What little Sohalia remembers of her parents was that they were unfailingly kind; so, too, was Auden, in their own gruff and grumpy way. She remembered scraping her knees one time when she was climbing in a tree, and when Auden dressed the wound, they were scowling - but their hands were gentle and careful, their eyes tender. It was that kindness, that carefulness, that tenderness that Soh felt now, in the house that she very much considered her home away from home, from the man that she had rapidly come to view as something of a father figure in her life.
The slightest of smiles lifted the corner of her lips at the loud kiss on the back of her hand, and she clung to the teacup as Harper prepared the sandwich - slicing it, funnily enough, just the way she liked it. She allowed him to shoo her back to the couch, where she sat cross legged, setting her tea aside in favor of the sandwich, lifting it to her mouth to take a bite. She hadn't felt very hungry before, but the sandwich tasted so good that it took no time at all for her to finish the first half. She must have been hungrier than she'd thought.
She was privately glad that Harper sat on the couch this time, relieved to have him close enough to touch without him having to be in what had to be an uncomfortable position in the floor. With the blanket draped around her shoulders, she continued to eat her sandwich, taking the occasional sip of tea. Harper's cheeky wink solicited a small giggle from Soh in spite of herself. She certainly wouldn't tell, although she couldn't blame her best friend for wanting a little comfort now and then. It certainly did feel isolating, sleeping alone, particularly after something bad had happened.
But the good cheer lasted only a few moments, for as she finished her sandwich, she realized that she did want to talk about it, even if it was hard. After all, Mateo hadn't judged her, and Tal hadn't judged her - in fact, he'd even said she'd done the right things. Maybe Harper would feel the same way. Besides, it was destroying her to try to carry it all herself. Still, something made her hesitate. Perhaps she didn't want to destroy the positivity that Harper was trying to bring to the situation, or perhaps she was embarrassed to talk of such things to someone she viewed so highly, or perhaps she simply still felt like everything was all her fault.
In the end, she chewed on her lip, picking up her teacup to grasp it between her hands, her empty plate sitting on her lap. "I don't... not want to talk about it," she said finally. "I just - I don't know how to -" She stopped, frustrated when tears pricked behind her eyes again. "Ugh, I just can't stop crying!"
The slightest of smiles lifted the corner of her lips at the loud kiss on the back of her hand, and she clung to the teacup as Harper prepared the sandwich - slicing it, funnily enough, just the way she liked it. She allowed him to shoo her back to the couch, where she sat cross legged, setting her tea aside in favor of the sandwich, lifting it to her mouth to take a bite. She hadn't felt very hungry before, but the sandwich tasted so good that it took no time at all for her to finish the first half. She must have been hungrier than she'd thought.
She was privately glad that Harper sat on the couch this time, relieved to have him close enough to touch without him having to be in what had to be an uncomfortable position in the floor. With the blanket draped around her shoulders, she continued to eat her sandwich, taking the occasional sip of tea. Harper's cheeky wink solicited a small giggle from Soh in spite of herself. She certainly wouldn't tell, although she couldn't blame her best friend for wanting a little comfort now and then. It certainly did feel isolating, sleeping alone, particularly after something bad had happened.
But the good cheer lasted only a few moments, for as she finished her sandwich, she realized that she did want to talk about it, even if it was hard. After all, Mateo hadn't judged her, and Tal hadn't judged her - in fact, he'd even said she'd done the right things. Maybe Harper would feel the same way. Besides, it was destroying her to try to carry it all herself. Still, something made her hesitate. Perhaps she didn't want to destroy the positivity that Harper was trying to bring to the situation, or perhaps she was embarrassed to talk of such things to someone she viewed so highly, or perhaps she simply still felt like everything was all her fault.
In the end, she chewed on her lip, picking up her teacup to grasp it between her hands, her empty plate sitting on her lap. "I don't... not want to talk about it," she said finally. "I just - I don't know how to -" She stopped, frustrated when tears pricked behind her eyes again. "Ugh, I just can't stop crying!"
