Hiru had taken to meeting Una after school every couple of weeks, she didn’t seem to keep a very regular schedule, and she never stayed for very long, but it was nice to see her, to have someone to talk to that was so unbiased, that had no strong opinions about him or his famous mother. He had made the mistake of telling Verro about her on the way to school one day, causing a brief commotion as security was checked, but finding nothing amiss, the flurry of activity died down, though Verro had looked at him with concern.

‘...there is this really pretty girl at school, nothing like Iseult, even though they spend a lot of time together. She has really long black hair and it's just…so shiny.’ He was telling Una about his classmates when someone opened the door to his greenhouse. ‘Who are you talking to, Hiru,’ Verro said, looking around the room. Hiru looked at Una, confused. ‘Don’t you see her? Una’s right there.’ Hiru said, pointing to Una who looked back at him serenely. Verro froze for a moment, his eyes wide. ‘Oh! Of course. I’ll just…I’ll just leave you two to it,’ his voice unnaturally high before he quickly backed out the door.

Veridia joined him for dinner that night, staring at him with her hands folded as he ate quietly. ‘I heard about your friend Una,’ she said finally, picking up her cutlery and cutting into her own dinner. ‘Yeah, she’s been visiting me at the greenhouse, she really likes my cacti.’ He looked up at his mother, she hadn’t been particularly interested in his friendships before, excluding when she had tried unsuccessfully to have him befriend Iseult. ‘Hm. I have a… friend I would like you to talk to tomorrow. She’ll be coming over after school. She may ask you about Una, and about how you are feeling. You can tell her anything you like, alright?’ Hiru nodded, a little bemused. Was it so unusual for him to have a friend?

Her name was Dr. Imne, but she told him to just call her Imne, ‘or whatever you feel comfortable with, alright?’ with an overly cheery smile. They did a bunch of different games together, and some drawing, and he answered a lot of questions about his thoughts and feelings while she scribbled away on her notepad. Afterwards she talked with his mother for a long while, before giving him some pills to take every day. They made him feel extremely drowsy, but his mother always watched to make sure he took them. She had taken to coming back for dinner again, which he had been excited about at first, before she began to ask him weirdly intrusive questions. She asked a lot about Una, making him realize that he didn’t actually know all that much about his friend. He resolved to ask her more questions the next time he saw her.

‘Is Veridia neglecting her son? Reports have come in from a verified source that Veridia’s son is experiencing a psychotic break, likely brought on by…’ Veridia snatched the controller and viciously pressed the power button. ‘I think today is a good day to stay at home, just a you and me day, hm?’ Hiru was torn, Veridia had never offered to stay home with just him and her before, but what was the news channel talking about? Did his mother have another son with some sort of medical problem? Was that why she was so busy all the time. Hiru felt a trickle of jealousy flutter in his stomach. But he would be getting her all to himself today. ‘Could we work in the garden together? We could replant some of my cacti?’ He had gotten some dinosaur shaped planters and was eager to move his precious plants into their new homes. Veridia smiled distractedly. ‘Of course darling.’

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They sat on the floor of his greenhouse, methodically moving cacti from one planter to the next. Hiru carefully measured out the correct ratios of sand and shale for their new pots, while Veridia trimmed the roots on the loosened plants, passing them to Hiru when she was done. Hiru chattered away, much like he had when Una would visit him. He hadn’t seen her for a couple weeks now, and he was beginning to miss her. But it was better to have his mother, though she was an even worse listener than Una. She kept checking at her vid screen, but Hiru didn’t mind, it was nice enough to just have her around.

Her device buzzed once more, Veridia pausing to read it, a stormy look crossing her face. ‘I’m sorry darling, why don’t you work without me for a little, there’s something I have to do, but I promise I will be right back, ok?’ She whirled out of the greenhouse, her silky house robe flapping behind her fiercely. She returned a short while later, an expression of vicious satisfaction on her face. She smiled at Hiru, ‘how about a treat for lunch? How would you like to make ice cream together?’ Hiru looked up at her excitedly, they had never made it together before, whenever they had it, the cook would always make it for them. This was probably his favorite day ever.

It wasn’t until dinner that night, when Veridia didn’t force him to take the foul tasting pills that it really registered that something might be wrong. ‘Where is Verro? I haven't seen him all day.’ Even on Veridia’s rare days off, Verro was usually there to update her on any dire issue that might arise. Hiru hadn’t caught sight of him at all today, but had been too wrapped up in getting to spend time with his mother to notice. Veridia’s eyes flashed. ‘Hiru, darling.’ She paused, looking him in the eyes seriously. ‘Verro won’t be around anymore.’ Hiru felt his heart drop into his stomach, was there something wrong with him? ‘Verro told some very nasty lies about… our family, and I won’t allow someone who does something like that to rest in peace.’ Hiru tried to wrap his head around the idea that Verro was a liar. It just seemed so out of character, he was so quiet and kind. Could he really have done something bad enough to hurt Hiru and his mother? Something so bad that Veridia would get rid of him?

‘What did he lie about?’ Hiru asked in a small voice, pushing some chocolate ice cream around with his spoon. Veridia paused, her head tilted a little. ‘You’re a big boy now, right Hiru?’ Hiru looked up, nodding. ‘Hm. Verro told everyone that I was mistreating you, that I hurt you so much that you were having a psychotic break…that you were hearing voices.’ Hiru looked at her, Verro did that? Verro lied about his mother, about him? ‘Are you, are you sure?’ he asked, his voice shaking. Veridia smiled at him sadly. ‘Sometimes the people closest to us are the ones that hurt us the most.’

That night when Hiru went to sleep, he took the bear that Verro had given him and put it deep in his closet. He wasn’t quite ready to throw it out. But he was a big boy now. And he didn’t need comfort from a liar.