darker_london | Mummy (Peter, Louise's Letters) (Reply)

After a night where the Mara search had been fruitless, a demonic superhero had stopped a bus accident but soul-sucked Nancy and then thousands of people had lost their lives near London, it's just made sense to want the words of your mother to comfort you. Peter could have called Lavannah and asked to speak to Louise that way, but it sounded like Lavannah had enough to deal with right now. He didn't want to bother her. And, thanks to Aunty Virginia, he now had letters she had written over two decades ago. Words that were utterly Louise, without any of the tragedy that had changed her so much.

Peter settled down to read them, because there was absolutely nothing else he could do to help anyone. Maybe he could help himself. Peter opened one of the earliest letters he could find. It was dated sometime in the 1960s, though most of the date was obscured by deep creases of age.

Dear Ginny,

I know you say that University isn't for you, but I love it here! I'm learning so much and I can't get enough! They professors are all wonderful and I went to speak to one of the yesterday about how I could improve my essays and he actually helped me! I'm used to my teachers telling me to figure it out myself.

There's something else I have to tell you, Ginny, and you're going to be so shocked!!! I've met a MAN! His name is Klaus and he's from Dresden and he's so charming. I put off getting married so I could study, but I suppose there's nothing that says I can't do both, right? I see what you have with Jasper and I do want it. As much as I said I didn't. Klaus and I have coffee together and we talk about our law classes and it's so nice to have someone listen. You're the only one who listens to me and you're SO far away! How is Paris anyway? I hope the address you gave me is actually correct! I would hate for this not to reach you! Tell me EVERYTHING!

Love, Lou

The idea of his poised and calm mother sounding like an excitable teenager who wrote in all capitals and used a lot of punctuation, was a little hard to take, but Peter found that he was smiling at her words anyway. She had called Klaus charming. Peter thought his father was anything but charming, he really did. But he was not a University aged girl being swept off her feet by a rich foreign man either... Peter pulled out another one of the letters and he opened it up to read.

Dear Ginny,

He loves me!!! He said it last night! I didn't even have to bring it up, he just told me out of the clear blue sky! Sometimes Klaus doesn't want to talk about things like this, but he did and I'm so HAPPY!! Oh, Ginny, I want to marry him! I think Daddy is worried that he'll take me back to Germany with him, but Klaus says he wants to stay here. He doesn't talk much about his family, but I think that maybe he doesn't get along with them. Someday I'll ask, but not today. I'm too excited!

You have to be my Maid of Honour when I marry, Ginny, you simply have to be! I want my colours to be orange and white because they're so beautiful and bright and happy. Just like us!

Thank you for writing about Paris. I want to come visit you this summer. Maybe I'll bring Klaus! I want to see him eat a croissant and watch a mime! I hope Jasper's settles into his job with time and I hope he gets a transfer back to London soon! I MISS you!

Love and kisses, Lou

"Love and kisses?" Peter asked the yellowing piece of paper incredulously. "You are not my mother." He informed it. "She sounds like...like Deirdre if she said things like 'oh please let's!' instead of 'WE'RE DOING IT NOW!'."

Peter rifled through the letters until he found the next one in the sequence. He wanted to read just one more. He wanted to space them out. Discovering his mother's past was a scintillating pastime but it could very easily consume him if he wasn't careful. "Here we go..."

Dear Ginny,

Those sweets you sent from Paris were DIVINE. Even Klaus liked them! He's so funny, Ginny! He acts so serious, but then he does the sweetest things! He bought me a new car because my old one was having problems. I think Daddy was offended though. He said he can afford to get his daughter a new car if she needs one. I said that if he was so interested in my welfare he wouldn't be so angry that I went to University instead of marrying right away, and he didn't say anything to that. I won! And Daddy would have gotten me a boring car anyway. The car from Klaus is so beautiful. I know nothing about cars, but it's red! I'm so much in love, Ginny! Everything about him makes me feel so wonderful!

Good news, Klaus agreed to come to Paris this summer! So I'll be seeing you soon! I can't wait for you to meet him, Ginny, he's so divine. And we can do the most romantic things in Paris, just the four of us. I want to see the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and everything else! Notre Dame!!

I know things won't be like they were when we were young. They'll be so much better! I know I am going to marry Klaus and my life is going to be perfect. I'll show Daddy he's wrong yet, just you watch me!!

Love and butterflies, Lou

Peter folded the letter back up with care, wishing with all his heart that his mother had lived happily ever after, but she hadn't. Klaus had not made her happy, and three children later, she was still wanting for something. Peter had watched her lose herself. It was as if someone had chipped a little more of her away each day until there was nothing left to lose. To know that she had once signed letters with Love and butterflies, well...that was pretty priceless.