Please tell me how you feel about today's chapter. I'd like to know if you think the ending is to abrubt; I couldn't decide if I wanted to add onto it or not. Enjoy!

Day Two: Parents

"I love my family. I have a mommy. She can't see, but she's the best earthbender in the world. I'm learning earthbending secrets from her, stuff nobody but us knows. I had a daddy, too, but Mommy said he had to leave when I was little. Mommy said he wasn't coming back, ever. I never even got to see him. My mommy told me she would love me enough for the both of them, and that I had to be strong and not miss him. I don't think she misses him, so I won't either.

But I think I have someone even better than him, someone I think is my real daddy.

When Mommy and I had to leave our house, I was really little. It was like a big adventure, the kind Mommy went on when she was younger. I remember going to a house way past my bedtime, and my mommy was talking to a nice man. He let us into his house, and we've been there since then. I think this man is my real daddy. A real person in my family wouldn't leave me before I got to meet him. A real person in my family loves me and Mommy. But when I call him Daddy, Mommy says, "No, he's not." I still think he is.

My parents aren't married. Mommy says she's married to the man who left us, the man who I don't think is my daddy. Our family is very happy, though. Daddy works as something called a councilman. He says yes and no a lot, with other people. The other people are very grumpy. Mommy catches mean people who do bad things. A lot of times, the people Mommy catches get put in front of Daddy, and then he says yes or no. My family is amazing. I want to be just like them when I grow up."

As soon as he finished reading aloud Lin's school report, Sokka looked up with tears in his eyes. Lin, though only six years old, had the mind of someone beyond her years. He focused his attention on the woman across from him. Her eyes, though sightless, were wet as well. Because she rarely cried, this half-page of a six year old's wisdom must have truly touched her. Glancing back at the parchment in his hand, Sokka asked, "Toph, are we a family?"

The head of police hastily wiped at her eyes, not wanting to show weakness. She sighed, trying to avoid the question. It wasn't a subject that she had an answer for. "I really am grateful for everything, Sokka. I still can't believe…" Toph trailed off. It was hard for her to admit she had needed help, even to her closest friend.

Sokka quickly replied, "It's not your fault he left. The scoundrel took advantage of a hard time for you. The death of one parent, let alone two, is extremely difficult. I don't blame you for being a bit disoriented back then."

Toph banged her hand on the table, making the cups and dishes rattle. "But I should have seen it coming! Of course, a marriage arranged by my mother and father could never have been good. I think after the betrothal…" Here, Toph placed her hand on her forehead. "I gave up," she admitted. "My parents took most of my childhood away from me. They hid me from the world and tried to control what I did. And they succeeded. They took my free will. You know I didn't want to marry him, right?"

Sokka looked over at Toph, whose head was cradled in her hands. Of course he knew it was an arranged marriage, but Toph was the kind of person that would run away before being forced to do something she didn't want to do.

"Toph," he stated hesitantly, "Why did you marry him."

The earthbender took her time. When she finally did answer, it was in a barely audibly whisper. "They threatened to have you all killed."

Sokka's limbs froze in his chair. "What? They wouldn't go that far, would they? Why didn't you tell us?"

Toph kept her head down. "You don't know them, Sokka. They're control freaks. All they wanted was an obedient daughter to complete a nice little family. When they got me, they didn't give up on their vision of perfection. That's all my parents want. Control and perfection. As to why I didn't inform you, well, that's not a pretty tale. I told them you guys could defend yourselves. They said that no one could defend against poison. And of course, that made sense. It could happen anytime, anywhere. It wouldn't make a difference if I told you; you'd have to eat and drink sometime."

Sokka couldn't speak. It made sense, of course; Toph cared for her friends more than anything in the world. "Toph…" He didn't know what to say. Sokka was glad to have her in his life; someone like her only came once in a lifetime, a person who would make their life miserable in order to protect his.

Toph picked up her head. "I thought he wouldn't be so bad. That maybe I could just avoid him," she snapped bitterly. "I just never expected…" She let the sentence fade again.

Sokka placed his hand carefully over hers. "No one thought he would run away with the Bei Fong money, Toph. I'm just glad you came here." He applied pressure to her hand, and Toph squeezed gently in return.

Toph held her chin out, a little of her spunk coming back. She had an answer to Sokka's earlier question. "I think we are a family. Lin considers you her father, after all."

Sokka looked over at the little girl, practicing her earthbending in a corner of the room. "I'm proud to be her parent, even if it's not possible for me to be your husband." He knew that, because of Toph's legal husband, it would never be possible.

Toph lowered her head again. "I wish you were."