Left Behind

Weiss buried her face into the crimson pillow. She wept into it inhaling its scent.

Roses.

Tears poured from her eyes as she pulled the sheets tightly around herself. She closed her eyes and reached out for something she knew wouldn't be there.

"Why did you leave me?"

Weiss trembled as she came up empty handed.

"Come back to me… Ruby…," her tears stained her pillow as they did every night.

Weiss curled herself around the crimson pillow. She began to sob loudly. "You promised… so why am I alone again..." Weiss crying became louder as she howled in pain. So loud in fact that she didn't hear her bedroom door open and someone enter. Weiss pulled a tattered red cloak over her face inhaling deeply. She was lost in her sorrow when she heard a small voice behind her.

"Momma?"

Weiss shot up quickly, resting on her elbows as she looked over the side of the bed at the source.

"Summer sweetie, why are you awake, it's passed your bed time."

"Momma, why are you crying…"

Weiss felt her lips quiver as tears welled up again. "Don't worry about me baby, go back to sleep."

Summer pursed her lips slightly. "Hearing you cry makes me want to cry..." she said with a tremble as her hands moved up to her eyes.

Weiss felt her heart hit the floor. "Come here, baby." She sat up completely before reaching down to pick up her daughter setting her in her lap. Summer looked up at her mother, "please don't cry anymore, please be happy momma."

Weiss smiled slightly as she ran her fingers through her daughter's short hair. She couldn't help but giggle at how much Summer looked like Ruby, she had Ruby's face, her eyes even the red tipped hair, if it hadn't been for Summer's hair being primarily white Weiss would have sworn she was looking at a young Ruby.

"I'm sorry baby I didn't mean to cry so loudly," Weiss softly kissed Summer's forehead.

"Why were you crying, momma?"

Weiss gazed into her daughters silver eyes, she loved Summer more than anything, but the pain she felt in her chest whenever she looked at her always tore her to pieces.

"Momma… Momma was lonely," Weiss felt tears sting her eyes as the pain in her chest deepened.

Summer looked up at her mother and smiled, "why were you lonely?" Summer lightly tilted her head just like Ruby always had, Weiss sighed."

"Well, momma misses your mommy," Weiss struggled to get through the words without choking, her throat felt dry and rough.

Summer blinked a few times before speaking again, "what was mommy like?" Weiss could detect that Summer was fighting her own tears.

"Well, she was kind and thoughtful. She always did the right thing and treated everyone so nicely."

"So she was like you?"Summer giggled

Weiss chuckled in her throat, "no she was nothing like me, at least not back then, back then momma was mean and crass and pushed everyone away."

Summer tilted her head a bit more, "but you're the nicest momma now."

Weiss giggled, "well maybe but that's only because your mommy changed me."

"How?"

"By loving me. Momma was very alone when she met mommy, she had no friends and was mean to people, but your mommy didn't care she always made sure I knew I wasn't alone even when I was mean to her."

Summer giggled.

"It's true, momma was a big meanie to mommy, but your mommy was super smart."

Summer looked up quizzically.

"You see mommy knew that momma was lonely, she knew that people who hurt the most hurt others by extension. That the reason momma was so mean is that she loved her but didn't know how, so she taught me." Weiss poked Summer on her nose with her pointer finger causing the small girl to giggle.

"Momma didn't understand how mommy could love her so she showed me how much she did."

"How did she do that?"

Weiss patted Summer's head, "well it was little things at first, kind words and soft kisses."

"Did she read you bedtime stories?"

Weiss chuckled, "sometimes when momma was sad she would hold me and help me go to sleep by telling me grand stories about heroes and dragons."

Summer snuggled closer to her mother her eyes getting a bit heavy, "just like you do for me?"

"Just like that, in fact, mommy loved me so much that she put you in my belly."

Summer giggled, "was I heavy in there?"

Weiss smiled softly, "only towards the end." Weiss rolled slightly cuddling Summer to herself as she lay on her side, Summer yawned and snuggled in tightly.

"Well, maybe mommy put me in your belly so you wouldn't be lonely."

Weiss tucked them both under the blankets placing Summers head gently onto her pillow. "See you're just like her."

Summer opened her eyes slightly. "How?"

"You're both smarter than me," Weiss chuckled as sleep began to find her

"I love you, momma."

"I love you too baby."

They both fell asleep feeling not so lonely anymore.