☆Glory☆

"Glory, your mother wants to meet you. I know you might not want to, and I was furious with her." Grandmother's eyes are soft. They usually are, when they look at me. That's the best thing about her. "I thought that maybe we can introduce you to her and Jambu, your half-brother. Only if you want to, of course. I would want the best for you."

I want to.

Maybe it's more than curiosity. Maybe we both have something missing in our lives. Although Grandmother switches the TV off when my mother- Andromeda- comes on, she can't bear to throw the picture in her bedroom away.

And, in turn, I sometimes look at myself in the bathroom mirror, brushing my blonde hair. Because, after all, it's the only thing I have from her.

"I would love to."

I take her wrinkled hand in mine. Because even the famous Grandeur Bright has wrinkled hands. Because even she has her weak moments. But the eyes that look into mine aren't weak at all- they are beautiful. We're both taking our hearts out one last time- we're giving them a chance. We're giving us a chance.

New beginnings and hope. It's what we need.

☆

Slap.

"I told you to never bring him here."

A red cheek. The sound seems to echo all around the room, and I can see Secretkeeper and Moon at the door with the steak, looking shocked.

"I was stupid to think that a girl like you would have changed." Grandmother walks until she is blocking her from me. Her voice is unbelievably cold. "We made a deal for you to come alone. Of course you didn't respect the things I laid out for you, because you're ALWAYS TRYING TO DO THINGS ON YOUR OWN WAY-"

"Well, you haven't changed a bit either, Mother." Her face crumples as she reaches out to touch her reddened cheek. "I came here to see my daughter. Is that so wrong to you? You always manage to make everything about me wrong, don't you?"

Grandmother raises her hand again, and I have to hold her back. She looks surprised, but she slowly lowers her hand. "I thought that you finally came to your senses. That you actually wanted to see your daughter. But here you come with your son, acting like it won't be a surprise to Glory. And maybe that's okay. But your- your husband-What about your daughter? Don't you know what she went through without you? You told me that day that you didn't want to take care of her. And why are you coming back?"

I clench my eyes shut. "Grandmother!" It's the first time I ever raised my voice at her.

"A very open welcome, Grandeur." The man's voice is dry. "I knew you disliked me, but I hope you can manage from hitting my wife again." His eyes sweep over her to me, and he doesn't even try to hide his distaste.

Grandmother presses her mouth shut, her eyes narrowed. She looks like she wants to murder this man, but instead she motions for the boy to come to her side. He obediently does.

"Glory, this is Jambu. Your half-brother." Grandmother gives him a weak smile. "He's currently in college."

"Hello. I'm Glory Bright." I saw him in YouYube videos, but actually realizing that he's related to me is bizarre. He doesn't even look like me- he looks like one of the stars. He belongs there. Half-brother. So not the same father, which probably means that the accident happened during their marrige. I guess I'm something to remind them of it. That explains the frown.

He waves with a grin, pulling at his tie. "I'm starving. I hope you didn't forget that I'm vegetarian, Grandmother."

"Of course not." She's still refusing to see anyone but Jambu. "Anaconda, I thought you would like steak. Is it- alright?"

Anaconda is eyeing the house, her fingers gently on her cheek. She has a slight frown on her face- nobody in the family seems to be happy except Jambu, who happily sits at the table and starts getting himself salad. The others, including me, sit awkwardly.

"So, Glory, I heard that you were in a drama club at your school." Anaconda smiles. "Did you get a role?"

I have imagined many times what it would be like when we talked, my mother and I. More than one of them contained hugging and forgiveness. Sadly, none of them had the words "drama club" in them.

"Yes. We don't know yet." I probably should avoid telling her that the daughter of the famous Anaconda couldn't even get a supporting role in a drama club.

Secretkeeper asks me how I would like my steak, and I tell her well done. The man, Anaconda's husband, gives a smug smile. "Glory, was it? Are you scared of blood? I assure you that steak served medium rare is the best. Try it out."

Grandmother cuts in before I can reply. "She likes her steak well done."

"Why?" He seems excited to call me out. On how I like my steak well done. For God's sake. "Because of the bl-?"

I can't take it anymore. "YES! I like well done steak and must be immediately ridiculed because apparently that means I am scared of blood!"

He blinks rapidly. Worth it.

I clear my throat. "Sorry. It's because I have chronic leukemia and bacteria can spread through contact with the raw meat or the liquid of it, causing cross-contamination. That's why I shouldn't take it when I'm going through treatment, even light ones. Are you satisfied?" I set my fork down. "I would like medium rare. I prefer it. But for health reasons, I hope you respect my decision on the choice of how well I like my steak done."

Awkward silence follows.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry. Somebody failed me to notify that you had... leukemia."

Jambu snorts. When his father gives him a glare, he turns it into a small cough. But he gives me a thumbs-up under the table, and I laugh into my handkerchief. Okay, I have to admit I like this guy. His dad? Not so much.

"So, why did you come here, Anaconda?" Grandmother hasn't lifted her fork. "I know you must have had a reason. Don't say it's for Glory, you must have had some other goal. With your busy husband, too." She's almost smiling. I wonder if anyone else can see, but her mask is wearing off. It really makes me think that we could do this more- I never realized how curious I was about my mother. And Jambu, too. Perhaps perhaps really can do it, the new beginnings. "But, I was thinking that maybe we could do this more..."

She's avoiding our eyes. "We came here to tell you we're going away. We've decided to go to Europe, and we won't come back. We have decided that we want to be close to Jambu, and I thought you would want to know." She's still not looking at me or Grandmother. "And I was curious to see- how you and Glory was doing."

"You were...curious." Nobody's eating anymore. There's just silence and disbelief. Jambu won't meet my eyes. Anaconda won't meet my eyes. The only one that does is the man, and I hate him more than anything. "Curious..."

I slowly stand up from the table. My hands are trembling. I wonder if that woman knows what she's doing to me, to both of us. How she's taking our hearts and just tearing it inro pieces. "May I excuse myself?"

"Glory." Anaconda stands up. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk. I know I have no right to, but I wanted to tell you everything, about your father and anything else you wanted to know-"

"Ha! Her father, is that what we're calling now?" That man, he's the one that's ruining it all. "You told me it was an accident. And now you're talking about him like he's your lost loved one."

"Can you- be quiet for a second? Sweetheart, please." Anaconda's reaching out, and Jambu is shaking his head at his father with a disgusted expression on his face.

"And a girl with cancer- is that what you wanted to hide from me? Well, it would make sense, seeing how everyone will react when the girl Anaconda got when she made an 'accident' is a girl with cancer."

She doesn't say anything for a while. When she opens her mouth, nothing comes out. And she just doesn't shine in the room anymore. She's another weak woman trying to cover everything up by running away. In a way, she even reminds me of...me.

"Just say it." I look at her straight in the eye. And then I see the daffodils. Stupid daffodils. New beginnings and hope...none of those things were ever there for me. And now my heart is shattered.

I hate myself. I hate those flowers. So I grab the ones that I can destroy first- I tame the vase in my hands and shatter them on the floor. My eyes are filling up, and I don't want to cry in front of them, and I won't, I can't. I can't even raise my voice. "Just say that you chose your job before me. Just say I don't matter to you, that you wish I was never born, that you want me to die so you can finally be free from everything that's ruining your perfect family."

She doesn't say anything, and that's when I decide that I hate her. "You're just a girl running away from your problems wishing they didn't exist." Hurtful words. I want to hurt her too, just like she hurt me. I want to tear her heart to pieces, although I know I'm not important enough to her to do such a thing. "I'm so sorry that I can't freaking disappear."

She's hiding her face in her hands, sobbing. How dare you. How freaking dare you cry in front of me. Like you have ever felt any pain. "Don't say that. Don't- I-I'm so sorry-"

She should be. She should be very freaking sorry.

"Also, you." I'm pointing at her husband. "Nobody gives a crap that you like medium well steak better than well done."

"Glory!" Even Grandmother's voice can't make me stop. Nothing can make me stop from running away from this.

"Don't go," my mother says as she sobs. When I look back, Jambu is comforting her.

"You're going." My voice is different. "I was ready to start again. I was ready to forgive you and accept you. And now- you're leaving again." My hands are clenching into a fist. Yes, anger. The anger I have suppressed for so long, and now they come bursting out. I don't even feel pity for that woman. "Did you listen to me when I asked you to stay, when I was a little girl?"

"Glory." She's saying my name. Like she has a right to.

Did you ever look back, even once?

The question I really want to ask. The question I've always wanted to ask. But the words don't come out, and suddenly I'm storming outside. I don't even cry.

My new beginnings, ruined.

The noises that come out of my mouth are the wailing sounds of an animal. They just come out like they've been waiting for this- choking my neck, making me tremble. They're making me run somewhere. I don't even know where I'm going, and I ignore everyone that tries to ask me if I'm okay.

Maybe I'm going to a place to kill myself. Because nobody wants me alive. Because some people are actually without I disappear before the cancer gets me. And now, I kind of do, too.

I finally reach a place. And I forget everything. All I can think now is how people say that sometimes, your body knows you better than your head does.

I wonder what I look like, a girl in a fancy dress, her eyes red, her mouth letting out sounds lesser than something an animal will make.

I'm at the only place that I can turn to.

I'm at Deathbringer's house.