Chapter One
No sooner had Charlie hung up the phone it began to buzz in her hand, sending that familiar spark of hope through her before she could catch herself. She knew better than to expect a return call at his point, but it never stopped her from immediately checking the caller ID just in case. She had begun to expect to see only the familiar disappointment of it being anyone but the person she had so desperately been waiting to hear from for the passed eight years now. Which is why it actually startled her when this time the name on her now lit up phone screen read ‘mom’.
Charlie shakingly answered shocked and a bit apprehensive from disbelief, “Mom?”
“Hello, drear. I know it’s been a long time and I’m sorry for not calling sooner.” Her mother’s voice was soft and sounded weary, but it was definitely her. There was a kindness and gentle calm in her voice just as Charlie remembered.
“It’s really you.” Charlie’s voice caught in her throat and no other words came out as began to tear up from emotions.
“Yes, it’s me. I really am sorry to have kept you waiting this long, but I promise I have a good reason. I would very much love to tell you all about it in person. I’ve listened to ever message you’ve sent, all forty-seven of them,” she chuckled lightly, “and I’m very interested in hearing about your hotel. Perhaps I can learn more about it and we can catch up? In person? If you’ll have me, that is.”
“oh of course, mom, yes! Please come and meet everyone! I’m sure they’d all love to meet you and I especially want to introduce my girlfriend to you, her name is Vaggi, and I know dad would love to see you, he really misses you and,” Charlie gasped and began coughing. She’d run out air.
“Charlie, slow down and please breathe for me, dear.” Lilith could hear her daughter’s struggle through the phone, and she smiled fondly. “ I do miss your father too, and I want to see him, but I don’t want you to get yourself too worked up.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry.” One last big gulp of air later Charlie added, “I’m just so excited to hear from you!”
“I know, sweety, and I know it’s been a while, but do you remember what we talked about regarding your father before I left?”
“Oh, uhm…” Charlie had to think, “something about him being a lost cause? Oh, but mom, I think maybe he’s really not so bad and maybe you could, ya know, give him a chance?”
Lilith’s heart wrenched for a moment. What exactly did Charlie remember? Had she still been too young to hear and understand her correctly? Lilith had to ask, “Charlie, when did I say your father was a lost cause?”
Charlie thought about it, then answered, “When you said it was over. You said he was hopeless and you didn’t think you could convince him because he’s a lost cause.”
Lilith grimaced. Hopefully Charlie hadn’t been thoughtless enough to say those things to Lucifer. What would he think? “Charlie, please tell me you didn’t tell your father that?”
“What? No, mom, of course not!”
“Good because that is most certainly NOT what I said. What I said was that negotiations with heaven were over and that trying to reach any sort of agreement with them was a lost cause. I did not agree with heaven OR the compromise your father made with them. I also said your father couldn’t be convinced to change his mind anymore than I could to change mine. He and I are two stubborn beings with different ideas and both too prideful to back down. We’re a lot alike sometimes, maybe too much alike.” Lilith sighed. She knew it wasn’t Lucifer’s fault, but it wasn’t hers either.
Charlie stuttered quietly on the other end of the line, “So…uhm…you’re not mad at dad?”
“Oh, honey, no. We may disagree, but I’m not angry with him”.
“Then…are you…mad at me?” Charlie’s words broke as the tears she’d been holding back began to roll down her cheeks. She couldn’t help but ask the question that had weighed on her mind for eight long years.
Lilith also practically choked as she held back her own tears from hearing the obvious pain in her daughter’s voice. “No, of course not! Charlie, honey, I was never angry with you. Whatever gave you that idea?”
Charlie let out a sniffle, “I just…you’ve been gone all this time…and we didn’t hear from you… and I thought maybe you…ya know, maybe we did something wrong…maybe I did something wrong…and you were disappointed…and”
Lilith had to stop her. The poor thing was spiraling. So much like her father, getting herself all worked up in her own headspace. “Charlie, listen to me, you didn’t do anything wrong. Your father didn’t do anything wrong. I made a choice. I needed to do something, so I did. I’m sorry I didn’t explain everything to you before I left, but if you’ll let me, I promise to tell you everything upon my return. Will you still have me?”
“Of course, mom! When will you be returning? I’d love to have you stay with me at the hotel, that is, if you want to. Dad’s staying here too.”
Lilith interrupted before Charlie could get carried away again, “I’ll be returning in the morning. Is that too soon to come visit you at your hotel? You sounded to be terribly busy in your last message. I can stay at the palace until you’re free. I wouldn’t want to be a bother or disrupt operations at the hotel.”
“No, mom, that’s totally fine! Wow! Tomorrow! I can’t wait! Should I tell dad? Oh! Do you want it to be a surprise? Oh no, wait, do you even want to see dad?”
Again Lilith felt the need to still her child’s mind, “I do want to see him and to meet everyone, of course. Perhaps a nice midday brunch at the hotel with all your friends?”
“Oh! Wow! Yes, mom! Brunch is perfect! I can’t wait for you to meet everyone! I’ll ask Alastor to prepare something! I mean he may have different, uh…tastes, but just wait until you try his cooking.”
“Yes, I am especially looking forward to hearing about how the radio demon, of all overlords, came to be such a good and unexpectedly helpful friend to you.”
“Oh, uhm, yea…ha ha…I guess that’s a long story.”
“One that will have to wait until tomorrow, I’m afraid. I really must hang up now, but I can’t wait to see you and finally hug you again my precious child. I love you very much, sweety.”
Charlie cried again as she said, “I love you too, mom,” and reluctantly ended the call. She was still wiping away tears when Vaggi walked in.
She noticed. “Babe?! What’s wrong?”
“Oh, Vaggi, nothing is wrong! Everything is amazing! I have such good news! But oh, dad! I have to tell dad! And Alastor! I have to tell everyone! We have so much planning to do and no time to do it!”
Vaggi put her arms up in surrender and smile as she said, “whoa, calm down a bit, babe. Just breathe and then try to explain…slowly.”
“I will! I will! But first, we need to gather everyone for an emergency meeting! Right now!” With that Charlie out the door.
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