‹ Prequel: Foolish.
I Know.
I know.
Drops and drops of blood on the bathroom sink. A few left over bandages and small pieces on glass on the tiled floor. A doll or two behind the toilet where they both sat.
“She told me to grow up and stop crying,” the girl said. “It was just an accident. She’s always freaking angry at me and she’s always so freaking sweet to my brother… It’s so fucking–”
“She’s not angry,” he reassured. He kissed the girl’s forehead and tightened the bandage around her right arm. “Your mom’s just going through a rough patch.”
She played with the man’s hand as she sat on his lap. Opening and closing his hand before lacing their fingers together.
“I broke one freaking glass and my brother does it all the time…”
“I know, I know,” he muttered. He ran his fingers through her hair and made her shiver. He chuckled at her.
“It’s unfair.”
“Everything is, sweetheart,” he whispered.
She let her head fall on his chest, trying to ignore the throb of pain from the gash on her arm. “It hurts so much,” she said.
“I know.”
“You know everything don’t you?” She laughed.
He smiled and started laughing with her. “I know more than you do.”
But the girl moaned and rubbed her eyes. “It’s so unfair!” she whined.
The man rolled his eyes. “I know that already, Zero,” he said. “Could we please move on to something happier? Because if we don’t, I swear, you don’t want to see me like an angsty teenager. You’ll–”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re dark and emo.”
He started playfully poking her sides while she giggled and tried to pry him away. “Who taught you that word?” he teased.
“You!” she laughed. When the man heard her answer, he slowly stopped.
“I know,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m such a bad example for you.”
“I don’t care.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, ‘cause out of all the imaginary friends, you pick me, the wobbliest and most fucked up?”
“You’re not fucked up, Rardy,” the girl glared at him. “Just wobbly.”
“Just wobbly?” he repeated. She nodded before he kissed her button nose and set her on the ground.
“Thanks again for fixing me,” she said, waving her arm around before wincing in pain and hugging it. He chuckled and ruffled her dark hair. She crinkled her nose in distaste and said, “Stop that.”
“You do know that you mom’s gonna go and ask you who bandaged you up, right?”
“I know. But I don’t think she’ll care,” she said as she smiled up at him for one last time before running out the door.
“She told me to grow up and stop crying,” the girl said. “It was just an accident. She’s always freaking angry at me and she’s always so freaking sweet to my brother… It’s so fucking–”
“She’s not angry,” he reassured. He kissed the girl’s forehead and tightened the bandage around her right arm. “Your mom’s just going through a rough patch.”
She played with the man’s hand as she sat on his lap. Opening and closing his hand before lacing their fingers together.
“I broke one freaking glass and my brother does it all the time…”
“I know, I know,” he muttered. He ran his fingers through her hair and made her shiver. He chuckled at her.
“It’s unfair.”
“Everything is, sweetheart,” he whispered.
She let her head fall on his chest, trying to ignore the throb of pain from the gash on her arm. “It hurts so much,” she said.
“I know.”
“You know everything don’t you?” She laughed.
He smiled and started laughing with her. “I know more than you do.”
But the girl moaned and rubbed her eyes. “It’s so unfair!” she whined.
The man rolled his eyes. “I know that already, Zero,” he said. “Could we please move on to something happier? Because if we don’t, I swear, you don’t want to see me like an angsty teenager. You’ll–”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re dark and emo.”
He started playfully poking her sides while she giggled and tried to pry him away. “Who taught you that word?” he teased.
“You!” she laughed. When the man heard her answer, he slowly stopped.
“I know,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m such a bad example for you.”
“I don’t care.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, ‘cause out of all the imaginary friends, you pick me, the wobbliest and most fucked up?”
“You’re not fucked up, Rardy,” the girl glared at him. “Just wobbly.”
“Just wobbly?” he repeated. She nodded before he kissed her button nose and set her on the ground.
“Thanks again for fixing me,” she said, waving her arm around before wincing in pain and hugging it. He chuckled and ruffled her dark hair. She crinkled her nose in distaste and said, “Stop that.”
“You do know that you mom’s gonna go and ask you who bandaged you up, right?”
“I know. But I don’t think she’ll care,” she said as she smiled up at him for one last time before running out the door.