Q & A #50
Buffy was finishing up the dishes, as Meredith sat watching her on a kitchen chair, swinging her legs. "Did you have a nice honeymoon, Mommy?"
Buffy smiled. "Very nice. Short, but nice."
"Did you throwed up all the time?"
Buffy put the last plate into the rack and turned around, wiping her hands on a tea towel. "Not all the time. Why?"
"Cause Auntie Dawn said you would. It didn't sound like much fun. You could have stayed home with me and done that."
Buffy sat on a chair beside her daughter. "Auntie Dawn shouldn't worry about me. It's getting better, it really is. And it was very nice for Mommy and Daddy to have a pretty room all to ourselves for the weekend." She took her daughter's tiny hand. "But of course we missed you. We would always miss you."
"You went away. Can I go away?"
Buffy was surprised. "Why? Where do you want to go?"
Meredith frowned. "You and Daddy said I could go to school. And my friends are going to school, and I'm not." She looked into her mother's eyes and pouted. "Did you forget, Mommy? Cause you said it would be good. And you said I should go. But I'm not going."
"Oh, sweetie." Buffy reached over and pulled Meredith onto her ever decreasing lap, and held her close. "Of course we didn't forget. We just aren't sure that it's the best thing anymore. You would have to be so very careful all the time, not to listen to people's thoughts, or move things with your mind. That's a lot to ask a little girl."
"I could do it, Mommy. I want to go to school."
"I know." Buffy combed her fingers through her daughter's soft hair. "I want you to go. Someday. But not just yet. It's safer." So hard to see her little girl sad. "Stay here with Mommy and Daddy, for a while longer?"
The child sighed. "Okay." The tears were welling up. "But I wouldn't be a bad girl. Nobody would know I can do stuff."
"Oh, honey." Buffy held her tight. "You aren't a bad girl. You're my good little girl. It's just that nothing is more important than keeping you safe from harm. Nothing. You and baby and Daddy."
"And you, Mommy." She nodded her head deliberately. "I'll be a good girl. I'll stay home."
There was a rapping at the back door. "Who could that be?" Buffy asked. She put her daughter down onto the floor and went to the back door, peeking out through the curtains. "Honey," she said, "go upstairs to Daddy's room, and stay there until I get you."
"Why, Mommy?" Her eyes opened wide. "What are they doing here?"
"I don't know. Now, scoot." She watched her daughter head out of the kitchen, then cracked open the door.
"Buffy, please, can you help me?" The visitor shifted the weight of the small child in her arms. "Please, can I come in? I don't know where else to turn."
Buffy opened the door. "Come in, Sam."
Buffy was finishing up the dishes, as Meredith sat watching her on a kitchen chair, swinging her legs. "Did you have a nice honeymoon, Mommy?"
Buffy smiled. "Very nice. Short, but nice."
"Did you throwed up all the time?"
Buffy put the last plate into the rack and turned around, wiping her hands on a tea towel. "Not all the time. Why?"
"Cause Auntie Dawn said you would. It didn't sound like much fun. You could have stayed home with me and done that."
Buffy sat on a chair beside her daughter. "Auntie Dawn shouldn't worry about me. It's getting better, it really is. And it was very nice for Mommy and Daddy to have a pretty room all to ourselves for the weekend." She took her daughter's tiny hand. "But of course we missed you. We would always miss you."
"You went away. Can I go away?"
Buffy was surprised. "Why? Where do you want to go?"
Meredith frowned. "You and Daddy said I could go to school. And my friends are going to school, and I'm not." She looked into her mother's eyes and pouted. "Did you forget, Mommy? Cause you said it would be good. And you said I should go. But I'm not going."
"Oh, sweetie." Buffy reached over and pulled Meredith onto her ever decreasing lap, and held her close. "Of course we didn't forget. We just aren't sure that it's the best thing anymore. You would have to be so very careful all the time, not to listen to people's thoughts, or move things with your mind. That's a lot to ask a little girl."
"I could do it, Mommy. I want to go to school."
"I know." Buffy combed her fingers through her daughter's soft hair. "I want you to go. Someday. But not just yet. It's safer." So hard to see her little girl sad. "Stay here with Mommy and Daddy, for a while longer?"
The child sighed. "Okay." The tears were welling up. "But I wouldn't be a bad girl. Nobody would know I can do stuff."
"Oh, honey." Buffy held her tight. "You aren't a bad girl. You're my good little girl. It's just that nothing is more important than keeping you safe from harm. Nothing. You and baby and Daddy."
"And you, Mommy." She nodded her head deliberately. "I'll be a good girl. I'll stay home."
There was a rapping at the back door. "Who could that be?" Buffy asked. She put her daughter down onto the floor and went to the back door, peeking out through the curtains. "Honey," she said, "go upstairs to Daddy's room, and stay there until I get you."
"Why, Mommy?" Her eyes opened wide. "What are they doing here?"
"I don't know. Now, scoot." She watched her daughter head out of the kitchen, then cracked open the door.
"Buffy, please, can you help me?" The visitor shifted the weight of the small child in her arms. "Please, can I come in? I don't know where else to turn."
Buffy opened the door. "Come in, Sam."