smile. I really am the spitting image of my mother. Raven hair, pale, smooth skin, and, of course, the eyes. The brightest of greens. Her features are more prominent than mine, but she is slimmer than me so that isn’t all that surprising. She’s tall and looks angelic—she probably looked it even before she quite literally became an angel guardian for the Goddess.

“I wish you could stay…” I whisper, knowing that she will be leaving me again. I’m not ready. There’s so much I’d love to ask. How did she meet my father? What was she like before all of that? Who was she in this life?

“I have always been here, Liana. Still kissed your knee when you scuffed it. Still wiped your tears when you cried. Held your hand while you were sick. Read you stories to help you sleep. I always have been, and always will be, right here.” My tears start anew as I nod, swallowing back the lump in my throat, and wrap my arms around her as tightly as I can.

“Please, come to my ceremony? Stand with me. No one has to see you… Just please, Mommy. Be with me.”

I hear her tears as she rubs my back. “Where else would I ever be?” she asks, making me smile through my tears.

“I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, Liana. So much.” She pulls back slightly, holds me at arm’s length, and looks over my shoulder. “Take care of my baby, Lucian.”

He stands and nods his head. “I fully intend to,” he says sincerely. His mother’s hand rests on his shoulder, and she smiles warmly at me.

“It was lovely to finally meet you, Liana. You’re just as perfect as my son described.”

My eyebrows go up, and Lucian gives me an I’ll-explain-after kind of look. I nod my agreement.

My mother stands, holding her hand out to me. I take it and stand up with her.

“It’s time for us to go, sweetheart.” Lucian’s mother looks up at him with a small, wistful smile. I can see the unshed tears in his eyes. He knew his mother before she died… I know how much he misses her. It’s clear to see.

“I’ll miss you,” he mutters, pulling her into an embrace. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my boy.” She smiles, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears as she reaches up to give him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulders. I look back at my mother, whose lips twitch into a brave smile. I can tell she’s trying to stay strong.

Lucian’s arm wraps around me from behind to hold me gently. He knows my thoughts, he knows that, given the chance, I would try to stop her leaving.

“We will visit again soon,” Lucian’s mother tells us quietly as she takes my mother’s hand in hers.

“Goodbye, Mommy…” I whisper.

She says nothing, just smiles and gives a small nod as they slip away into nothingness together, leaving Lucian and me alone once again.

The sweet tears trickle down my cheeks, dripping down onto my bare breasts.

“Baby…” Lucian coos quietly, his words a soft caress to the ache in my heart.

“Do you think she’ll come to our wedding?” I whisper to Lucian, looking at the empty space where my mother stood.

“She will, my love. They’ve always been there for us,” he reminds me, then pulls me into his embrace so I can nestle into his familiar scent. “Are you okay, beautiful?” he whispers, his hands feeling over my limbs gently. I’d almost forgotten about the transition. I mentally check myself and nod. No pain. No shakes. Just strength.

I nod against his chest in the bittersweet moment.

“I’m okay.”

“I love you, Liana.”

“I love you, Lucian”