the art of loving ; lord tewksbury

fourteen

"There is no way I am jumping off a cliff with you!"

Chapter Fourteen

  "Darling, what is the matter? Why are you crying?"

A three year old Daisy scurried into the living room and pounced into her mother's arms, wrapping her tiny hands around the woman's torso as much as they would let her. Tears leaked from her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks, dripping onto her mother's silk nightgown. Blood oozed from a fresh cut at the top of her head, stopping right above her left eyebrow.

"Oh darling," her mother cooed as she gently wiped a teardrop away with the ball of her thumb. "Would you tell me what happened to you?"

"G-Grant..." Daisy sobbed, struggling to get her words out. She heard the front door creak open, but didn't need to turn her head to know that it was her brother who had entered.

Her mother stroked the little girl's hair in an attempt to soothe her. "What did your brother do?"

  "H-he pushed me!" she cried. "W-we were playing and he c-chased me and pushed me to the g-ground!"

  "I didn't mean to!" a young Grant said defensively from the doorway. "I slipped and accidentally shoved her and she fell! Mother, I promise, that is what happened. I would never hurt her on purpose."

  "Liar!" Daisy accused. Even at the mere age of three, she was feisty child.

  "No fighting, children," their mother said. She lifted her head so that she could look at the boy. "Grant, apologise to your sister."

  "But it wasn't my fault!" he whined.

  The woman stared at him expectantly. Her pretty features were calm and relaxed, but at the same time they held a sense of sternness. With a simple look like that, Grant knew better than to further argue with his mother.

  "I'm sorry, Daisy," he apologised as he approached his younger sister. She had her head buried in the crook of their mother's neck and refused to meet his eyes.

  "Daisy," their mother soothed. "Your brother has apologised. What do you want to say to him?"

  Daisy raised her head ever so slightly and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. She slowly turned to peer at Grant, who stared back at her guiltily. He seemed so upset. He seemed like he needed a hug.

  It was impossible. Even though he had caused her bleeding forehead, it was impossible for her to stay angry at him.

  Daisy hopped down from her mother's lap and stumbled over to her older brother, embracing him in a bear hug. She was so small compared to him—he wasn't very tall himself due to his own age, but the young girl still only managed to reach the height of his hips.

  Grant returned the hug, his heart palpitations returning to normal speed and all feelings of guilt being replaced by relief instead. He didn't even mind that the bottom of his shirt was now smeared with crimson blood.

  "Let us get you cleaned up now, shall we?" their mother smiled at her children. Daisy pulled away from the hug and nodded, following her to the upstairs bathroom.