The door bell rang.

The grin on her face was natural. She knew who it was. Jumping from the bed and nearly toppling down , she ran towards the door.

Not even caring about her bird nest of hair or her worn out PJs.

Breathless with anticipation, her hand shook as she unbolted the door.

More like tried to unbolt the door several of times because of how bad her hands were shaking. She wanted to rip down the door!

And just like that she had remembered a particular scene.

Will you let me in Sarah?

Now that she knew what he was. .she actually understood his question. Even if he had been a monster , she would have let him in. Not caring about herself at all.

If he wanted to have her blood, she would give it all. Every drop of it.

Smiling hard, she pulled the door wide and—

"Why are you smiling?"

The clipped tone of a woman instantly melted the smile off of her face.

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

A cold sweeping in on her.

"Mother. ."

The stern face of her mother welcomed her . Sarah didn't look like her at all. She was soft all around while her mother was as hard and as unforgiving as she could be. The wispy wirey hair of the middle aged woman made her look even more stern . Thin lips, thin over plucked eyebrows , gray eyes that had seen her life go from bad to worse .

She was a woman who had seen it all and like a giant oak tree no storm could shaken up her roots.

She didn't wait for Sarah to let her in.

She moved with a force , bumping into her shoulder hard . Sarah bit her lip and stepped back .

She cast a wistful look at the bright day outside and then at the woman in her humble place. She felt. . .stuck. Stuck at a place she couldn't get out.

Sighing, she shut the door close.

Just as she turned at the stick figure of her mother. .she was looking expectingly at her daughter.

"Did the city made you forget your manners?" She rasped.

And then Sarah shook her head slightly. "No , mother."

The woman raised her thin eyebrow in a well? gesture.

As if she was forced to do this, Sarah moved towards her mother mechanically and kissed her on either cheek. Just as she was about to back off—her eyes widened when the bony arms of her mother wrapped around her in a loose manner.

"I missed you , lamb."

She wished she could say no . . you miss controlling me around. You miss ordering me around. But she didn't say anything.

Just hugged her back as she was suppose to do.

"You smell like him."

Sarah knew who she was talking about. Her father.

And it wasn't the first time she thought. .

Was her father as submissive as she was? A people pleaser?

Finally they broke apart and quickly Sarah took a step back . Not at all used to  being close to her.

"I'll make tea. You must be tired . " Sarah said hurriedly.

The gray murky eyes of her mother had an unreadable look but all she did was nod.

"Yes. I'm in dire need of something to warm down these old bones." She cracked a smile.

And Sarah didn't know how to react to that because she—she didn't remember the last time her mother had smiled at her or worse crack a joke.

All she did was stare.

Her mother sighed and waved her hand dismissively.

Now that was something Sarah knew how to react to.

×××××××××××××××××××××

She was sleeping in her bed.

Sarah could hear her snores from here. She had occupied the couch knowing well why she came . .  probably came to check on her if she was hiding any boyfriends under the bed or in the closet?

Probably came to pry in every nook and cranny of her life and her house.

Sometimes it confused her. The relationship between her and the woman she called mother. Even as child she had never been emotionally present for her. She had provided for her but not be there for her . If she so much as cried , it was blamed on her teenage hormones.

She was told to get over it.

But she couldn't deny the fact that. .

Her mother had worked hard to brought her up. To clothe her. To educate her. No matter how strange their relationship was. .she still was the woman who came back from work and prepared dinner for her daughter. She was still the woman who checked upon her daughter at night if the blanket was covering her properly? Was she warm enough in the cold night?

Just because the mother and daughter duo were emotionally awkward with each other didn't erase her sacrifices. If she wanted she could have married again to some townsman , lived a cherry life .

But she chose her.

Her only daughter.

The women in her town had frowned upon her because in their eyes she was ruining her life by choosing her daughter and not settling down. As time passed , she became somewhat of a living legend.

A pious lady .

A lady no man could won—

The slight knock on her door jerked her slightly. Turning her neck at the wall clock, it was 10 : 30 AM.

The thud thud of her heart was enough to tell her who could that be.

Getting off the couch and walking towards the door on tip toes. . glancing at the close door of her bedroom she  didn't think much when unbolting the door . .a little hope blooming in her heart .

Maybe just maybe it was him. .

She had to be careful and not let the excitement and happiness get to her . If her mom woke up and saw a man—

Slowly as slowly it was possible, she opened the door slightly , her desperate eyes finding him standing on her threshold.

His face was mirroring her feelings. The desperation was there too. He didn't wait for her to open the door wide enough to let him in.

He moved in a blur .

Startling her.

Before she could so much as breath, she was in his arms. The door shut and bolted.

Damien's thick arms had snaked around her delicate waist and involuntarily her arms had moved around his neck .

The both of them trying to get as close as possible.

"You scare me. I can't seem to get close enough to you. I fear if I melt you in my chest , you might break."

Sarah smiled at his helpless voice . But it was true . Even she couldn't get close enough to him. .how strange was that?

One of his hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I thought you would never come ." Sarah whispered , her face buried in his chest. So glad for the peace he gave her.

"How could I not? I promised on my life. " He said in a low voice , her ear tickling at his breath.

Slowly, he pulled back . .some of her brown hair sticking to his shirt in a mess .He didn't let go of her hands,  his hand engulfing hers.

Damien stared at her and then his eyes lifted towards the closed door of her bedroom.

"I can hear a heartbeat. " He commented.

"My mother is visiting . " Sarah whispered .

A smirked played on his lips as his gaze flickered to her.

"I think I should say hi." He said softly.

Sarah's eyes widened. The joke too crude. Too life threatening.

"She will kill me !"

Just as the words left her mouth, a dark look fell on his face , the light humor vanishing. .he leaned in close until the tip of his nose was touching hers until all that she could see was him.

"As long as I'm alive, no one can harm so much as a single hair of you. Never joke about such a matter as your life . It's not yours now to protect. It's mine."

×××××××××××××××××