Killer Tomato B2, Sunday Early Evening

[give_areason]

Rosalind had draped her suit jacket over the foot of her bed, one button of her shirt undone, and had kicked her shoes off. Which was about as relaxed as she ever got, unless she was sleeping

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[findingelena]

After a couple of rings, there was a loud clatter, followed by "-- res'dence, Elena speaking."

Formal phone greetings were stupid. But Dad yelled if she just said "Hello."

Some day, she might even learn to wait until she had the receiver at her mouth, to start talking, so that her last name didn't get cut off.

[give_areason]

Rosalind didn't bother to hide the smile that crossed her lips at that. How often had Elena picked up the phone that way?

"Good evening, Elena," she said mildly.

This once, she supposed, it would be poor form to scold her sister for something that had made her smile.

[findingelena]

"Evening," Elena said darkly. Great. It was her sister, the one that was pretending to be Rooooooooosalind. Which was a stupid name. If she was a Turk, she'd pick a way better name. Like Ainsley. Or Esmerelda.

"Dad can't come to the phone. He's in the bathroom."

[give_areason]

"Yes, thank you, Elena." It was a struggle to keep her voice from hardening. "I did not call to talk to Dad. I... wished to see how you were doing."

Which was both honest and made her skin feel tight. She wasn't sure if this would make things better or worse but Elena, older Elena, seemed as if she still needed a sister.

So maybe her Elena, all of nine instead of nineteen, needed her to. Rosalind had to try.

[findingelena]

"Why?" her little sister asked. Ignore the thumping sound in the background. That was just Elena tugging the phone cord to amuse herself.

[give_areason]

She breathed for a moment to compose herself.

"Because you're my sister," Rosalind tried, going for simplicity. "And I have been away for awhile."

[findingelena]

"I know," Elena grumped. Another thunk. "You left. You're s'posed to help me with homework. Dad says I need to do it myself. I am doin' it myself."

Which was Elena's way of saying she missed Rosalind, too.

[give_areason]

She... didn't remember promising to help with homework. She'd done it a time or two, when her work load had permitted, but...

Supposed to? Rosalind supposed that assumption was part of Elena being a child.

"I'm sure you are," she said, focusing on what was easier. "Are you having any difficulties?"

Because she had left. That was one accusation Rosalind had no defence for.

[findingelena]

"I did one assignment wrong the whole way," Elena said, as if this was major gossip news. "And the teacher was mean and said I had to do it over again. The whole thing. Plus the homework I was s'posed to have that night with everybody else. I almost didn't get it all done."

Crisis averted. No casualties.

[give_areason]

Rosalind raised her eyes to the ceiling and wondered what her father had thought of that. If Elena had told him.

"Your teacher wasn't mean," she said gently, for Rosalind. "They wanted to make sure you had it done correctly so your base knowledge was correct."

It was entirely possible the teacher had been mean. Rosalind just... well, Elena was nine and Rosalind had always respected her teachers.

[findingelena]

"Was too," Elena insisted. "But I did it the right way and he still took off 'cause I was wrong the first time. He's just mean 'cause he's so old."

Respect for authority did not seem to be a family trait.

"How's come you have to wear those suits?" she asked. Apropos of nothing, really, but she'd never thought to ask before.

[give_areason]

"You don't get mean just because you get old, Elena."

Really.

"And I wear it because it's my uniform. Everyone I work with wears it. Like the infantry all wears the same uniform."

[findingelena]

"Most old people are mean," Elena announced. "And they look all wrinkly and make faces at you 'cause you're in-sub-orc-a-nit. And you wear that suit when you come home. You're not working at home."

[give_areason]

"I wear it home because I come home after having worked sometimes," she said with more patience than she felt the question warranted. "Dad comes home in his uniform, doesn't he?"

She already knew the answer to that.

"And they would not make faces at you if you'd listen."

[findingelena]

"You could change," Elena suggested. "You don't have to keep it on. And they don't listen either. Why should I have to if they don't?"

[give_areason]

"Because they're your teachers," she said firmly.

And sighed at the rest of it.

"I do not know when I'll be able to visit next."

That was almost gentle.