a new home (a rini au)

8 - tense

Dana walks out of her room, closing the door gently. She opens the glass door that separates upstairs and downstairs, and walks down. The lights are still on in the living room and kitchen. Maeve getting an IV drip ready near the kitchen.

Malou's still in the living room, sitting by the couch. Dana goes and sits down next to her, carefully taking her hand. She looks out to the glass around the main door, the heavy rain and the faint yelling keeps her staring for a bit.

She looks back at her mother, who has her attention on the same thing. "that's why winter" Dana says softly, almost like a question. Malou smiles.

"and perhaps" Malou looks up to the stairs,replying "the friend that comes with her" Dana looks down at her lap, a silent chuckle leaving her lips at the thought of her mother's little scheme. "having a friend wouldn't hurt either of them"

"maybe you're right" dana says getting up, kissing her head. "it's late ma, you should get to bed"

Maeve waits on the side to wheel Malou to her room to get her IV and sleep. "Matulog ka nang mahimbing" dana tells her softly, she watches her mother's eyes light up for a moment.

"ahh see, you still remember some" she squeezes her hand weakly "sweet dreams to you too darling"

Dana watches Maeve wheel her away, it's scary how she looks smaller; it's difficult knowing there's not much dana can do to help. She's tensed, she walks up after turning the lights off. She tries to hold it together.

When she goes into her room, Carol's already in bed; she's awake though, on her laptop with her glasses on. "hey" she reaches her hand out to Dana, who has a very lost expression on her face. "i got the details for tomorrow from the hospital, we both go in at eight, we should be back by seven in the evening which is around when Mark said he's gonna bring her back" Dana sits down while Carol talks. "also, Dr. Millin called to check on Nini, I said we'd call back tomorrow"

"i'm scared" Dana whispers. Carol puts her laptop and glasses on the side table, turning to her wife. "i'm scared, with everything that's happened the past few years, this new big fancy school is just-"

"Dani.. breathe, breathe a sec, it's under control, things have been good for like what? it's been nine months now? she's getting better.. and she wanted this school, she wanted to be with Zephyr and she's healthy right now.."

"she's been taking the sleeping pills for over a month now.."

"i know" Carol pulls her closer for a moment. "it's going to be okay"

"I don't know how Mark is so confident about this new school, he's so sure it's right for her i just, i don't want her to be overwhelmed"

"let's let her figure it out.." she rubs her arm "ses for herself, we should really sleep yeah?"

Dana nods, her mind still flooded, a weird sense of guilt, something she'd talked to nini, carol and their therapist about, lingering around. We should have never pressured her so much as a little kid,however unintentional.

Dana goes the the bathroom to change, Carol slips out for a moment. She opens Nini's bedroom door a crack, her nightlight glowing.

She sees her sleeping peacefully, Winter fast asleep next to her, both of them under the blanket. Carol's worried too, she stands there for a moment, looking at her little girl, maybe not so little anymore.

She walks back to her room, lights off, crawling into bed with Dana, Dana curls into her, clearly tensed. Thoughts of Malou adding to the restlessness. Carol rubs her back soothingly; the now very faint yelling disappearing, they can hear the sound on an engine turning on and a car driving, the noise slowly fading.

"she's a tough kid" carol whispers as they start to drift off into sleep "she's our tough kid"

"she is"

that is all for this one,
its a bit of a filler
word count : 674
its not proof read in the slightest
the next chapters gonna be really long

predictions for nini's first day of school?

any thoughts on the book so far, or something you would like to see?

gn guys, ily and i hope ur doing well