06-15-2017, 12:26 PM
Talk talk talk, her family was very good at talking, so many voices from so many places. Kali tucked her head up against her mommy’s side and closed her eyes, scrunching up her face a little. Lots of words, lots to say, and none of it was soft and muffled by...well, by Mommy’s insides, apparently. She pressed her ear against Mommy’s belly, but the familiar thud of her heart sounded different now, and she could still hear all the words so loud. Plus so many faces all at once? Oh, it was a lot.
But her Khari’s voice, all tucked away inside her head as he pressed his forehead to hers, that was lovely. You remember, he said, whispering all cozy in her mind. She peeked at him, and a smile lit up her eyes and turned up her lips. How could she possibly forget?
Of course I remember. You’re my Khari. She rubbed her nose against his face, sighed a happy little sigh, and pressed a kiss to the top of his nose. I could never forget my Khari. Never never. And now she could reach him, with her whole self instead of just him tucking himself up against her mind and cuddling her in her head.
As distracted as she was by Khari’s attention, she didn’t miss the word name when someone said it, and Sister was asking the wrong person. No, not Mommy, Khari already named her! Khari! She snorted, and huffed out a grumpy little breath, and stared at her brother. Don’t let ‘em wrong-name me! You already gave me my name, and it’s mine.
Oh, but clever Daddy didn’t let them do it. “Kharon?” he asked, and at first she thought maybe he meant to name her the same thing as her Khari, which would be very confusing, wouldn’t it? Oh, but he was looking at Khari, and yes, that! Good job, Daddy! Kali smiled so big, as Daddy leaned in to kiss her on the forehead and say hello. She reached up and tickled his chin with her nose, and it was not soft at all, not like her Khari’s. It was solid and unsquishy and probably would not feel nice to bop against, but tickling it was okay even if he didn’t giggle.
Then her Khari was saying her name, and chin tickling didn’t matter anymore. She nodded as he said it again, grinning at him and snuggling closer. But sometimes I like it when only you can hear me, she told him, rubbing her face against his shoulder. He was soft and comfy and familiar; it felt just like when she’d cuddled up to him in her mind, except bigger somehow. More real. And that was lovely. Besides, she didn’t want to use her voice yet, not when there were so many voices already.
So many.
And everybody wanted to say hi, even in little bitty ways like a smile or a soft little touch. She smiled at them too, and let them cuddle her, but there really were so many. A mommy and two daddies and three siblings and her, and that was an awful lot of hellos and an awful lot of faces to remember all at once, and ducking under Mommy’s belly for a snack was a quick little getaway from all of the attention. Too much attention. ‘Cept when she was done and peeked back out, Khari was walking away.
Away?
Oh. Oh she did not like this new feeling. Achy in her chest, and tight in her throat, and burning in her eyes as her vision went funny and blurry. I'll come see you soon, he whispered in her head as she blinked and a tear trembled on her eyelashes, and her lower lip quivered. When Mother is more inviting. She doesn't want me here right now.
But… Kali curled in on herself, hunching her shoulders as her head drooped toward the ground. She peeked up at Khari’s retreating form, sniffling once. But Khari, I want you here.
But her Khari’s voice, all tucked away inside her head as he pressed his forehead to hers, that was lovely. You remember, he said, whispering all cozy in her mind. She peeked at him, and a smile lit up her eyes and turned up her lips. How could she possibly forget?
Of course I remember. You’re my Khari. She rubbed her nose against his face, sighed a happy little sigh, and pressed a kiss to the top of his nose. I could never forget my Khari. Never never. And now she could reach him, with her whole self instead of just him tucking himself up against her mind and cuddling her in her head.
As distracted as she was by Khari’s attention, she didn’t miss the word name when someone said it, and Sister was asking the wrong person. No, not Mommy, Khari already named her! Khari! She snorted, and huffed out a grumpy little breath, and stared at her brother. Don’t let ‘em wrong-name me! You already gave me my name, and it’s mine.
Oh, but clever Daddy didn’t let them do it. “Kharon?” he asked, and at first she thought maybe he meant to name her the same thing as her Khari, which would be very confusing, wouldn’t it? Oh, but he was looking at Khari, and yes, that! Good job, Daddy! Kali smiled so big, as Daddy leaned in to kiss her on the forehead and say hello. She reached up and tickled his chin with her nose, and it was not soft at all, not like her Khari’s. It was solid and unsquishy and probably would not feel nice to bop against, but tickling it was okay even if he didn’t giggle.
Then her Khari was saying her name, and chin tickling didn’t matter anymore. She nodded as he said it again, grinning at him and snuggling closer. But sometimes I like it when only you can hear me, she told him, rubbing her face against his shoulder. He was soft and comfy and familiar; it felt just like when she’d cuddled up to him in her mind, except bigger somehow. More real. And that was lovely. Besides, she didn’t want to use her voice yet, not when there were so many voices already.
So many.
And everybody wanted to say hi, even in little bitty ways like a smile or a soft little touch. She smiled at them too, and let them cuddle her, but there really were so many. A mommy and two daddies and three siblings and her, and that was an awful lot of hellos and an awful lot of faces to remember all at once, and ducking under Mommy’s belly for a snack was a quick little getaway from all of the attention. Too much attention. ‘Cept when she was done and peeked back out, Khari was walking away.
Away?
Oh. Oh she did not like this new feeling. Achy in her chest, and tight in her throat, and burning in her eyes as her vision went funny and blurry. I'll come see you soon, he whispered in her head as she blinked and a tear trembled on her eyelashes, and her lower lip quivered. When Mother is more inviting. She doesn't want me here right now.
But… Kali curled in on herself, hunching her shoulders as her head drooped toward the ground. She peeked up at Khari’s retreating form, sniffling once. But Khari, I want you here.
Kirby and Lacey's
little whisper girl
little whisper girl