Bless This Mess (Linleys)

[Deleted]

Lance and Georgie,

I love you and miss you both so much. I'm guessing y'all have heard by now about the two kids who were killed recently. I don't know if you knew them, but they weren't much older than you. Another Hit Wizard died not long ago. (I don't know if your Papa knew him or not, though.)

I wanted to ask if you'd want to go back home to South Carolina at Easter? (It's March 31st this year.) By then, I should have enough saved up for the fthree of us. I thought it might be nice to go as a family to scatter your Papa's ashes. If you want to go, I'll talk to the folks at the orphanage about it. I don't know if Taking you out of

Please be safe,
Your Momma

lancelot ray linley
@georgiana

[Deleted]

dear mama,

I’ve heard, yes. Louis was in the same house as the girl who was killed, but I’m not sure how he’s taking it. I don’t want to press if he doesn’t want to talk about it. He was really good about not pressuring too much when I was grieving, and I don’t want to make things harder on him by being clingy or whatever.

I…guess we can go back. I haven’t been home since the day you left. Are you sure you’ll have the money? Lance and I are just fine waiting until summer. I mean, I am, and I think Lance will be, too. Will we…see your parents? I haven’t seen them in forever, either.

love,
georgie

@barbara
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Georgie,

If you don't want to go, I won't force you. It's your decision (and I can't promise that the orphanage will even allow it). I used a lot of our savings here on your Papa's funeral, but it shouldn't be too expensive if we can use magic and not an airplane like we did to get here. I have more paperwork with the Ministry than I can count, and I'm praying that I'll hear something from MACUSA soon.

It wouldn't be the Ritz, and I don't know how easy it would be to see your grandparents. You know how it was when you realized that your Papa and I were alive. I'm sure that they would love to see you two, though.

I'll see what I can do. Tell Louis hello for me.

Love,
Momma

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

dear mama,

I don’t know whether or not I want to go is the problem. I just – don’t know if I want all of those memories coming back. But if it’s where you think Papa should be laid to rest, then I don’t want to miss that opportunity either. I don’t know. I’m not good at emotions! I don’t want to make any plans if nothing is settled with either government yet, though, so…let me know when it is, I guess.

I don’t need the Ritz. And I don’t need to see my grandparents.

I’ll be sure to tell him. Lance says that he has something that he wants to attach, so expect his answer with this letter.

love,
georgie

@barbara
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

*Attached to Georgie's last letter*

@georgiana & @barbara

[Deleted]

Georgie and Lance,

I guess the only thing that I can say in response to both of your letters is that I understand. (I admit that might have been stretching the truth, but I'm trying to understand.) South Carolina will always be home to me, and I think I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that this country is home to you now. Maybe wanting to go back was a bad idea, but I don't want y'all to forget where you came from, either.

I think what hurts me the most is that we can't spend time together as a family, and I know you'll probably say that's my fault. Maybe I am just writing into the void here, but I still love you even if I don't see you every day.

I know that this is the part where you send me a Howler and tell me to get an actual hobby that doesn't involve bugging my teenagers at school, but spare me. (Yes, your mom has a sense of humor!)

How has school been? Do you have any trips into Hogsmeade soon? If you do, I can try to request the time off of work to see you.

Love,
Barbara
(Momma)

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

dear mama,

It's hard to think of someplace as your home when you were forced to leave it because your parents died. Just something to consider as you try to understand why home for us isn’t the same as home for you. Lance and I can make a home wherever we’re together, and we’re together here. And since he doesn’t want to go back to the United States, I don’t want to go back, and we’ll never be together there, and it will never be home.

Spending an appreciable amount of time with anyone is hard unless they’re also at Hogwarts. Lance and I live in the same place and it can still be difficult for us to spend time together since we have homework and stuff. If you want to spend more time with us, sending us individual letters instead of one to both of us might be a good place to start.

It’s hard to get a Howler at school since people use them for pranks so much.

School’s been fine for me. I don’t know about Lance, but I’d expect the same. We have a trip into Hogsmeade soon, yes, but I was hoping to spend it with Louis, since it’s almost Valentine’s Day and all of that.

love,
georgie

@barbara
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Dear Georgie,

I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't know what to write to tell you that. I have never meant to hurt you or Lance. I know that these words must not mean very much to you, but I am trying to do the best that I can.

South Carolina was your home. Nothing can change that. As I've said written before, I can't force you to go back if you don't want to. No matter what, it will always be a part of who you we are. Maybe it is more important to me, but I want to do something to honor your Papa.

Enjoy your Valentine's celebrations with Louis, and tell him hello for me.

Love,
Momma

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

dear mama,

Just because you didn’t mean to do something doesn’t mean you didn’t do it anyways. It’s fine. I understand. Your trying isn’t really good enough. Thank you for trying. I’m trying to try too, but it’s hard, okay? Just… there’s a lot to think about and I’m trying not to let it overwhelm me.

I’d argue that an awful lot of things can change that. A home is supposed to be a place where you feel safe, and if you think that Lance and I can ever feel safe there again you’re delusional you might want to reconsider that conclusion. Personally, I think Papa would want us to honor him in a way that makes us happy. We can take him to the ocean or something – someplace that belongs to all of us, not just to you.

I’ll tell him hi.

georgie

@barbara
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Georgie,

I have a lot to think about, too, honey. “Overwhelming” is a good word for it. I don't ever, ever want you to feel unsafe. As nice as folks are, I still feel like a fish out of water here sometimes. Did you ever feel that way when you first came here?

I think that your Papa would like your idea. The Atlantic touches here and h South Carolina, after all. Have you talked to Lance about it? Do you know of somewhere we could go to do it?

Love you,
Momma

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

dear mama,

I never felt that way, because I had Lance with me. And the director of the orphanage really tried to help us out. It sucks to lose your parents, but it sucks even more to lose your parents and your home, and he knew that, and tried to help us with it. We weren’t ever fish out of water because everyone we lived with was just like us – homeless and parentless.

I haven’t talked to Lance about it, but I can, if you like the idea. The only place I can think of off the top of my head is Tinworth. That’s near where Louis lives, and it has some nice beaches.

georgie

@barbara
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Georgie,

I'm glad that you were able to adjust so quickly. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm doing something wrong, but I guess Rome wasn't built in a day, was it?

If you think that Tinworth would be right, I trust your judgment. Talk to Lance about it, and see what he says. You know the place better than I do.

Love,
Momma

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

dear mama,

We didn’t really have any choice but to adjust quickly. Sometimes you do things not because you want to, but because you have to. I don’t know what Rome has to do with this.

Lance and I are in negotiations re: Tinworth. I’ll send you an owl when we figure something out. Until then, unless there’s something you have left to say, I think it would probably be better as far as Lance goes if you stopped sending owls. He’s still pretty upset by everything, and being reminded all the time isn’t making it any better.

georgie

@barbara
lancelot ray linley