Deal

You would think that with three younger siblings, Su would have learned to be good with children by now. This didn’t happen. And now there is a fourth younger sibling.

Jinghua was playing with blocks on the floor. Grubby three-year-old hands built up a wobbling tower, then knocked it down with a triumphant giggle. There was a smudge of dirt on her face, and her hair was a rats nest of tangles.

She was in her own little world. She didn’t even seem to notice Su sitting next to her, and frankly Su was glad for it. From what Su had heard, the girl was a menace. She was picky about her food, she was constantly making messes, and she had absolutely no idea what an inside voice was whatsoever. But wasn't that what all kids were like?

Still, Su didn’t envy the woman who was in charge of looking after her. But when the weary woman saw Su, and practically begged her to look after Jinghua for only a couple minutes please, she couldn’t find it in her heart to say no.

Letting out a sigh, Su rested her chin in her hand. She was glad she could give the poor woman a break, but she could be training right now. It felt like there was never enough time to hone her ability. Her older brothers were already miles ahead of her, and she was still perfecting the basics. For every step they made forward, she had to leap and hope she landed in the same place.

Would Jinghua feel the same way once her ability manifested? Would she look at Su’s achievements and only see her own shortcomings? Even though she was only three, Su’s gut feeling was no, no she wouldn’t. 

She glanced at Jinghua, who was currently making a block prison around one of her dolls. Two other dolls bounce-walked over to the doll in the prison. Jinghua mumbled and laughed under her breath, making one of the two dolls point to the one in the prison. 

 She looked occupied enough. 

Using her ability, Su lured a bit of a water out of the waterskin around her waist, coercing it into a small liquid-y marble.

She weaved the marble of water through her fingers with a furrowed brow, replicating the exercise her tutor had shown her earlier. Every time she felt the cool-dampness of water grazing her skin she tensed. It was supposed to glide between her fingers, not touch them. It was supposed to make her more focused with her ability, more precise. Right now it was making her want to scream into her pillow.

A whimper knocked Su out of her already weak concentration. 

By the time she looked up, fat tears were rolling down Jinghua’s cheeks.

Su blinked, already feeling her pulse speed up.

 Why is she crying.

“Why are you crying?”

Jinghua continued crying.

Su looked around, unconsciously seeking for someone else who might be able to handle this better. Not her, she wasn’t good at this. She wasn’t good at a lot of things, but especially not this. Her hands hovered over the toddler, not knowing how to help.

As quickly as the crying had started though, it stopped. 

Tears were still leaking out of Jinghua’s eyes, but instead of falling down her chubby cheeks they were going up. Rippling beads of water were slowly rising to the ceiling.

Su looked at her outstretched hands. Oh no. She put her hands behind her back.

The beads fell with a splat to the ground, a small shower of rain. Jinghua giggled as a few drops plopped on her nose and hands.

Su wasn’t supposed to do things with water that came from people. Not until she became a master, and even then she still wasn’t really supposed to- that’s how her parents made it sound at least. And she didn’t even do it on purpose! Of course the one time she’s not trying to do something, she does it perfectly. 

What if she did it accidentally in front of someone else. Su’s breath hitched. What would her parents do, her tutor do.

Jinghua already knows.

“You can’t tell anyone Jinghua.” Su pointed her finger at the three year old. “You can’t tell anyone I used my ability on you.”

Jinghua stared cross-eyed at her finger, then frowned. “Why not?”

Su paused. “Because I said so.”

“Then no!”

“-What.” This wasn’t supposed to happen. “Come on, I don’t want Mother and Father to find out, Jinghua, please.”

Jinghua hummed loudly. She leaned back, placing her hands on her hips. Never in Su’s life had she felt so thoroughly intimidated by a toddler. 

“Kay, but ONLY if you do that again.”

“Do what again?”

“Make it rain!”

Su blinked. “But you’ll get wet.”

“Yeah, duh.” Jinghua held out her tiny hand. “Deal?”

Su felt her lips quirking up. If that’s what she really wanted, who was Su to say no. She shook Jinghua’s hand. 

“Deal.”