TBS Imagines

Find You - Simon

Animeila shrugged. "Mama loves the midday sun, when there are no clouds and you can look right up into the blue and look at it forever and ever. I love it, too. I might be a little lost, though."

"And where is your mother, dear?" Mrs. Brown asks, kneeling down like a lady in order to see Animeila better but in a way as not to be improper.

The girl stops short. "She left." When met with confused looks, she sighed. "Papa says that she went to a trip. She went on a place. Er, on a trip to a place. See, she didn't like us anymore and so she found somewhere that would make her happy. Mama always did love to be happy." Animeila grinned and Mrs. Brown returned that look with one of pure horror. The older woman quickly composes herself for the child's sake.

"What about your papa?" Simon follows up without hesitation. "Why are you out here alone?"

"Papa...." Animeila looked to the side, shrugging. She looked more confused than sad, but there was sadness in her huge eyes. "He was angry at me, so I left. I said I wanted to see the blue skies like mama always let me do and he didn't like that."

There was a moment's pause. "Do you have any siblings?" Mrs. Brown asked.

"No," Animeila said, sighing, her sadness truly coming through now. "Mama was pregnant a lot of times but the baby was too sick."

Another pause, then, "Do you want to come by our home and meet our family?" Simon asked quietly, feeling his mother's broken heart without seeing it. Animeila light up.

"I'd love to!"

So she did. 

As they walked, Simon took her hand in his free one and whispered to her, "I found you," referring to her comment about being lost earlier, smiling to him.

Simon and Mrs. Brown took little Animeila to their home, introduced them to the family, and everyone was over the moon and back again to meet such a bright soul. They welcomed her immediately, and little Animeila missed the whispers exchanged between Mr. and Mrs. Brown and the looks the two parents gave her as she got acquainted with their children. Animeila would only recall it later, looking back.

When it was getting later, Mr. Brown offered to take her home and Animeila nodded, prepared to go. "Thank you," she'd told him.

"Mei?" Mrs. Brown called. The girl turned. "You're always welcomed here, when your papa is angry at you. We'd al love to see you again."

Animeila beamed. "I'd love that."

So, every day after, she did come back. Sometimes, if she was very busy, she'd only pop by every other day or every two days. But never more. It was later, when she was old enough to understand that her mother was not coming back and wise enough to not only see that her father was abusive but to hide it that she started to loathe the name she had. It reminded her of her lost mother, her abusive father. Her broken family and her lost hope. That hope that only came back when she was with Simon.

Because Simon didn't call her Animeila, she didn't want to call herself Animeila either. So she settled on Mei. A good name. A new name. For a new life. A good life.

When Simon's mom first died, it was hard, indeed. That new life shattered for her. She stepped in as best she could and started to take a place with the Brown's. She helped where she could, making it as little stress as possible for Mr. Brown. Trying to keep the children cheery.

That's when Mr. Brown started getting distant. Getting wrapped up and totally lost in his work. That's when Simon started getting bitter. That's when the Brown children all became mischievous. At first Mei tried to stop them. Took Mr. Brown's side. Told all her friends that he just needed time.... But he didn't. She lost control but when Mr. Brown got the new maid and started secluding himself and making Mei feel almost... unwelcome. That's when she started helping. Anything to get that happiness back. Anything to make Simon's family better and good again.