Strings of Fate

217- Routine and rigidity

Over the next week, we all settle into a mostly comfortable routine. We all work during the day, myself and Bellamy on managing the Shifters and Megan works on finishing her final assignments and planning her future business. Darrien spends most of his time helping Megan or hanging out with Kiara. We’ve decided to wait for the new school year to send her back. Partly because she’s missed so much it just makes more sense that way, and partly because she has been through so much we don’t want to rush her. No, her only job right now is just to heal and recover. She still isn’t really talking. Just an occasional word here or there. She hasn’t done much this week but we’ve discovered she enjoys reading and we made plans for a playdate with her and Logan on the weekend that I believe she is looking forward to. Since the work Bellamy and I do each day does vary, the most consistent part of our routine is the evenings. We all try to have dinner together as a family, the five of us. Then after dinner Kiara will get ready for bed and at eight on the dot Bellamy and I go up to say goodnight to her. She is very consistent and seems to enjoy routine. We didn’t even set her a bedtime, although we probably should have. No, apparently she always went to bed at eight before so she just naturally started doing it now.

It’s Friday night and about five minutes to eight. Bellamy is on a phone call sosture to him that I’m heading upstairs to ch*ck on Kiara and he mouths to me that he will follow in a

minute. I find Kiara in the bathroom brushing her teeth. She startles as I walk in. She does

that a lot these days and I can’t say I blame her. In her shock, she whirls around and elbows a

porcelain soap dish off of the counter and onto the floor where it cracks and breaks into two pieces. Her big eyes widen even more than usual and she looks horrified. I wave it off.

“No harm done.” I tell her, carefully picking up the pieces and dropping them in a bin. I ch*ck the floor for splinters but it seems to have broken cleanly. Kiara finishes with her teeth but she still looks tense. She shuffles down the hall to her bedroom, keeping her eyes on the floor. Her room has had a bit of a makeover this last week, we’re still working on it but rather than a pretty, but generic looking guestroom, it now looks like a girl’s room. There is an increasing amount of pink and purple throughout the room and already she is building up possessions. Mostly because every adult who enters this house seems to bring back gifts.

Myself included. Still, standing in the doorway something looks off about it. It tak

me a moment to realise what it is. The room is just TOO clean. Too tidy. I mean Kiara doesn’t appear to be a very messy child, but she is still a nine year old girl. There should be some sign of her spending time here. But there isn’t. The bed is perfectly made, the toys perfectly arranged. It all makes for a bit of a ‘show home‘ type feeling. I fight a frown, not wanting

a

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and rigidity

think I’m upset with her.

the covers. She scrambles into bed and I gently pull the covers over

didn’t really. expect Kiara to answer me out

mean to

I’m not mad. No one is angry with you!” I grab her hand and squeeze it, trying to reassure her. She continues to cry and she seems almost scared. Actually scratch that, she is scared. One look around this room and I can suddenly see what the issue is. She is scared

you to be perfect all the time. I’m certainly not

a family anymore.” She lowers her tear stained eyes to her lap where she is clutching the blankets. Fluh, it seems like I’ve stumbled onto a pre–existing case of anxiety. Something from before she was kidnapped. I guess that makes sense, she is a very orderly kid. I’m very careful with my next words.

have parents growing up?” I start. Kiara’s eyes fly up

nod slowly.

magic is unusual so they never really knew what to do with me. I spent a long time being sad about it. Sometimes even angry. I thought life was unfair because I didn’t have a family like everyone else did. But I realised something recently. I didn’t have a normal family, but I did make myself a new one. I just didn’t realise it at the time.

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Routine and

I have Bellamy and Megan, Darrien, Aaron and all the others. And of course I have you.”