-- wait. In here, you are exactly where you are meant to be."

-- the elders, the harvest, or anything beyond this room. Just listen to my voice and remember who will always be here to guide you." She held her close for another moment, savoury the secrecy of their locked room. "That's it, my lovely Lulu. Breathe. Relax. The world outside can --

-- outside voices. Just trust." Candy smiled against her hair. "Let them prepare the feast. Let them believe they are serving the greater purpose. For now, you belong here, in this quiet little sanctuary with me." "You don't need to think about tomorrow, Lulu. You don't need to think about --

-- concern yourself with them. The elders have their duties, and you have yours." She drew Lulu closer, her words carrying the calm certainty of someone accustomed to being obeyed. "Acorn Acres teaches us that peace comes when we surrender ourselves to the moment. No questions. No worries. No --

-- possesively but gently against her chest as she held her. Candy's voice took on that familiar, velvet-soft authority. The same tone she used whenever the elders gathered to hear her teachings. "Shhh...my beloved Lulu," Candy whispered. "You hear the voices beyond this door, but you need not --

Candy kept the bedroom door locked, letting the sounds of Acorn Acres fade into a distant murmur. The elders were occupied downstairs, preparing their meal and sorting through the fruit baskets they had gathered for the community. She remained close behind Lulu, her hands resting --

"I love you too."🩷

Once Candy finished freshening up, she walked into Lulu’s bedroom. Closing the door and locking it behind her. Stealing an opportunity alone with Lulu. Without a word, she came up behind her. Cupping her soft mounds, squeezing them for comfort. Her head resting against Lulu’s neck.

-- nodded in acceptance of Lulu’s words and headed back into the home with her basket. Leaving the basket outside the Elder’s door. The Elders would tend to them later on. Candy walked upstairs and down the halls. Heading towards her personal bathroom. Freshening up for a good half hour.

Candy collected some more apples and then began on the other fruits. They would gather enough for the week between them. It was not in Cecilia’s nature to always be angry, she much preferred simplicity. However, their had always been a dark side to her. One that would never fully go away. She --

You’ll never leave me. I’ll carve my name in words unspoken. I’m the one you love and adore. Your home. Your safe place. The one you chose, time after time. I am here. I see you.

-- her voice. "Come on. Help me finish these baskets before the elders come looking for us." She slipped an arm around Lulu's waist, keeping her close as they returned to the trees. "And no wondering off. I've missed having you where you belong, right here, at my side."

-- smile touched her lips. "So yes, sweetheart. You're coming home. But this time, I want you to let yourself be loved properly, and I want you to let me look after you without you pushing me away." Candy picked up another fruit and nodded toward the other branches, a playful warmth returning to --

-- expression softened even further as she leaned close, pressing a gentle kiss to Lulu's forehead before taking another fruit from the tree. She placed it into Lulu's basket and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You said your heart is aching for me. Mine has been aching for you too." A faint --

-- you to suddenly become perfect. I don't want that from you. I just want you to remember that when things become difficult, you can come to me instead of disappearing. Talk to me. Let me take care of you, when you need it. And if you stumble? We will always deal with it together." Her --

-- me or making promises you think I want to hear. Show me through your actions. Stay beside me, help me, be honest with me, and let me see that you're ready to be here again." Candy reached up to straighten a strand of Lulu's hair, the gesture almost instinctively motherly. "I'm not expecting --

-- still my girl, Lulu. And you're still the person I worry about when you're not beside me." She offered her a small smile. "If you truly want to come home, come home." Candy reached down, picked up the basket, and gently placed it into Lulu's hands. "You don't have to prove yourself by begging --

-- you. You have no idea how many times I've thought about you while you've been away." She drew back just enough to look into Lulu's eyes, her thumb brushing tenderly across her cheek. "I was hurt, yes. And I was disappointed. But that doesn't mean my love for you simply disappeared. You're --

-- eyes set on Lulu. She set the baskets down, walking over to Lulu and holding her hands. "You don't have to ask me if you're allowed to come home, sweetheart." Candy pulled Lulu into a warm embrace, holding her close as one hand gently stroked through her hair. "Of course I've missed --

Candy moved quietly between the trees, her basket resting against her hip as she reached up to pluck another ripe fruit from the branches. One by one, she placed them into the baskets the elders had left out earlier that morning. When she heard Lulu's voice again, she slowly turned, her soft --