A Glimmer of Recognition

As I walked out of my mother's bedroom, I couldn't shake off the feeling that our conversation had been more than just a mundane exchange about a permission slip. The brief moment of connection we had shared in the mirror had sparked a sense of hope within me, and I found myself wondering if there was still a chance for us to reconnect. Just as I was about to close the door behind me, I heard my mother's voice calling out to me. "Wait," she said, her tone a little softer than before. I turned back to her, my heart skipping a beat with anticipation. Maybe, just maybe, she was going to open up to me, to tell me that she still cared. I walked back into the room, my eyes locking onto hers. She was standing by the window, looking out at the garden below. Her expression was distant, but there was a hint of something in her eyes, something that gave me hope. As I approached her, she turned to face me. Her gaze drifted past me, and she called out to one of the servants who was hovering outside the door. "Servant, see to it that my children are taken care of." I felt a pang of disappointment, and my eyes dropped to the floor. I had been hoping for something more, something personal. But as I looked up at her, I saw the pain and longing in her eyes, and my heart went out to her. "Mom, I'm your son too," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. She looked at me, her expression a mixture of sadness and regret. For a moment, I thought I saw a glimmer of the mother I used to know, the one who had loved and cared for me. But it was fleeting, and she quickly looked away, her eyes welling up with tears. I felt a lump form in my throat as I realized that she was still trapped, trapped in a life she didn't want, with a man who didn't care about her or her children. And I knew that I had to find a way to help her, to free her from the prison that had been built around her. As I stood there, looking at my mother, I made a promise to myself. I would find a way to help her, no matter what it took. I would be the one to set her free.