"There!" Alastor set the brush down on the table he'd manifested between the couch and love seat. "All confetti removed!"

" Thank you ," Vaggie said, ruffling her hair. "Phew. I'm glad that's done. Now…" she turned around, giving Alastor an evil grin. "Your turn."

" My turn? Ha!" Alastor summoned some shadows to remove the confetti from his hair. "Ta-da, my dear!"

Charlie giggled as she said, "There's still some in your hair."

"Hm?" Shadows again converged on his hair. "Now?"

"Nope. Still some," Vaggie replied.

"Well, drat."

"C'mon. You were fine with it when we were picnicking!" Charlie complained.

Alastor looked like he was going to say something but cut himself off before he could. Eventually he said, "I'm…hesitant at the intimacy of the action. It's beyond…"

He didn't seem to be able to admit it outright. They'd get there eventually.

"It's okay," soothed Charlie. "You're here, with me and Vaggie, no one else is present to see us, to judge us. It's just us and the brush."

Alastor focused completely on Charlie. "Charlie, if you would be a dear, could you tell me one of your inane stories while Vaggie brushes my hair?"

Distraction duty? Charlie could do that!

"What topic? Did you want to hear about growing up? What about schooling? Or OH! What about the time I-"

"I would like to hear about your mother."

Charlie immediately paused. She repeated, "My mom?"

"Yes," Alastor replied. Charlie was looking for any sort of angle that he was trying to take. There was definitely something behind the request. What it was she couldn't pick out; his poker face was pristine.

"Okay," she agreed. Maybe if she told them about her then Vaggie would stop accusing her mom of doing those horrible things to Alastor. She nibbled on her lip as she mumbled, "Where to start…"

"Why not start from the beginning? I imagine being raised by her was an interesting experience," Alastor said. Something about the way he said that…

Ignoring it, Charlie started, "My mom was the best mom ever! She raised me with minimal nanny step-ins! She only called on Nanny Badon sometimes, when she had a concert or appearance to do."

"Why not keep you backstage? Or let your father-" His words jumped as Vaggie seemed to find a particular little knot. "Let your father watch you?"

"My dad was always so busy! She didn't leave me with him. He did important work!"

"I hear a past-tense in there~" Alastor lilted.

"I mean, you've seen my dad recently. He isn't really as busy as he was back when he had the duties he pushed onto me," Charlie said.

"Ah yes, I know exactly what you mean." Alastor's smile was entirely devious. Likely at the thought that he was going to succeed where her dad failed.

"Anyway…" Charlie tried to keep a smile on her face. "My mom is a wonderful woman! I don't know where she's been the last twelve years, but I'm sure it's something important."

"You're getting off-topic," Vaggie butted in. "Don't avoid the topic."

"What?! Off-topic? I, I mean…" Charlie repeated, "My mom is a wonderful woman!"

"Did she have a favorite game she played with you? Cutesy pet names? Were there any mother-daughter activities you enjoyed?" Alastor pressed.

Charlie was feeling a little overwhelmed. "Not really? She called me 'sweetie' and 'honey' and 'doll' a lot. She always pushed me to be better! To try and find something I was good at!"

"Hm? So, she didn't think that you had any talents?" Alastor's question hurt.

"No! No, uhm, it was more I wasn't that good at anything. She was doing her best to help me!"

Vaggie was watching her out of the corner of her eye as Alastor continued, "What did she encourage you to do? Was there something that she was proud of you for?"

"She encouraged me to do a lot of things! I'm not as good as she is at everything. It was just a matter of time before I found something I was good at!" Charlie insisted.

"Yes, you do have quite a talent with singing and Redeeming Sinners," Alastor noted.

"She'll be proud of me for all that I've done!" she agreed.

"Charlie, did your mom ever tell you she loved you?" Vaggie asked.

She froze at that question. "What?"

"Good question! Well, my dearest Charlie? Did your mother ever tell you she loved you?" Alastor was watching intently.

Charlie started looking around the room as she answered, "She didn't need to! She showed it through her actions! Only a loving parent would care and be involved as much as she was!"

"That explains a lot," Vaggie said flatly.

"I completely agree!" Alastor said.

"What? Explains what?" Charlie didn't understand.

"The approval-seeking. The attempt to help others as much as you do. Your self-worth is tied to doing things well, isn't it? In the hope of finding something your mother would approve of."

Alastor's question and comments hit her right in the gut. She stood firm; she knew her mom loved her! It was that she…wasn't very good at saying it.

Charlie jumped as she felt a hand slip into hers. Blinking, Charlie realized that Alastor was holding her hand now. A shadow tentacle rested itself on top of her hand.

"You talk of myself 'getting used to' being emotionally vulnerable. That I'm hiding my emotions." He looked at her sternly. "You should practice what you preach. How did your mother make you feel most of the time?"

"It was fine! All of it!" Charlie burst out.

"Did she even know your favorite color?" Vaggie queried.

"Stop!" Charlie tore her hand from Alastor's and stood. " My mom loves me! "

"She feels something for you. I'm not certain I would call it 'love'," Alastor commented. "Perhaps she was possessive of you?"

"Charlie, why didn't you tell me any of this?" Vaggie asked, disappointed. "You always talked about how great your mom was. Why-"

" Is ." Charlie knew she was being rude and didn't care. "My mom is great. She doesn't need to know my favorite color, or my imaginary friend, or any of that to prove it to me!"

"Doesn't sound like it to me," Alastor noted.

" YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER! " Charlie suddenly realized she was surrounded by fire, tears falling from her face.

A black glyph-covered barrier formed around her. Alastor said, "Ah ah ah! It wouldn't help any of us if you burnt my tower down too!"

Vaggie had her lips puckered like she was trying to think of a proper response. She finally settled on, "Okay. I think we should drop it."

Alastor's smile lessened before he sighed and said, "Goodness, you two really make me feel soft!"

Charlie was getting herself under control. It was no biggie. None of it was. They simply didn't understand their relationship. Her mom loved her. Her mom loved her.

"Oh, I finished brushing your hair, Alastor," Vaggie noted.

"I could tell. Excellent job! I was comfortable the entire time." Alastor turned back to Charlie. "What are you thinking of, my dearest?"

Charlie wiped the rest of the tears away as the flames died down.

Her mom loved her.