Q & A #45
Buffy lay on her bed, her daughter curled up beside her. "Daddy's at work," Meredith said.
"That's right, honey."
"Don't be scared. Daddy's big and strong." She snuggled closer, her head on her mother's abdomen. "He'll come home to me and you and baby. Cause he loves us."
"I know. I won't be scared." She shifted in the bed, taking Meredith into her arms. "How do you know? When I'm scared. Do you feel it? Hear what I'm thinking?"
"Feel it." The child's face crinkled up in thought. "I feel things, and I know you feel them. I can know your head words, too, when I try. Auntie Willow says it's not polite. Sometimes I can't help it, but mostly I can."
"And Daddy? Can you know what Daddy's feeling?"
Her daughter shook her head. "Daddy's all quiet. Daddy, and Uncle Clem, and Auntie Anya. And sometimes Auntie Willow, when she makes it be."
"Can you shut us out?" Buffy remembered a time long ago, when she was flooded by thoughts. All the noise of all the minds in the world. She shuddered with fear that her daughter could face such a burden.
"I only hear when I listen. And move things when I try." She looked over at the dresser, and a hairbrush rose into the air. "See, Mommy?"
"It's amazing." She stared at the brush. "Put it down." It floated back to the dresser top.
"Secrets are wrong, right Mommy?"
"Yes, sweetie. Secrets can be bad. You mustn't keep secrets from Daddy and I. But you still can't tell the things you can do to other people. They wouldn't understand. I'll explain when you're older."
"I'm older. I know." She sat up on the bed and looked at her mother. "I want to stay with you. Not like Erin. I won't tell Uncle Riley."
"Just call him Mr. Finn." Buffy noted her daughter's crestfallen expression. Something was wrong. "Any other secrets you want to tell me?"
"I told Uncle Clem. About he's the best man. And I told a secret to Uncle Xander."
"That's okay, sweetie. Daddy's asking Clem tonight, anyway." She stroked her daughter's hair. "Did you tell Uncle Xander about what you can do? Because we're going to tell him. We can trust him, and it will be easier if he knows."
"Nope." She whispered. "I told him Auntie Willow loves him."
"I think he knows that, honey. They've been friends since they weren't much bigger than you."
"No," Meredith said with insistence. "She wants to kiss him. On the mouth. Like you and Daddy."
"Really?" Buffy considered, smiling. "Thanks, sweetheart. That's really ... interesting." She caught herself. "But you still shouldn't tell Auntie Willow's secrets. They're private."
Meredith snuggled back down against her mother. "Okay."
Buffy lay on her bed, her daughter curled up beside her. "Daddy's at work," Meredith said.
"That's right, honey."
"Don't be scared. Daddy's big and strong." She snuggled closer, her head on her mother's abdomen. "He'll come home to me and you and baby. Cause he loves us."
"I know. I won't be scared." She shifted in the bed, taking Meredith into her arms. "How do you know? When I'm scared. Do you feel it? Hear what I'm thinking?"
"Feel it." The child's face crinkled up in thought. "I feel things, and I know you feel them. I can know your head words, too, when I try. Auntie Willow says it's not polite. Sometimes I can't help it, but mostly I can."
"And Daddy? Can you know what Daddy's feeling?"
Her daughter shook her head. "Daddy's all quiet. Daddy, and Uncle Clem, and Auntie Anya. And sometimes Auntie Willow, when she makes it be."
"Can you shut us out?" Buffy remembered a time long ago, when she was flooded by thoughts. All the noise of all the minds in the world. She shuddered with fear that her daughter could face such a burden.
"I only hear when I listen. And move things when I try." She looked over at the dresser, and a hairbrush rose into the air. "See, Mommy?"
"It's amazing." She stared at the brush. "Put it down." It floated back to the dresser top.
"Secrets are wrong, right Mommy?"
"Yes, sweetie. Secrets can be bad. You mustn't keep secrets from Daddy and I. But you still can't tell the things you can do to other people. They wouldn't understand. I'll explain when you're older."
"I'm older. I know." She sat up on the bed and looked at her mother. "I want to stay with you. Not like Erin. I won't tell Uncle Riley."
"Just call him Mr. Finn." Buffy noted her daughter's crestfallen expression. Something was wrong. "Any other secrets you want to tell me?"
"I told Uncle Clem. About he's the best man. And I told a secret to Uncle Xander."
"That's okay, sweetie. Daddy's asking Clem tonight, anyway." She stroked her daughter's hair. "Did you tell Uncle Xander about what you can do? Because we're going to tell him. We can trust him, and it will be easier if he knows."
"Nope." She whispered. "I told him Auntie Willow loves him."
"I think he knows that, honey. They've been friends since they weren't much bigger than you."
"No," Meredith said with insistence. "She wants to kiss him. On the mouth. Like you and Daddy."
"Really?" Buffy considered, smiling. "Thanks, sweetheart. That's really ... interesting." She caught herself. "But you still shouldn't tell Auntie Willow's secrets. They're private."
Meredith snuggled back down against her mother. "Okay."