Smile
Random piece of writing. I'll put it elsewhere too, maybe.
---
Eight… Nine… Ten, how old had she been? Maya had always been small. And she had looked smaller than ever, that day - looking up at her sister with glassy eyes.
"You’re leaving…"
They both knew this was coming - but somehow, Mia still felt her chest tighten.
"I have to, Maya," she responded gently, crouching and taking her little sister by the shoulders. "You know that. I have to find out what happened to Mother."
Mia felt her sister’s shoulders shake and saw the tears forming. Even though she said nothing, Mia knew what she was thinking.
Mother left me, and you’re leaving me too.
After Mother disappeared, Maya always waited by her room. Always, always waiting. When she was old enough to form the words, she’d ask when mother was coming home. Every day. Mia had no answer - no gentle way to break her sister’s heart. So she didn’t. "Not yet, Maya. She still has something to do." Waiting, always, always waiting.
When she was seven years old, Maya stopped asking. In a way, Mia thought that was worse.
Mother left me, and you’re leaving me too.
She held her sister tight, held her because she couldn’t bear to look at that face. Why did this have to be so difficult?
"We’re going to talk all the time," Mia’s voice was not steady, but she continued nonetheless, "When I get my apartment you can visit every week. We'll do fun things, and eat lots of burgers, and I’ll show you all around the city. Okay?"
This is not goodbye, Maya.
Maya trembled, and didn’t respond. Mia released her to look back down at her - she felt her own heart breaking when her sister’s grief-stricken expression hadn’t changed. She was afraid - and her fear reminded Mia of her own. Afraid to leave everything she ever knew, everything she ever loved - afraid to go into this strange new world with nothing and no one. Afraid, even, to find the truth behind that incident - the reason Mother had abandoned them. But she had to. She had to.
Please don’t look at me like that, Maya. Please. I would never abandon you.
She couldn’t bear it - she felt her resolve slipping and her heart breaking. Her own eyes were beginning to water and she-
And then, a miracle happened. Maya smiled.
She smiled so big and so bright Mia almost didn’t notice the tears. She smiled so widely Mia felt her own tears slip away.
"You’re gonna find the bad guy, big sis! Just like the Dynamite Samurai! You’re going to fight for justice and truth! You’re gonna be the hero of Kurain!"
"Oh, Maya..."
She held her little sister close and kissed her on the forehead. Of course Maya would compare it to those samurai movies she loved so much. "That’s right, I’m going to find the truth."
Maya squeezed as hard as her tiny arms could, still beaming. "I know you will, big sis! That’s why you’re gonna be a layer! And I’ll help! I’ll be your sidekick!"
"Lawyer, Maya." Mia responded fondly, ruffling her hair. "You have to train hard here, okay? When you’re bigger you can come to court with me, and we’ll beat the bad guys."
"But... I want to help you..."
You already have, Maya. Out loud, she said: "There is something..."
Maya looked at her inquisitively, a more serious expression than the grin she’d been sporting. "Can you smile for me, little sister? Can you smile no matter how bad it gets?"
Like she had been already. It was selfish of Mia to ask, maybe... but when her little sister smiled at her so cheerfully, she felt like she could do anything.
And there it was again - a bigger, wider, brighter smile. With it, the last of Mia’s doubts melted away. She straightened, putting a hand on her baby sister’s head. "Just like that."
When she thought about it - Mia had to marvel at the wisdom a little girl could have. Even so young, Maya Fey knew how important a smile could be.
---
Mia had promised to tell her baby sister all about her first case - something Maya reminded her of from the other side of the phone. But the words wouldn’t come out. She could feel her little sister waiting impatiently on the other end - but nothing happened.
"Sis? What happened?"
More than anything, Mia didn’t want Maya to worry about her - but that was inevitable. The case was fresh, so fresh in her mind, and her throat was dry. "She... got away."
"The bad guy got away?!" Maya gasped in horror and Mia wasn’t sure her sister really understood, but, "Oh no, that’s horrible!"
"Yeah…" Even with Diego (No more Mr. Armando - they were past that) with her, reaching out to her - she couldn’t forget Terry Fawles - slumped over the witness stand. Because of her.
Silence.
"But it’s okay!" she went on. Mia could picture her balling her hands into fists, "Because you’ll get her next time! I bet that bad guy thought she won, but it’s not over ‘till the Dancing Samurai sings! And he’ll be singing when you give that creep the final Mia Chop!"
And Mia felt it. On the other end of the line - the smile. So bright and cheerful.
She laughed. It started out as a weak chuckle, but grew in intensity until it was a full-fledged laugh. Give Dahlia Hawthorne the final Mia Chop, indeed.
"That’s right, Maya. It isn’t over. I’ve even got a partner to help me out."
"That’s great! I know you can do it… because no one’s tougher or smarter than my big sis!"
"I have to go, little sister, but I’ll keep you posted, okay?"
"You better! I wanna hear all about your adventures! Love you, sis."
"Love you too, little sister."
And when she put down the phone, Mia was smiling. Bottomless pit, obsessed with Samurai movies... but still the same Maya who smiled at her when Mia needed it most.
"Got some good news?" And there was Diego, offering her a cup of coffee. He was back to his smirks and cocky attitude - but she knew by now that was just the surface. She accepted the cup with a nod of thanks.
"I was talking to my sister."
"Ha...! And here I thought you were a lone alley cat, Kitten."
"Of course not. I had to leave her back in Kurain, but Maya is still my baby sister."
He raised an eyebrow. "Well now, little Maya must be quite a kid, to make you smile like that."
She is. "I want you to meet her, someday soon."
"Oh?" There was his usual grin - but there was something else behind it. "What makes you think a cool guy like me would be any good with kids?"
Privately, Mia thought he’d be great with kids (and that he wasn’t as cool as he pretended to be). Out loud, she said: "It’s not that."
She was thinking of what he’d said to her in that trial- those words she’d never forget, as long as she lived. "Listen… A lawyer is someone who smiles no matter how bad it gets."
"She’s still a kid, but… She knows how important a smile can be."
---
Eight… Nine… Ten, how old had she been? Maya had always been small. And she had looked smaller than ever, that day - looking up at her sister with glassy eyes.
"You’re leaving…"
They both knew this was coming - but somehow, Mia still felt her chest tighten.
"I have to, Maya," she responded gently, crouching and taking her little sister by the shoulders. "You know that. I have to find out what happened to Mother."
Mia felt her sister’s shoulders shake and saw the tears forming. Even though she said nothing, Mia knew what she was thinking.
Mother left me, and you’re leaving me too.
After Mother disappeared, Maya always waited by her room. Always, always waiting. When she was old enough to form the words, she’d ask when mother was coming home. Every day. Mia had no answer - no gentle way to break her sister’s heart. So she didn’t. "Not yet, Maya. She still has something to do." Waiting, always, always waiting.
When she was seven years old, Maya stopped asking. In a way, Mia thought that was worse.
Mother left me, and you’re leaving me too.
She held her sister tight, held her because she couldn’t bear to look at that face. Why did this have to be so difficult?
"We’re going to talk all the time," Mia’s voice was not steady, but she continued nonetheless, "When I get my apartment you can visit every week. We'll do fun things, and eat lots of burgers, and I’ll show you all around the city. Okay?"
This is not goodbye, Maya.
Maya trembled, and didn’t respond. Mia released her to look back down at her - she felt her own heart breaking when her sister’s grief-stricken expression hadn’t changed. She was afraid - and her fear reminded Mia of her own. Afraid to leave everything she ever knew, everything she ever loved - afraid to go into this strange new world with nothing and no one. Afraid, even, to find the truth behind that incident - the reason Mother had abandoned them. But she had to. She had to.
Please don’t look at me like that, Maya. Please. I would never abandon you.
She couldn’t bear it - she felt her resolve slipping and her heart breaking. Her own eyes were beginning to water and she-
And then, a miracle happened. Maya smiled.
She smiled so big and so bright Mia almost didn’t notice the tears. She smiled so widely Mia felt her own tears slip away.
"You’re gonna find the bad guy, big sis! Just like the Dynamite Samurai! You’re going to fight for justice and truth! You’re gonna be the hero of Kurain!"
"Oh, Maya..."
She held her little sister close and kissed her on the forehead. Of course Maya would compare it to those samurai movies she loved so much. "That’s right, I’m going to find the truth."
Maya squeezed as hard as her tiny arms could, still beaming. "I know you will, big sis! That’s why you’re gonna be a layer! And I’ll help! I’ll be your sidekick!"
"Lawyer, Maya." Mia responded fondly, ruffling her hair. "You have to train hard here, okay? When you’re bigger you can come to court with me, and we’ll beat the bad guys."
"But... I want to help you..."
You already have, Maya. Out loud, she said: "There is something..."
Maya looked at her inquisitively, a more serious expression than the grin she’d been sporting. "Can you smile for me, little sister? Can you smile no matter how bad it gets?"
Like she had been already. It was selfish of Mia to ask, maybe... but when her little sister smiled at her so cheerfully, she felt like she could do anything.
And there it was again - a bigger, wider, brighter smile. With it, the last of Mia’s doubts melted away. She straightened, putting a hand on her baby sister’s head. "Just like that."
When she thought about it - Mia had to marvel at the wisdom a little girl could have. Even so young, Maya Fey knew how important a smile could be.
---
Mia had promised to tell her baby sister all about her first case - something Maya reminded her of from the other side of the phone. But the words wouldn’t come out. She could feel her little sister waiting impatiently on the other end - but nothing happened.
"Sis? What happened?"
More than anything, Mia didn’t want Maya to worry about her - but that was inevitable. The case was fresh, so fresh in her mind, and her throat was dry. "She... got away."
"The bad guy got away?!" Maya gasped in horror and Mia wasn’t sure her sister really understood, but, "Oh no, that’s horrible!"
"Yeah…" Even with Diego (No more Mr. Armando - they were past that) with her, reaching out to her - she couldn’t forget Terry Fawles - slumped over the witness stand. Because of her.
Silence.
"But it’s okay!" she went on. Mia could picture her balling her hands into fists, "Because you’ll get her next time! I bet that bad guy thought she won, but it’s not over ‘till the Dancing Samurai sings! And he’ll be singing when you give that creep the final Mia Chop!"
And Mia felt it. On the other end of the line - the smile. So bright and cheerful.
She laughed. It started out as a weak chuckle, but grew in intensity until it was a full-fledged laugh. Give Dahlia Hawthorne the final Mia Chop, indeed.
"That’s right, Maya. It isn’t over. I’ve even got a partner to help me out."
"That’s great! I know you can do it… because no one’s tougher or smarter than my big sis!"
"I have to go, little sister, but I’ll keep you posted, okay?"
"You better! I wanna hear all about your adventures! Love you, sis."
"Love you too, little sister."
And when she put down the phone, Mia was smiling. Bottomless pit, obsessed with Samurai movies... but still the same Maya who smiled at her when Mia needed it most.
"Got some good news?" And there was Diego, offering her a cup of coffee. He was back to his smirks and cocky attitude - but she knew by now that was just the surface. She accepted the cup with a nod of thanks.
"I was talking to my sister."
"Ha...! And here I thought you were a lone alley cat, Kitten."
"Of course not. I had to leave her back in Kurain, but Maya is still my baby sister."
He raised an eyebrow. "Well now, little Maya must be quite a kid, to make you smile like that."
She is. "I want you to meet her, someday soon."
"Oh?" There was his usual grin - but there was something else behind it. "What makes you think a cool guy like me would be any good with kids?"
Privately, Mia thought he’d be great with kids (and that he wasn’t as cool as he pretended to be). Out loud, she said: "It’s not that."
She was thinking of what he’d said to her in that trial- those words she’d never forget, as long as she lived. "Listen… A lawyer is someone who smiles no matter how bad it gets."
"She’s still a kid, but… She knows how important a smile can be."