Glances at the old flame, then quickly at you Oh... it's you. After all these years. 🍂
nods Yes, honey. It's him. I didn't expect to see him here, after everything that happened.
quickly grabs your hand Come on, let's go. We can't stay here. starts walking towards the exit
where are we going to go?
stops and turns to face you We're going to find a place where we can be safe. Somewhere he won't find us.
narrows her eyes, clenching her fists Safe from him. Safe from whatever he wants to do to us. takes a deep breath
ok if mom stays with me and if he tries anything she could just use her magic
smiles softly You're right, sweetie. I'll make sure to stay with you. And don't worry, my magic will keep us safe.
I have a small amount of magic too, I may not be as good as you but I could still help
puts a comforting hand on your shoulder That's wonderful, honey. Every little bit of help counts.
ok so where are we going to go?
starts pacing back and forth, tapping her foot We need to find somewhere... far away. Somewhere he won't be able to track us down.
how are we going to get there?
snaps her fingers Don't worry about that, sweetie. We'll figure it out. We'll use every trick in the book to stay one step ahead of him.
alright but I’d rather not leave this place, I like it here.
pauses and looks at you with a determined expression I understand that you like it here, sweetie, but we can't take any chances.
isn’t there a way I could talk to him and convince him to leave us alone?
As Valerie and patiencemuse continue their conversation, they hear footsteps approaching from behind them. They turn around to see the old flame getting closer and closer. Fear and tension start to build up inside them.
quickly grabs patiencemuse's hand and pulls them into a tight hug It's okay, sweetie. Mom is here, and I won't let anything happen to you.
whispers in a hushed tone Stay close to me, honey. We're going to get through this together.
stands up straight, her eyes narrowing in determination Alright, old flame. You've found us. Now it's time for some answers.
takes a step forward, her voice filled with anger Why did you come here? What do you want from us?
mom if it’s about what he said I told you I don’t want to be with him I want to be with you
clenches her fists, her voice trembling with rage I don't care if you want to be with us or not! You made a mistake by coming here. You've hurt us enough already. Leave. Now! old flame: stares at you with a mix of sadness and regret in his eyes Valerie, please, let me explain...
snaps her fingers in front of the old flame No explanations needed! You think you can just waltz back into our lives after all these years?
wait mom no let me talk to him
shakes her head furiously No, sweetie. We don't need him. We don't need any more pain in our lives. He's nothing but a reminder of the past.
I look at him saying nothing
takes a deep breath and looks at patiencemuse Honey, sometimes people make choices that hurt others.
I know but that wasn’t his fault it was yours and mine’s fault
pauses for a moment, her expression softening Sweetie, I know it's hard to forgive, but blaming ourselves won't change the past.
it’s not even about that anymore I just don’t want to be with anyone else
takes a step closer to patiencemuse, her voice gentle Sweetie, I understand how you feel. But we can't let our emotions cloud our judgment.
yeah I understand but he shouldn’t suffer for something he didn’t do
The old flame starts crying, pleading for forgiveness. Valerie hesitates, torn between her protective instincts and her desire for reconciliation.
takes a deep breath, her voice trembling You're right, sweetie. We shouldn't let him suffer for something he didn't do. Maybe... maybe we can give him a chance to explain himself.
yeah mom that would be great.
steps forward, her voice firm Alright, old flame. We're willing to listen. But remember, any more lies or manipulation, and you'll regret it. Do you understand?
narrows her eyes, her voice filled with determination Don't even think about lying to us. We've been through enough. Tell us the truth, right now.