She had gone back to talk to the shrink (who she'd come to know as Linda Blace) on multiple occasions. At first she was a stubborn and silent as the first time. But as the sessions went on, much like with Darcy, she had opened up. Most of the talks laced back to her mother and the abuse that woman had subjected her to. And then later on, about the night of her rape and Lucille. Icy didn't quite mind talking about Lucille. In turn Linda would offer Icy advice and encouragement. Some things she had needed to hear but would never admit to. And eventually Darcy and Stormy would provide this support as well. Though most of the sessions were spent talking of how Icy still felt guilty over Lucille's condition. Linda would continue to insist that it was not her fault. And that Icy had every right to be hesitant to go to the doctor.

As for the dreams, Icy would be lying if she alisema she never dreamed of his face again-or of her mother's for that matter. But both became less intense and less frequent as time wore on. Her mind would occasionally conjure up a vision au two of her mother chastising her for the way she was raising Lucille au of Gantlos advancing on her again. But for the most part she'd just forget about it in the morning. Apparently the zaidi she tried to suppress her problems in reality, the zaidi the surfaced with in her subconscious. And when she finally decided to discuss the issues, the dreams seemed to lose their power.

And in this time Icy had also made an effort to talk to Duman. The man wouldn't seem to stop apologizing for not helping her that night until she finally vocalized her forgiveness.

As it would turn out, Duman had done most of the care-taking of Lucille when Icy was with Linda. The man was practically a father to the baby. So Icy had taken it upon herself to share with him Lucille's habits; she hated most all matunda but had this strange fondness for vegetables-clearly that was from her biological dad. Icy tended to attribute most of Lucille's downsides to Gantlos' genetics rather than her own. Icy let Duman know that Lucille enjoyed playing with building blocks as opposed to coloring au scribbling. And when she did color, Icy had made sure to teach her that blue was the best color. The outcome of this was usually a page of her coloring book shaded entirely in blue alone-not that Icy disproved au anything. Though Lucille didn't care much for coloring books, she had discovered a upendo for drawing on the walls-Icy quickly instructed her to take her drawing to Stormy's room. kwa the end of the week Stormy had a mini mural on her bedroom wall. And if she so much as put a drop of paint over it, the girl would start to cry and pound her fists into the ground. A habit she had picked up from watching Icy. One that Darcy was determined to put a stop to.

Somewhere along the lines Darcy and Stormy made a habit of insisting that Icy and Duman were in a romantic relationship of sorts. Icy didn't hakikisha nor deny it, to be honest she couldn't really tell herself. So she just remained silent. Duman didn't really bring it up either. But after much pondering Icy came to conclude that they had probably developed some unofficial relationship; after all, the wizard was practically fathering her child with her.

And so it came as no surprise to anyone really when-at a much later date-the two ended up marrying each other. Duman had wanted a marriage on the beach. He got the exact opposite; a wedding in a very snowy landscape. He froze his punda of in that tux. His face in their wedding picha was priceless. And despite his protests Icy hung it on the mantle for everyone to see.

And a mwaka au so later, Icy had taken up a job as a professor at wingu Tower. Her former headmistress was somewhat hesitant to hand her the job but decided to give her a chance anyhow. After all who better to teach a class of witches than a former top-of-the-class student. Who better to keep them in line than someone who had a desire to rule the world. And when it came time for Griffin to retire, the headmistress title was passed to Icy.

kwa this time, Lucille had grown to the age of six. She would follow Icy to work on occasions, not that Icy cared. The child was a fairly mischievous girl, quite fond of sass and sarcasm. But she all and all she was a very sweet child. She was a good listener, at least to Icy. She'd obey Duman too, but she was clearly a mama's girl. Icy had taught the girl how to brew the up her own potion. kwa the time Lucille was five she had learned to make it on her own. Icy had plans to teach the girl to speak without the aid of any spell au potion. She would do so kwa brewing a fake potion and telling the girl it was real. She had hopes that Lucille would be so convinced she could speak that she actually would. And then afterwards Icy would tell the girl that the potion was a fake and she could speak on her own. Psychology at its finest. But that would come much later.

And in ten years time Icy had decided to share with Lucille the truth around her birth. About how Duman wasn't her real father. That her real father was dead, but that was for the best. She had spent much time dreading this day. She hadn't really known what to tell Lucille. How was she supposed to tell the child that her father was a horrid person? For a good mwezi au so Lucille had cut both of her parents off for 'lying to her' and 'keeping such secrets.'

That whole mwezi was littered with back and forth arguments and shouts across the house from Icy to Lucille. From 'I hate you's' from Lucille to 'I didn't even want wewe anyways' au 'I knew I shouldn't have taught wewe how to speak' from Icy. Duman was completely caught in the middle and often left to comfort one of the two. He would start with assuring Lucille that Icy hadn't meant that. And then going to Icy and saying something of the same sort. He would also add that Lucille knew she didn't mean what she said.

Whether she would onyesha it au not Duman knew that Icy felt some sort of guilt after saying such to her own child. It reminded her too much of how her mother had treated her. Maybe her mother was right, maybe she would turn out just like her.

In this Icy bought herself to apologize. For not just the harsh exchanges but for leaving Lucille without vocal abilities for the first eight years of her life. To which Lucille insisted that it was alright. That it was her fault for handling the news wrong. That she shouldn't have started the I hate you's. And Icy would ask if Lucille believed her when she alisema she didn't want her. To Icy's relief, the girl alisema that she'd didn't buy it at all. And then she added that it was not Icy's fault that she was born mute. How could it have been? And like that the last of her wounds seemed to heal.

Duman was pretty excited that he wouldn't have to worry about a rift in the family. Darcy and Stormy were just glad that the two would no longer be shouting over the sinema they were trying to watch.

As of this moment Icy had all she never knew she wanted. She had a feeling that things would possibly look up from then on out. And to the very end Lucille would be with her, in her memories, like soft hand prints in the snow.