It's Too Good

The water in the sink made small splashing noises as Kala washed up after the dinner her, Zora, and the two boys shared - it had been rabbit tonight, fresh caught by her new friend. Zora had sent Grim and Andrej outside to play with each other to work off some of the food they ate and to enjoy the sun before it set. Currently, they were sword fighting with long sticks they found in the woods, the two making soft clunking noises and screams as they fought, the walls dampening the sound. 

Kala scrubbed at the dish in her hands, the small bits of meat clinging to it defiantly despite her best efforts. The other dishes had been easy, but this one was proving to be a challenge. She set it in the water to soak and picked up another one, but quickly discovered it to be just as difficult as the first. She nearly threw it in the water, the simple frustration setting her off, and placed her head in her hands, small sobs choking out of her. 

The sounds interrupted the normal racket coming from outside and made Zora lift her head, immediately finding the source. She dropped her book on the coffee table and made her way into the kitchen, standing awkwardly as she thought of what to do. She came up behind Kala and took her shoulders into her hands, startling her slightly, as Zora shook her lightly. 

“Hey. Hey. Look at me. What is going on? What is all this? The dish cut you?” Zora turned her slightly to face Kala more towards her and away from the soapy dishes in front of her. 

Kala took a deep, rattling breath and wiped her eyes, moving her hands to grasp her own arms to steady herself. “I-I can’t, Zora, I don’t think I can do this.” 

Zora smiled awkwardly. “What, do the dishes? You have not done them before? These ones are done very good-”

“No, not the dishes.” She interrupted her, looking away from her and into the yard through the window above the sink, sighing as she watched the boys play. Grim gave Andrej a hard noogie on the head, just before Andrej shoved the other into the lake near the house, drenching the poor boy. She looked away and back at her friend. “I-I… I don’t think I can stay with you and your boys. It’s… It’s too good. Too perfect. I feel like I’m going to mess it up somehow, like I’m going to end up being a bad mother - not even a fake mother at that. I can’t do this, I can’t, I’m sorry.” She lowers her head, tears starting to fall once more. 

Zora frowned and lowered her hands to grip her arms. “You are wrong, stop thinking that. You are good to Andrej and Grim, you are good to me. Do not put yourself down - you deserve all of this and all of us deserve you. You get these thoughts in your head and they are not doing you any favors. They are not the truth, either. You must stop thinking that. I will help you do that.” She slowly started to move her away from the sink and sat her down on the couch. “You sit here, I will do the dishes. You will get a break. Today will be a day for you, to show you how much you are appreciated.” Kala tried to say something but Zora stopped her, putting a hand up and shushing her. “No. No more talk. You will just say wrong things. Now, sit.” 

Zora moved back to the soapy water and picked up a dish before dunking it in the water for a second and placing it to dry, not scrubbing it clean at all. Kala, seeing this, sighed and stood up, coming around Zora and taking the “clean” dish from her. “Why don’t you dry? That would help me a lot.” Zora smiled at her and grabbed a towel, drying the still wet plates. The two simply washed in silence, the boys yelling outside as Grim, dripping wet, chased Andrej around the yard with both of the sticks they had been fighting with. 

Zora bumped her hip into the other’s. “I am very glad you are here.” 

Kala smiled softly. “I think I am too.”