There was something strange about seeing Mom standing in front of Dragon Tower's round door. Almost surreal. It shouldn't have been, but it still was.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at the carving of a dragon.

"I can't tell you how many times I passed by this door. I never really thought about what lies beyond it, why would I? It was no different than the walls, really." Then she turned to me, "Until you came along, of course."

"I don't think it was just me that made it open."

"Regardless, it was you. Coincidence or not, I know a few people who will take that as a sign of something. But the gods do what they want." Mom switched from contemplative to excited. "Think it'll let me try?"

"Go for it." I doubted it would work, considering she wasn't a student and it didn't listen to most staff. But weirder things have happened.

"Open Sesame!" She said it like it was a cheer.

Nothing happened.

"So much for that Hearth legacy, huh?" Mom faced her friends and joked.

I sighed when none of them seemed amused by her antics.

"Open Sesame," I said it far more casually.

The lock clicked and the door opened slowly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Dragon Tower," I greeted while trying to not show how nervous I was. Then quietly, "hopefully the others didn't run off while I wasn't looking."

Mom snorted.

I had thought seeing Mom stand outside the door was strange, but the sight of her stepping forward into the main space of Dragon Tower was uncanny.

Like looking at a CGI effect but it was standing in front of me and walking up to the stained glass window.

I needed to focus and stay on task. "Downstairs are the bathrooms, there's a side hall down that way with an extra room. Any questions?"

"Mother, father!" Celica was stepping out of her room. Luckily it was really her. I was worried for a moment it would be the other one.

Celica had changed her hair between now and the last time I saw her. Instead of her usual princess braids she had her hair mostly down. You could actually see her ears.

She looked shy. It was weird seeing her like this.

She stepped down slower than she normally did. She stood up straight and had her hands folded in front of her. She was like she was more nervous now than our first day.

"This is my little delphinium, Celica. Celica meet Lucinda Stewart, formerly Hearth and my best friend when I was your age," Larae gestured at my mother dismissively and without looking at her.

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"It's nice to meet Serafina's friends," Mom commented. "But yes, I'm the one who always got your mother into trouble. If she told you the story of her and Harmor's first dance, that was me."

Larae groaned and covered her face with one hand.

"Hello," Celica blinked and her eyes met mine. There were questions swimming in her eyes.

I shrugged at her.

"She also talks about you in her alchemy class. It's good she's finally found someone who can keep up with her mind. She tends to lose her patience with others in a week or two. Not you though," Mom continued talking like I wasn't here.

I was regretting ever calling her.

"Serafina's never talked much about her classmates until she met you guys." Mom was gleeful, like a child with a new toy.

"Mom," I interrupted for my own sanity, "Why don't I show you my room and the others can all catch up with each other?"

Mom was giggling as I pulled on her arm all the way up the stairs. Maybe I should have prayed for a bit of mercy from the gods. I wished they had let Dad come.

"I've never had a chance to embarrass you in front of your friends before," Mom complained as I basically shoved her in my room and out of ear shot of Celica and anyone else I wanted to still respect me even a little.

I've made a terrible mistake.

"Ah finally, I get to see this room in all its glory. The mirror doesn't exactly show much."

There wasn't a lot to see. I hadn't added too much to the room since moving in, just put some rocks on my shelf next to the chemistry textbook.

And also the Focus.

Mom saw it almost as fast as I remembered that it was still there.

I was stiff as she picked it up and inspected it.

To a non-magical eye, it might have been seen as little more than a sharp paper weight. But Mom wasn't a non-magical eye.

She flipped it in her hands carefully, "Certainly have to be careful with this thing, it's even pricklier than you are. Could easily cut yourself on these points."

"Yeah, it's spilled enough of my blood already."

She didn't respond. She put the Focus back on the shelf, "I suppose it's a start. The room could use a bit more of you in it."

"We'll see how I feel about it during the holidays."

"You could get streamers!"

"Not happening."

"What goes with dark brown and red?" She mumbled to herself as she continued to think of things I had no intention of putting in my room.

I put my hands in my pockets.

Mom turned back to me and with very slow movement tugged on my left arm.

"We might as well get this over with while everyone else is busy," she said. For a moment I wasn't sure what she was talking about.

Then I slipped my left hand out of my pocket.

"Are you sure you want to see it?"

"Want to? No. But I am your mother and if it's hurting you, I need to know about it."

I pulled the red and black glove off. The scars were clear despite the healing and thus the mark was the same as ever. An eye staring back at me.

I held my hand out for Mom to inspect the curse to her heart's content.

"Grotesque, isn't it?" She commented while very delicately poking and pressing the mark.

It didn't hurt, but the feeling on the mark itself was dimmer. Less, but not entirely numb.

How did I go so long without noticing?

"I only saw him the once, that day he took us. Sure, he was around before the divorce but who remembers things from when they were two?"

I didn't.

"He didn't say much to me. But he certainly seemed to know who I was. I was younger than you, and when one of his goons grabbed Ruby, I panicked and called her sis."

Mom was still, she looked sad.

"That sent him into a rage. The outcome is on Ruby's face. She can't see out of that eye."

I didn't know why she was telling me this, but I let her continue without questions.

"When we escaped, I vowed I wouldn't let anything like that happen again ever. And yes, I couldn't have known that I was cursed, but still. I broke that vow."

"This isn't your fault," I insisted.

"I'm your mother, it's my job to protect you. And if you had a different mother you'd probably not be in danger."

"If I had a different mother I wouldn't exist or maybe I would be an entirely different person. And plus I think Dad would be bored with someone else."

She laughed, but I don't think she changed her mind.

I pulled my hand back and put the glove back on.

"Does it bother you?"

"Only when I'm stressed or hurt."

"I think we could both use a cup of tea, why don't you show me where to get some?"

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