Willow rolled her eyes as Anna mothered her, telling her to eat her food an Flower to stop inhaling hers. She didn't normally mind, but that mild irritation she'd felt earlier today just seemed to creep back up on her for no reason at all from time to time. Feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, she thought about protesting that she was too tired to eat, but gave up, no one cared, Anna didn't want to hear it, she'd just lecture her. God, she sounded like Lottie and Macy, it was horrible, absolutely horrid! She wanted to leave, but she wanted to stay, she wanted to scream, and then she wanted to cry, it was all so very confusing.
Sitting up a bit, just because she wasn't rude and would still listen to Anna, Willow took tiny bites, sighing and shrugging as Jack came in and tried to make conversation. He was the last person she wanted to see, and glancing over her shoulder with a bit of a glare, she noticed that he didn't really care. He was too wrapped up in Anna, Good, I hope he takes her away! Willow stabbed the food on her plate rather hard and shoved a large piece of potato slice into her mouth, chewing angrily.
Unable to answer Anna because of the rather large mouthful of dinner she'd had at the time, her little freckled cheeks sticking out like a chipmunks as she ate, chewing faster so she could swallow faster and get out of here sooner, Flower simply shrugged. It was soon that Jack had joined them, and by then she could answer, "It's good," she told him flatly, glancing around the room, trying to see if she could see Mommy. "Did you see Salene?" she asked him, peering around Willow.
Speaking of Willow, she had a sour face on, it actually turned Flower's stomach, and she gave her a strange look, "S'wrong with you?" Stupid question, Lottie, that's what was wrong. That's why Flower was eating so fast, to get to Mommy first. This thought caused her to shovel the food into her mouth again, until her cheeks poked out and she had to stop to chew.
Anna was withdrawn into herself, thinking. The sad, blank look on Tatty worried her and Anna wished she knew what to do. In her mind, she knew that it was probably best that Ryan wasn’t around. It was obvious that something had upset him; perhaps he just needed time to think things over. Looking at Tatty, Anna offered him a small smile and then glanced down at her food. Concentrating on it, she was startled when Jack walked up and greeted him. “Oh!” She said, a bit more loudly then she’d meant to. Giving him a small smile, Anna watched him drag a chair over to sit down with them.
He was asking questions of everyone, even Willow and Flower, who Anna thought were acting a little strange. “Yes,” she said after a pause, “I think it’s very good.” Anna just wished she were hungrier. However, everything that was going on had her stress, and her appetite was pretty much gone. It was like rote memory to eat though, and so Anna lifted another forkful to her lips. Flower’s question about Salene floated over Anna’s head, but it didn’t matter as it wasn’t directed at her. “Did you have a nice talk with…um, Patch and…uh…” Anna blanked on the name. Waving her hand dismissively, Anna shook her head and smiled. “I’m sorry, I blanked on her name. Your conversation looked very… animated from here.” Anna’s fork pushed at the food on her plate. She wasn’t very hungry but it would be rude to leave any. Some kids didn’t even have food. The guilt caused her to take another small bite.
Salene left Lottie's Room and headed straight for the Extra Cafe, glancing into each room as she went. Passing the Breakfast Cafe, she was glad to see what looked like a social dinner for Moon, and this made her feel a bit better. Passing by everyone in the Main Cafe, she noticed the table was mostly empty, a concerned look crossing her face, but Jay was there, with Ebony, and what seemed to be a civil conversation was taking place, and she was glad for that as well. Rushing through the Extra Cafe, she glanced around at the tables, giving a soft smile to those that looked at her before heading to the back. Here she thankfully found the other kids, and she found her mother mode kicking straight in.
"Hello," she greeted softly, giving them all a nod. "It's getting rather late, I think it's bedtime for a couple of people," she would have insisted on Tatty going to bed, but she'd learned already not to touch him, he hated her too, he had special needs, and Salene trusted Anna to take care of them. "What's wrong Willow? Is your dinner ok?" Salene walked to their table, squatting down so she was more eyelevel with both of them, no reason to loom.
The puffed out cheeks of Flower made her smile, and she tapped the end of her nose, "Slowly, don't want to get a tummy ache from eating too fast," she told her gently. "Ryan is very tired," she began to explain, knowing they must be wondering about him, "But he said I could put you to bed tonight, is that alright with you two?" She was so nervous now, what if they all hated her, every single one of them?
Flower bounced and clapped as Mommy entered the room, but she couldn't call out her approval for her mouth stuffed with food, and she wanted to fling her arms around her and hug her as she knelt next to the table, but she felt the need to finish the food in her mouth first, chewing quickly. Her eyes grew kind of wide when she mentioned that Daddy was too tired to even eat dinner, but the best news was that Mommy wanted to tuck them into bed herself! And Daddy had told her to so that meant he trusted her to and so Flower wouldn't object.
Despite being told to chew slowly, Flower nearly swallowed her food whole, taking a quick gulp of water before finally lunging at Mommy with her arms outstretched, hugging her tightly around the neck. "Oh I knew moving here would be the most wonderful thing to ever happen to us! Look Willow! A reason to smile, we finally have that Mommy and she's going to tuck us in!" Flower sat back, beaming, putting another happy forkful of food in her mouth before remembering what she wanted to talk to Mommy about.
"OH!" she gasped out around the food in her mouth, chewing it quickly and swallowing it down, "Mommy, please tell me we won't have to leave. Willow wants to go because Lottie is here, but I don't want to go, I say she should go cause we got here first!" Flower gave a firm nod and crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Willow with a slight glare.
Willow simply looked at her food, poking it as if it were still alive and she had to continue to try and get it to stop moving. Salene's entrance took her by surprise and she sat upright as she asked if her dinner was ok, "Yeah, I'm just not hungry I guess," she told her meekly. Willow may be feeling badly, upset, afraid, but she wasn't going to be rude to the woman who was like a mother to them. Salene had been very nice to them, and though Willow had reservations in the beginning about what kind of mother she would be, she knew now that she was a very nice lady, and there was no reason to be rude or mean to her.
Her eyebrows came together with worry, Ryan was too tired to eat dinner? He had been so upset earlier, was he really ok? Was Salene withholding something that they should know? Her mouth tilted in worry, but Flower took over the conversation with her sudden excitement about being tucked in. Willow chewed on her bottom lip, tears biting at her eyes as she began thinking about how she wanted to leave and this nice woman was being motherly with them, one of Flowers true dreams, something Willow herself had longed for for so long, believing it was impossible.
The tears began to well up, however, and spill over as Flower spilled the beans about Willow's urge to leave, the guilt welling up in her chest. She felt so bad, so guilty, so mean, and she couldn't even look at Salene now. Willow would have spoken, told Salene why she felt that way, supporting the theory that Lottie should go because they got there first, but she couldn't, she was just too guilty over how she felt.
Salene felt her thighs beginning to burn as she stayed in this position, and though she had been relieved to be so warmly received by Flower, what came next stumped her. Willow looked near tears and soon enough she was actually crying, and Salene's face took on that look of worry that came so easily to her. "Oh, no, Willow, why would you want to leave because of Lottie?" Salene glanced at the conversation going on between Jack and Anna and Tatty before standing up again and looking at the girls. Flower was mostly finished with her dinner, and Willow had barely touched hers, but Salene didn't want to leave it at that.
Heading into the Second cafe, Salene grabbed the other chair from the computer desk, giving Alice a soft hello before heading back into the cafe. Setting the chair down at Flower and Willow's table, Salene relaxed back a bit but reached out a hand, giving Willow's shoulder a comforting rub. "It's ok, to feel the way you do, about anything. Don't ever feel bad for being upset," she leaned in and put her elbows on the table, smiling first at Willow then to Flower. "Now, do you mind telling me what this is all about? Why you don't want to live with Lottie?"
Willow glared, hard, at Flower as she exposed her feelings to Salene, but what surprised her more was Salene's reaction to the news. She didn't know about Lottie then, Ryan hadn't told her what a horrible little girl she could be, no, of course he hadn't, he didn't know the real Lottie. Ryan only knew what he saw of her, and she always put on such a sweet little show for him, it was sickening. Willow didn't want to be the one to tell Salene, however, and she sniffled and wiped the tears from the tip of her nose with the back of her left hand.
"I just," she searched for the right words, her eyes darting up to Flower then back down to the table, "I was just scared, by what happened, with Daddy," Willow's eyes now turned on Salene, large and sad. "I, I just thought, if we moved, umm...back to the woods, that he wouldn't be so, so angry," her eyes looked back down to the table. Her voice grew quiet and meek, "I'm sorry, I don't think it's your fault, or that, like, you can't make things better, I just, got afraid," she finished, hanging her head a little. As long as Flower kept her mouth shut, then everything would be ok.
Flower opened her mouth to tell Mommy why they all hated Lottie, but Willow started in, lying. Her mouth hung slightly open in disbelief, surely she wasn't lying to Mommy about why they hated Lottie, that was, that was wrong! Then again, so was tattling. Flower sat back, watching with wide eyes as Willow stammered on in a quiet voice with her big eyes. Could Anna hear this? Flower leaned to the left a bit and tried to see her around Willow, glancing at Mommy before leaning back in.
"Yeah, scared, as long as you say it's ok, then we believe you Mommy, don't we Willow?" Flower gave Mommy her most precious smile, then half faked a yawn, "I am so tired," she said through the yawn. "I don't want to go to bed though," she half whined. She had to be sure Mommy didn't think she was up to anything, but the sooner Flower got into bed, tucked in with Willow, the better. Cause if Mommy believed that blarney about being scared of how angry Daddy was, then she wouldn't want them to leave either, and Lottie was not going to ruin the home that Flower had so deeply longed for all of her life since the virus.
Salene listened to Willow, but kept her eye on Flower, and gauging her reaction to what she was saying, Salene could tell that Willow wasn't telling the whole truth. Salene, however, couldn't find a reason to demand she tell the absolute truth. She was shaken by what had happened, Salene could tell they all were, there was absolutely no reason in her mind to poke and prod them over something that was clearly upsetting. They weren't going to leave, Ryan promised, and Salene trusted him to keep his word.
"Oh, I see," she said calmly, "Well, I say it's ok Flower, you don't have to leave if you don't want to, and Ryan and I already talked about this. He's worried, you know, about living in a place that makes him so angry so easily, but he's promised to try and keep his temper under control. He also promised me he wouldn't leave, because as much as he loves you guys, he knows this is the safest place for you to be, and he knows I need him," she hoped that wasn't too much information to process all at once, but it was true. Had she said it the wrong way? Would these girls run off, angrily, the way Macy had?
Salene's eyebrows furrowed together with worry as she contemplated this, then cleared her throat, smiling at Flower softly. "Well, it is rather late, and if you're done with your dinner then we really ought to tuck you in. Mouse is in bed, I think Brady is as well, I know you two are older than they are, but we have rules around here about kids and bedtime," she glanced at Anna, wondering what to do about Tatty. "So say your goodnights to your siblings and then you must come down to bed. I'll be waiting for you," she gave them a nod and then placed her hand over Willow's, giving it a bit of a squeeze before standing up and heading downstairs.
Willow let out a short, silent, breath of relief as Flower backed up what she was saying, then Salene comforted her. So, so she'd already talked to Daddy about leaving and he'd decided to stay. This thought almost made Willow want to burst into tears, but she kept it under control. If Daddy didn't want to leave, if he'd already considered it and decided not to, then there was no hope that Willow could talk him into it, not at all.
Salene stood up and walked away, and Willow chanced a glance in her direction, feeling confusion and ...strangely ok. She pushed the plate away from her and stood up, her lips quivering with unsure emotion, staring at Flower for a minute before spinning around. She walked up to the table where Anna was sat with Jack and Tatty and found her words lumped in her throat. Wasn't Anna going to come and say goodnight? Was she not going to tuck them in and make sure they were safe? Why did Willow have to go to bed, but Tatty and Anna didn't? Why did Salene insist upon it for her, but not the others? And where was Ryan? Didn't he care anymore?
"Good night," she half barked out, quietly, before turning sharply on her left foot and walking through the Extra Cafe to the stairs, heading down to her room with a bit of a stomp.
Sitting up a bit, just because she wasn't rude and would still listen to Anna, Willow took tiny bites, sighing and shrugging as Jack came in and tried to make conversation. He was the last person she wanted to see, and glancing over her shoulder with a bit of a glare, she noticed that he didn't really care. He was too wrapped up in Anna, Good, I hope he takes her away! Willow stabbed the food on her plate rather hard and shoved a large piece of potato slice into her mouth, chewing angrily.
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Speaking of Willow, she had a sour face on, it actually turned Flower's stomach, and she gave her a strange look, "S'wrong with you?" Stupid question, Lottie, that's what was wrong. That's why Flower was eating so fast, to get to Mommy first. This thought caused her to shovel the food into her mouth again, until her cheeks poked out and she had to stop to chew.
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He was asking questions of everyone, even Willow and Flower, who Anna thought were acting a little strange. “Yes,” she said after a pause, “I think it’s very good.” Anna just wished she were hungrier. However, everything that was going on had her stress, and her appetite was pretty much gone. It was like rote memory to eat though, and so Anna lifted another forkful to her lips. Flower’s question about Salene floated over Anna’s head, but it didn’t matter as it wasn’t directed at her. “Did you have a nice talk with…um, Patch and…uh…” Anna blanked on the name. Waving her hand dismissively, Anna shook her head and smiled. “I’m sorry, I blanked on her name. Your conversation looked very… animated from here.” Anna’s fork pushed at the food on her plate. She wasn’t very hungry but it would be rude to leave any. Some kids didn’t even have food. The guilt caused her to take another small bite.
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"Hello," she greeted softly, giving them all a nod. "It's getting rather late, I think it's bedtime for a couple of people," she would have insisted on Tatty going to bed, but she'd learned already not to touch him, he hated her too, he had special needs, and Salene trusted Anna to take care of them. "What's wrong Willow? Is your dinner ok?" Salene walked to their table, squatting down so she was more eyelevel with both of them, no reason to loom.
The puffed out cheeks of Flower made her smile, and she tapped the end of her nose, "Slowly, don't want to get a tummy ache from eating too fast," she told her gently. "Ryan is very tired," she began to explain, knowing they must be wondering about him, "But he said I could put you to bed tonight, is that alright with you two?" She was so nervous now, what if they all hated her, every single one of them?
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Despite being told to chew slowly, Flower nearly swallowed her food whole, taking a quick gulp of water before finally lunging at Mommy with her arms outstretched, hugging her tightly around the neck. "Oh I knew moving here would be the most wonderful thing to ever happen to us! Look Willow! A reason to smile, we finally have that Mommy and she's going to tuck us in!" Flower sat back, beaming, putting another happy forkful of food in her mouth before remembering what she wanted to talk to Mommy about.
"OH!" she gasped out around the food in her mouth, chewing it quickly and swallowing it down, "Mommy, please tell me we won't have to leave. Willow wants to go because Lottie is here, but I don't want to go, I say she should go cause we got here first!" Flower gave a firm nod and crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Willow with a slight glare.
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Her eyebrows came together with worry, Ryan was too tired to eat dinner? He had been so upset earlier, was he really ok? Was Salene withholding something that they should know? Her mouth tilted in worry, but Flower took over the conversation with her sudden excitement about being tucked in. Willow chewed on her bottom lip, tears biting at her eyes as she began thinking about how she wanted to leave and this nice woman was being motherly with them, one of Flowers true dreams, something Willow herself had longed for for so long, believing it was impossible.
The tears began to well up, however, and spill over as Flower spilled the beans about Willow's urge to leave, the guilt welling up in her chest. She felt so bad, so guilty, so mean, and she couldn't even look at Salene now. Willow would have spoken, told Salene why she felt that way, supporting the theory that Lottie should go because they got there first, but she couldn't, she was just too guilty over how she felt.
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Heading into the Second cafe, Salene grabbed the other chair from the computer desk, giving Alice a soft hello before heading back into the cafe. Setting the chair down at Flower and Willow's table, Salene relaxed back a bit but reached out a hand, giving Willow's shoulder a comforting rub. "It's ok, to feel the way you do, about anything. Don't ever feel bad for being upset," she leaned in and put her elbows on the table, smiling first at Willow then to Flower. "Now, do you mind telling me what this is all about? Why you don't want to live with Lottie?"
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"I just," she searched for the right words, her eyes darting up to Flower then back down to the table, "I was just scared, by what happened, with Daddy," Willow's eyes now turned on Salene, large and sad. "I, I just thought, if we moved, umm...back to the woods, that he wouldn't be so, so angry," her eyes looked back down to the table. Her voice grew quiet and meek, "I'm sorry, I don't think it's your fault, or that, like, you can't make things better, I just, got afraid," she finished, hanging her head a little. As long as Flower kept her mouth shut, then everything would be ok.
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"Yeah, scared, as long as you say it's ok, then we believe you Mommy, don't we Willow?" Flower gave Mommy her most precious smile, then half faked a yawn, "I am so tired," she said through the yawn. "I don't want to go to bed though," she half whined. She had to be sure Mommy didn't think she was up to anything, but the sooner Flower got into bed, tucked in with Willow, the better. Cause if Mommy believed that blarney about being scared of how angry Daddy was, then she wouldn't want them to leave either, and Lottie was not going to ruin the home that Flower had so deeply longed for all of her life since the virus.
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"Oh, I see," she said calmly, "Well, I say it's ok Flower, you don't have to leave if you don't want to, and Ryan and I already talked about this. He's worried, you know, about living in a place that makes him so angry so easily, but he's promised to try and keep his temper under control. He also promised me he wouldn't leave, because as much as he loves you guys, he knows this is the safest place for you to be, and he knows I need him," she hoped that wasn't too much information to process all at once, but it was true. Had she said it the wrong way? Would these girls run off, angrily, the way Macy had?
Salene's eyebrows furrowed together with worry as she contemplated this, then cleared her throat, smiling at Flower softly. "Well, it is rather late, and if you're done with your dinner then we really ought to tuck you in. Mouse is in bed, I think Brady is as well, I know you two are older than they are, but we have rules around here about kids and bedtime," she glanced at Anna, wondering what to do about Tatty. "So say your goodnights to your siblings and then you must come down to bed. I'll be waiting for you," she gave them a nod and then placed her hand over Willow's, giving it a bit of a squeeze before standing up and heading downstairs.
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Salene stood up and walked away, and Willow chanced a glance in her direction, feeling confusion and ...strangely ok. She pushed the plate away from her and stood up, her lips quivering with unsure emotion, staring at Flower for a minute before spinning around. She walked up to the table where Anna was sat with Jack and Tatty and found her words lumped in her throat. Wasn't Anna going to come and say goodnight? Was she not going to tuck them in and make sure they were safe? Why did Willow have to go to bed, but Tatty and Anna didn't? Why did Salene insist upon it for her, but not the others? And where was Ryan? Didn't he care anymore?
"Good night," she half barked out, quietly, before turning sharply on her left foot and walking through the Extra Cafe to the stairs, heading down to her room with a bit of a stomp.
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