Rene didn’t entirely know how to start the conversation. She understood how to approach the topic with Adelinde—give her space if she needed it, stay honest—and Matteo—get to the point before someone else needs him—but it was…a bit different with Tara. The girl usually came to Rene or Adelinde when she had problems, so Rene wasn’t sure of the best way to ask if this was an exception.

Ultimately, Tara obediently stayed at the table, watching Rene wash the dishes. Rene took a little breath when she finished, turning around to lean on the counter and look at Tara. The girl took that as her cue to pay attention.

“Bear with me here,” Rene said, offering a kind of sheepish smile. “I’m not used to…mother-ing intentionally. I just need to talk with you for a little bit.”

Tara slightly frowned. “Did something happen?”

“Not necessarily,” Rene replied, shaking her head. Slightly curious, she asked, “What makes you think that?”

“Adelinde went with Matteo,” Tara reasoned. “You don’t usually split us up for conversations; once for when Adelinde told Matteo about Aurik Qrian, and again when you and Adelinde said how you found me.”

“It’s not that grim,” Rene promised. “Adelinde just happened to be able to go with Matteo for the morning.”

“So it’s not something troubling, but you still need to talk to me.”

“Yeah. It’s just…”

Rene paused trying to think of a good way to put it. Adelinde was worried? They were worried? Just the straightforward question of if Tara was all right?

She went with the roundabout way as the only method she could actually think of, albeit smiling.

“You know Adelinde and I love you, right?”

Tara didn’t seem to expect the question, pausing for a second.

“…I can’t say I’ve ever truly questioned it.”

“Okay.” Good enough start. Rene pushed off the counter and came a bit closer, still trying to give Tara space while being there if she needed it. “And you know that, because we care, we can tell when something’s bothering you?”

Tara looked away. She moved like she considered leaving but decided against it.

“…I didn’t notice.”

Rene wanted to take another step towards her, but hesitated. It would be better if she didn’t push Tara’s limits—staying a bit farther might be better, even if she personally wanted to be closer.

“Adelinde told me you questioned if your fears were normal,” Rene said kindly. “Even Adelinde and I have things we’re afraid of, but don’t know why—or else know it’s incredibly unlikely that anything bad would happen from it. I have my…thing with risks; Adelinde had problems with trust for a while.”

“You got over it after a few years, though.”

“It still bothers us sometimes,” Rene maintained. “Adelinde needs to spend a night at the palace every now and then because she remembers and it bothers her—I still think ‘oh, that’s a risk I should or shouldn’t take.’ We just learned how to live with it.”

“That’s…”

Tara took a little breath, slightly glancing back at Rene. Rene stepped a bit closer when she noticed her expression—not unlike the kind of look Adelinde used to have when she remembered Aurik. Remembrance of a reason why something shouldn’t happen, reason to protest whatever you were being told no matter if it was true or not.

“It’s not the same.”

“Explain to me how,” Rene replied softly. “Please. Then I can help you.”

“I’m just the girl that’s afraid of rain. I’m fine with that.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Judging by your expression, you’re not, whether or not you realize it. Something is bothering you, and Adelinde and I will keep asking until you tell us. We’d do the same for Matteo if he had concerns—Adelinde did the same for me.”

Tara looked at Rene. Her expression held more fear than anything else, in a way Rene hadn’t seen on anyone else before.

“Would you still say that if I was different? If I wasn’t normal?”

“We’ve taken care of you and called you our daughter for twelve years,” Rene pointed out, still trying to maintain some gentleness but slowly losing it. She…did not think she would have a harder time with this than Tara seemed to. It gave her a certain kind of hopelessness she hated. “Why would we ever decide you’re too ‘strange’ for us?”

“…I don’t know,” Tara admitted.

Rene took a little breath before continuing. Unfortunately, everyone she knew could be stubborn if they wanted to.

“Could you tell me why you worry about it, then?”

Tara’s expression changed a bit—something closer to guilt, but still self-questioning.

“I…always considered it to be a common orphan’s fear. I don’t have any blood ties to you.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t say I ever worried—the Dazuz family made it pretty clear I wasn’t there to get equal attention. I helped out around the mansion and did chores, but that’s it.”

Tara looked away again. Right—that probably didn’t help at all.

Rene cautiously walked to the table.

“How about this, then.” She paused until she reached the chair next to Tara and sat down. Tara warily watched her. “List off the reasons you think Adelinde and I might not care for you. I’ll prove you wrong.”

She seemed somewhat willing and nodded.

“My fear of the rain—you or Adelinde are stuck here just to keep me company.”

“Adelinde doesn’t mind, neither do I when I happen to be home. We can always try working on it—get you used to the sound, then short trips when its drizzling, that kind of thing.”

Tara hesitated, then gave another, “I… I remember a bit more than I should.”

“I can’t see how that’s a problem; a lot of omyn have better memories than normal people.”

“But I’m—”

She cut herself off. Rene tried to give a little smile; chances are if Tara wouldn’t say it, that’s what was bothering her. Tara tried again after a few seconds.

“What if those memories aren’t something I should reasonably have?”

“You have a vivid imagination,” Rene reasoned kindly. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that ran a little wild sometimes. Writing something—putting it to paper—could help.”

Tara gave her a look that—albeit vaguely—implied that Rene didn’t quite understand. Whatever Tara wanted to say, Rene wasn’t interpreting it in the way she would prefer. Rene waited for Tara to further clarify, though.

Eventually, Rene’s patience made Tara frown instead. The girl stood up and cautiously moved to the corner of the room, sitting down with her legs drawn up to her chest and her head turned towards the wall.

Rene slowly made her way over, bending down next to Tara and gently trying to put her hand on the girl’s shoulder as the latter spoke.

“…I’m not normal,” Tara said firmly.

“You have yet to give me a reason—” Rene started, cut off by Tara’s response.

“I’m not human, because I can bind things,” she said simply. Her voice slightly broke as she continued. “But I’m not an omyn, either, because I dream.”

Rene paused, her hand hovering right over Tara’s shoulder. Out of everything she expected to hear, that wasn’t one of them.

That…wasn’t even possible, was it? If Tara’s imagination made things like memories, maybe she tricked herself into thinking she dreamt.

Unfortunately, that gave Tara something to be worried about. The girl took the moment’s hesitance as her chance to escape, half-pushing Rene away and running out of the kitchen.

“Wait, Tara—”

Rene managed to stand up in time to catch her, taking her wrist for a single second so she stopped. She walked in front of Tara; the girl almost looked guilty, rather than truly upset.

“I didn’t expect to hear that,” Rene admitted. “But it doesn’t change anything. Tell me what you dream of and we can try to help the best we can.”

Tara looked up at her, a few tears forming, before something like relief overcame her and she took a step forward to hug Rene. After a few more seconds of tears, she pulled away and stepped back again.

“It’s…complicated,” she said quietly. “I would don’t want to repeat it for Adelinde.”

“We can wait for her.” It shouldn’t take them too much longer—Adelinde, at least, will probably be home before lunch for the sole purpose of checking on Tara.

Rene gave her daughter a kind look. “Do you want some time alone, or do you want to sit with me?”

“I’d rather stay with you.”

Rene nodded, letting her go to get her drawing things before they both sat in the music room. They didn’t entertain any conversation, but Tara seemed a bit better than she had at the start. Rene did what she could; Adelinde can help with the rest.