(no subject)
Becca felt very mother-like. She was standing in the dressing room with Willem, talking about the benefits to finding a few pairs of dress trousers that he could stand, especially with the weddings that were coming up and the way that mini-celebrations were happening frequently.
"But dress pants are never comfortable, and if I mess them up..." Willem looked up at her, his voice fading out.
"Honey, I'll find you comfortable ones, and if you mess them up, you do. I can clean them or fix them or whatever needs done. I promise, you won't get in trouble."
"But mom gets real mad," he said softly.
"Baby, I'm not gonna get real mad, okay?" She was frowning a little. "We need to get you some shorts too."
"NO. No shorts," he said, shaking his head violently.
"Okay, you don't have to. But you have to try on some trousers, sweetheart."
His face fell, and he looked like he might cry. Becca was immediately sorry and kneeled down beside him. "Willem? What's wrong?"
"You can do spells, right?" he asked, because he'd heard them all talking about spells and potions earlier in the day.
"Yeah," she said, nodding and pulling out her wand. "Is there something you need?"
"Can you cover things up with it?" he asked, blinking up at her.
"Like what, sweetheart?" she asked, tilting her head, suspicions forming in her mind. she just hoped she was wrong.
"Bruises?" he asked, his voice small.
She felt her hackles rise. "You have bruises you need to cover up, baby?" she asked, sitting on the floor of the dressing room and opening her arms to him.
"Yeah," he said, nodding slipping into her arms and laying her head against his shoulder. "Don't tell Daddy?"
"I can't promise that, Willem," she said, "if your mom hurt you, your Daddy needs to know."
"I don't want him to be sad," he said, tears filling his eyes. "He's always sad about me and I don't want him to be sad anymore."
"Baby, he's sad because he misses you and loves you and wants you to be happy. Please."
He frowned and stood up, pulling his trousers off. The mottling of bruises over his legs made her gasp and she had a moment of sheer, blinding rage. "Oh, baby," she said softly, tears filling her eyes, though she fought them back hard. "Why? Why would she have done that?"
"She was real mad at Daddy's lawyer again. And I asked if I could come see him and she got madder."
"She HIT YOU for wanting to see your Dad?" She fought back the rage, knowing it would just confuse him.
"Yeah," he said, frowning a little.
She opened her phone, pulling him back on her lap and kissing the top of his head, cradling him close. "Caz?" she said into the phone, "call Nessa and ask if she or Frankie and Toben know a good lawyer. We'll be home soon."
"But dress pants are never comfortable, and if I mess them up..." Willem looked up at her, his voice fading out.
"Honey, I'll find you comfortable ones, and if you mess them up, you do. I can clean them or fix them or whatever needs done. I promise, you won't get in trouble."
"But mom gets real mad," he said softly.
"Baby, I'm not gonna get real mad, okay?" She was frowning a little. "We need to get you some shorts too."
"NO. No shorts," he said, shaking his head violently.
"Okay, you don't have to. But you have to try on some trousers, sweetheart."
His face fell, and he looked like he might cry. Becca was immediately sorry and kneeled down beside him. "Willem? What's wrong?"
"You can do spells, right?" he asked, because he'd heard them all talking about spells and potions earlier in the day.
"Yeah," she said, nodding and pulling out her wand. "Is there something you need?"
"Can you cover things up with it?" he asked, blinking up at her.
"Like what, sweetheart?" she asked, tilting her head, suspicions forming in her mind. she just hoped she was wrong.
"Bruises?" he asked, his voice small.
She felt her hackles rise. "You have bruises you need to cover up, baby?" she asked, sitting on the floor of the dressing room and opening her arms to him.
"Yeah," he said, nodding slipping into her arms and laying her head against his shoulder. "Don't tell Daddy?"
"I can't promise that, Willem," she said, "if your mom hurt you, your Daddy needs to know."
"I don't want him to be sad," he said, tears filling his eyes. "He's always sad about me and I don't want him to be sad anymore."
"Baby, he's sad because he misses you and loves you and wants you to be happy. Please."
He frowned and stood up, pulling his trousers off. The mottling of bruises over his legs made her gasp and she had a moment of sheer, blinding rage. "Oh, baby," she said softly, tears filling her eyes, though she fought them back hard. "Why? Why would she have done that?"
"She was real mad at Daddy's lawyer again. And I asked if I could come see him and she got madder."
"She HIT YOU for wanting to see your Dad?" She fought back the rage, knowing it would just confuse him.
"Yeah," he said, frowning a little.
She opened her phone, pulling him back on her lap and kissing the top of his head, cradling him close. "Caz?" she said into the phone, "call Nessa and ask if she or Frankie and Toben know a good lawyer. We'll be home soon."