When that crisp and familiar word, "Mom," reached Ur's ears, she was struck as if by lightning. She stood frozen in place on the spot, tears bursting uncontrollably from her eyes, streaming down like a breached floodgate. With wide eyes, she stared in utter disbelief at the daughter she had been separated from for two full and a half years.
Trembling, Ur slowly reached out her hands, longing to pull her beloved daughter into a tight embrace. Yet the moment before she could touch Ultear, she seemed blocked by an invisible force, her arms hanging stiffly in midair. Hesitation, fear, joy—a tangled web of complex emotions washed over her, leaving her momentarily at a loss.
Seeing this, Alan stepped forward without hesitation and gently passed the Ultear in his arms over to Ur. Ur hurriedly reached out to catch her daughter, terrified that the slightest carelessness might cause her to slip away once more.
Chapter 41