She could hear the rush of footsteps all over the house. Like a miniature stampede coming down the stairs. She had to hand it to Sophie. Being small never deterred her from having a big presence in the house. She smiled and closed her laptop seconds before her door opened and a flurry of pink and brown assaulted her.
She caught the small child as she clung to her like a small tick. She cried and cried and Kiara knew exactly why. Ever since she'd been brought here poor Sophie suffered night terrors, seeing her parents being murdered, seeing people die all around her. Nothing seemed to soothe her suffering and it was something Kiara hated to impose on her. Glenn had suggested therapy but Kiara didn't want to force little Sophie to relieve her nightmares in the daytime.
"Shhh...there there cub... I got you" she whispered as she rubbed Sophie's back while she cried into her shoulder. Ever precious tear tore at Kiara's heart. So much needless suffering for what? A vampire's grab for power? Blowing up the true blood factories? How could Bill have let this happen to someone so innocent?
After what seemed like a very long time Sophie seemed to calm down. She brought her small hands to her face, rubbing her eyes furiously as if that would chase away the tears. "I had a bad dream" she said in a half sobbing voice. Kiara nodded, holding her in her lap now. "I know sweetie...but it was just a dream and you're safe" she whispered, trying to be soothing. Being empathetic was not Kiara's forte and if this were any other child but Sophie she would have told them to get over themselves. That shit happened to everyone and you had to move on.
"why did mommy and daddy have to die?" she asked, looking at Kiara with bright, inquisitive eyes. Kiara debated how to answer that. How could she explain that death was natural? That bad things happened to good people for no reason? That none of this was Sophie's fault? How could she explain that the man who had promised to protect her had so carelessly abandoned her?
"Well sweetie... sometimes things happen..." she began, at this point just rambling and hoping her words made some semblance of sense. "...and we don't understand why at first. But as we grow up those things that were bad...they make us strong" she said, gently running her fingers through Sophie's brown hair.
Sophie seemed to digest what she was saying. "But...your mommy and daddy didn't die did they?" she asked. Kiara wanted to chuckle at that but she refrained from doing so.
"My mommy and daddy did die. They died when I was a kid, just like you" she said softly. "But see? I'm still here... and I know that my parents loved me very much" she said, fighting back the emotions that came whenever she thought about her own parents. Sophie's eyes grew wide, like she couldn't believe that Kiara had no parents.
"And...were you sad...when they died?" she asked.
Kiara nodded. "I was very sad... I thought I would never be happy again"
"and...are you happy now?" asked Sophie.
Kiara debated how to answer that. Yes in a sense she'd found happiness after her parent's death but her life had been so filled with tragedy and darkness it was hard to remember the happy times, but yes technically she hadn't stayed sad. Even after everything she had a few friends she could rely on, had precious memories she wouldn't trade for the world.
"Yes Sophie...I am happy. I'm happy you're here, that I have good friends who care for me too" she said in answer to her question.
Sophie rested her head on Kiara's chest. She looked to be deep in thought for a child her age. When she spoke however it was a question that nearly made Kiara fall over.
"Will you be my mommy?"
Kiara blinked, glad that Sophie couldn't see her initial reaction to the question. "Oh sweetie...I could never replace your mommy" she said, wanting to get away from this very dangerous uncharted territory.
Sophie looked up. "Then...you could be my second mommy. Mommy Kiara" she said with the most simple smile on her face as if declaring Kiara her mother fixed everything that was wrong in the world. Kiara looked at Sophie and wished that she could feel such hope in the world.
"Would that make you happy Sophie?" she asked. She may not be able to bring Sophie's parents back, or even rectify what Bill neglected to do, but if she could spare Sophie from losing her childlike hope, spare her the years of indifference and coldness that Kiara had experienced in her own childhood then...
"yes. Mommy Kiara would make me happy" she said, almost looking excited.
Kiara smiled and kissed Sophie's forehead. "Then I'll be your mommy... and I promise never to leave you" she whispered.
She caught the small child as she clung to her like a small tick. She cried and cried and Kiara knew exactly why. Ever since she'd been brought here poor Sophie suffered night terrors, seeing her parents being murdered, seeing people die all around her. Nothing seemed to soothe her suffering and it was something Kiara hated to impose on her. Glenn had suggested therapy but Kiara didn't want to force little Sophie to relieve her nightmares in the daytime.
"Shhh...there there cub... I got you" she whispered as she rubbed Sophie's back while she cried into her shoulder. Ever precious tear tore at Kiara's heart. So much needless suffering for what? A vampire's grab for power? Blowing up the true blood factories? How could Bill have let this happen to someone so innocent?
After what seemed like a very long time Sophie seemed to calm down. She brought her small hands to her face, rubbing her eyes furiously as if that would chase away the tears. "I had a bad dream" she said in a half sobbing voice. Kiara nodded, holding her in her lap now. "I know sweetie...but it was just a dream and you're safe" she whispered, trying to be soothing. Being empathetic was not Kiara's forte and if this were any other child but Sophie she would have told them to get over themselves. That shit happened to everyone and you had to move on.
"why did mommy and daddy have to die?" she asked, looking at Kiara with bright, inquisitive eyes. Kiara debated how to answer that. How could she explain that death was natural? That bad things happened to good people for no reason? That none of this was Sophie's fault? How could she explain that the man who had promised to protect her had so carelessly abandoned her?
"Well sweetie... sometimes things happen..." she began, at this point just rambling and hoping her words made some semblance of sense. "...and we don't understand why at first. But as we grow up those things that were bad...they make us strong" she said, gently running her fingers through Sophie's brown hair.
Sophie seemed to digest what she was saying. "But...your mommy and daddy didn't die did they?" she asked. Kiara wanted to chuckle at that but she refrained from doing so.
"My mommy and daddy did die. They died when I was a kid, just like you" she said softly. "But see? I'm still here... and I know that my parents loved me very much" she said, fighting back the emotions that came whenever she thought about her own parents. Sophie's eyes grew wide, like she couldn't believe that Kiara had no parents.
"And...were you sad...when they died?" she asked.
Kiara nodded. "I was very sad... I thought I would never be happy again"
"and...are you happy now?" asked Sophie.
Kiara debated how to answer that. Yes in a sense she'd found happiness after her parent's death but her life had been so filled with tragedy and darkness it was hard to remember the happy times, but yes technically she hadn't stayed sad. Even after everything she had a few friends she could rely on, had precious memories she wouldn't trade for the world.
"Yes Sophie...I am happy. I'm happy you're here, that I have good friends who care for me too" she said in answer to her question.
Sophie rested her head on Kiara's chest. She looked to be deep in thought for a child her age. When she spoke however it was a question that nearly made Kiara fall over.
"Will you be my mommy?"
Kiara blinked, glad that Sophie couldn't see her initial reaction to the question. "Oh sweetie...I could never replace your mommy" she said, wanting to get away from this very dangerous uncharted territory.
Sophie looked up. "Then...you could be my second mommy. Mommy Kiara" she said with the most simple smile on her face as if declaring Kiara her mother fixed everything that was wrong in the world. Kiara looked at Sophie and wished that she could feel such hope in the world.
"Would that make you happy Sophie?" she asked. She may not be able to bring Sophie's parents back, or even rectify what Bill neglected to do, but if she could spare Sophie from losing her childlike hope, spare her the years of indifference and coldness that Kiara had experienced in her own childhood then...
"yes. Mommy Kiara would make me happy" she said, almost looking excited.
Kiara smiled and kissed Sophie's forehead. "Then I'll be your mommy... and I promise never to leave you" she whispered.
