(no subject)
A response to an excellent story by laleia written for the Fic Fest:
A Moment With Two Elenas
Elena Bothari and Elena Visconti's meeting on Escobar.
“I’m sorry-she’s really fussy today, I don’t know why.”
“Babies sense tension. When my daughter-my other daughter. Your half-sister...”
Elena Visconti cleared her throat, and pushed back her long black hair impatiently.
“When your sister was a baby, she would cry for no apparent reason at all sometimes. Just screaming, pure tantrum. I finally figured out she only did that when I was upset.”
“I never knew you had children. Another child. Did you-do I have any other siblings?”
“My son is about eight years younger than you are. My daughter-your sister was three when he was born. Here...” The older woman pulled out a holocube, flicked it on and handed it to Baz Jesek, standing next to his wife Elena Bothari-Jesek. He looked at the holo of two beautiful black-haired young people standing arm in arm and smiled involuntarily.
“They look very happy. Here, Elena, give me the baby.”
His wife traded him their six-month-old daughter for the holocube, pressing a kiss to the downy head in passing. Her lovely eyes filled with an odd mix of hunger and apprehension as she looked at the portrait of her half-siblings.
“I never... I don’t have any family now. Well, there’s Miles, and Aunt Cordelia and Uncle Aral. But it’s not the same as having a brother or sister.”
“Cordelia and Aral? The Vorkosigans, you mean. You think of them as family?”
“Yes. How could I not? Cordelia was the only mother-figure I had-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to-“
“No, it’s all right. I’m grateful to her. She was there when I couldn’t be.”
“When you-I don’t-I don’t understand. The last time I saw you, you were so angry with me. You could barely look at me. And now you’ve asked us here, and you seem so-has something changed?”
“I wouldn’t say changed, really. I just don’t have to feel that way anymore. I don’t have to be the way I was when we last saw each other. Back then I was still a torture victim. A victim of rape.”
“Back then? What are you now?”
“Now I’m a survivor.”
Finis
A Moment With Two Elenas
Elena Bothari and Elena Visconti's meeting on Escobar.
“I’m sorry-she’s really fussy today, I don’t know why.”
“Babies sense tension. When my daughter-my other daughter. Your half-sister...”
Elena Visconti cleared her throat, and pushed back her long black hair impatiently.
“When your sister was a baby, she would cry for no apparent reason at all sometimes. Just screaming, pure tantrum. I finally figured out she only did that when I was upset.”
“I never knew you had children. Another child. Did you-do I have any other siblings?”
“My son is about eight years younger than you are. My daughter-your sister was three when he was born. Here...” The older woman pulled out a holocube, flicked it on and handed it to Baz Jesek, standing next to his wife Elena Bothari-Jesek. He looked at the holo of two beautiful black-haired young people standing arm in arm and smiled involuntarily.
“They look very happy. Here, Elena, give me the baby.”
His wife traded him their six-month-old daughter for the holocube, pressing a kiss to the downy head in passing. Her lovely eyes filled with an odd mix of hunger and apprehension as she looked at the portrait of her half-siblings.
“I never... I don’t have any family now. Well, there’s Miles, and Aunt Cordelia and Uncle Aral. But it’s not the same as having a brother or sister.”
“Cordelia and Aral? The Vorkosigans, you mean. You think of them as family?”
“Yes. How could I not? Cordelia was the only mother-figure I had-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to-“
“No, it’s all right. I’m grateful to her. She was there when I couldn’t be.”
“When you-I don’t-I don’t understand. The last time I saw you, you were so angry with me. You could barely look at me. And now you’ve asked us here, and you seem so-has something changed?”
“I wouldn’t say changed, really. I just don’t have to feel that way anymore. I don’t have to be the way I was when we last saw each other. Back then I was still a torture victim. A victim of rape.”
“Back then? What are you now?”
“Now I’m a survivor.”
Finis