Chapter: 583 – Sweet

Tala sat with Rane and Lea, Terry asleep on his back, sprawled in Lea’s lap.

Tala had conveyed Mistress Jenna’s idea about hair for Lea while skipping over the woman’s antics in other regards.

After listening intently, Rane was remaining quiet, while keeping a watchful eye on their daughter.

Lea was absently stroking Terry, seemingly lost in thought as she inspected the bird and his feathers.

“Lea?” Tala prodded gently.

Lea moved her hands down to Terry’s legs and the tough hide there, her fingers going to his talons that were lazily curled into loose fists.

Tala was about to speak again when the girl looked up, an unnoticed smile tugging at the edges of her lips.

“Hair is pretty. I would like to be pretty. I can have hair.”

Rane shifted over a bit, putting an arm around the girl and speaking gently. “Lea, you don’t need hair to be pretty.”

Lea leaned her head on Rane’s shoulder, having to sit up extra straight to make that happen. “Mother has hair.”

Tala chuckled. “Just because I have something doesn’t mean you need to. Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

And that seemed to be enough.

They talked about it a bit more, but it wasn’t like Tala and Rane wanted to dissuade her from having hair. They just wanted to make sure that she was actually choosing.

Yup, I must have my newborn’s opinion on her own hairstyle… headstyle?

-Funny, but you know that this is obviously different than that makes it sound.-

Of course, but I was just thinking… This experience will not give me common ground with my sisters nor sister-in-laws.

Alat burst out laughing within Tala’s head. -I can see it now. ‘Oh, you think Tamera potty trained fast? Lea has never had an accident.’ They’re going to love that.-

‘Oh, your toddler has sixty words? That’s so bright! I know my Lea struggled to get more than a few hundred for the first couple of hours.’ Yeah… maybe we shouldn’t compare…

-One more, one more! ‘He’s walking so well! Lea definitely struggled initially when moving from walk to a sprint.’-

Tala hesitated at that. Oh… hmmm. She found herself tearing up a bit as memories of some of Illie’s first steps came back to her alongside a realization. Lea didn’t have true first steps, not really. Nor will she have…

She swallowed, forcing the negative thoughts away and focusing on the good.

Rane was able to see her face, and he was giving her a concerned look.

She smiled his way, making a calming gesture. He understood that they’d talk about it later if needed.

It was after lunchtime, but they’d neglected to partake of that meal. Still, the food was ready and available. Additionally, there would be plenty for Lea as well because Tala had requested more food from Mistress Petra.

The woman had come through, just as always, and the mini-feast was ready and waiting. The perfect distraction for Tala, and new experience for Lea.

“Come on. Let’s eat a late lunch.”

Lea perked up at that, and Terry even opened an interested eye.

Rane smiled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

They spent the rest of the day together, just the four of them. After food, the adults tried teaching Lea various games with mixed results. Terry just watched, uninterested in playing for the moment.

Lea was very good at games that just required good observation and basic forward thinking, such as tic-tac-toe and three-dimensional connect four. She was even able to approach some basic strategy games with a modicum of skill. On the other hand, those games that required not only solid strategy, but an understanding of what others might do? Lea struggled in those.

That was fine, she still needed to build a depth of experience, and they all had fun regardless.

Well… they had fun after a few incidents of out of control frustration.

Lea, obviously, wanted to win in the games. Because of that, after losing a few times, she pouted off to the side, momentarily refusing to play again.

Tala sat down beside her daughter. “Lea.”

“What.” The tonality was almost an accusation rather than a question.

“Why are you upset?” Tala kept her tone carefully neutral.

“I lost. Again. I always lose.”

“Really? I thought you won the last game of connect four?”

“…I did.”

“So, do you always lose?”

“No… but I feel like I always do.”

“I hear that, and you are okay to feel that way, but you have to remember that just because you feel that way, it doesn’t make it true.”

Lea frowned, lifting her head to look at Tala in confusion. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“How so?” Tala gave a small smile.

“If it isn’t true, why is it okay to feel this way?”

Tala was impressed by her continuing developing language, but that wasn’t the point of the moment. “Well, sometimes our feelings aren’t rational. Sometimes they don’t make sense. But we are still feeling them, and trying to pretend like we aren’t doesn’t work.”

Lea’s frown deepened before she put her face down once again. “I don’t understand.”

Rane, who was across the table from them, smiled. “The feeling is real and true. It is true to how you feel, but that doesn’t change reality. We need to be aware of both and act accordingly.”

“I don’t understand.” This time, the repeated words sounded more like a plea, and Lea rocked a little in place.

He nodded as if what she’d said was the most logical thing in the world. “Well, you feel that you never win any games. That feeling is true. It is how you are feeling. Your mother and I need to understand that, and try to shift how we’re playing with that in mind. We probably won’t let you win, but we clearly need to help you see the games differently, if that is what you are taking from it.”

Lea lifting her head to tilt it to one side, her frown shifting more toward a look of consideration.

“In reality, you’ve been winning some and losing some. If you were actually losing every single game, we would need to approach the situation differently, as that could indicate other things.”

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She was uncoiling, fully engaged now. “What other things?”

“Well, it might tell us that you didn’t understand the game or games fully, and we should take more time to teach you, or teach you in a different way. It might tell us that a game is too advanced for you right now, or many other things, depending. But those aren’t the case.”

Lea gave a slow nod. “I think I understand.” The girl took a deep breath, nodded once, then grinned. “Let’s try it again.”

Ten minutes later, she was curled up on her chair once more, grumping.

The game pieces were scattered where they’d fallen after Lea slapped the board in frustration.

Tala’s eye was twitching, and she ramped up to shout at Lea but managed to control herself. As she did, she had a flashback to her siblings screaming at her when they didn’t like what she’d done, and the occasional time that she’d pushed the woman who’d raised her into true anger.

Huh… I was yelled at occasionally… Is that why I feel like yelling now? Is that why it seems like a reasonable reaction?

-Maybe?-

Still, she also remembered being talked to calmly. She remembered being drawn down from emotional highs, and she tried to lean on those experiences. Some of them were quite recent with Master Nadro and Rane. Mistress Odera too, but that thought just threatened to make her sad.

While she was figuring herself out, Tala noticed Rane come around the table and sit next to Lea. “Lea. You are very upset right now, and you aren’t acting well. I want you to stay in that chair until you’re feeling calmer, alright?”

Lea grunted.

“Alright, then. Remember, you stay there until you feel calmer. If it’s ten seconds or two hours, take the time that you need to get back in control of yourself.”

She nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

“We love you, sweet. This doesn’t change that.” When Tala gave Rane a searching look, he shrugged. “A family of berserkers has to have some good ways to teach young ones how to handle powerful emotions.”

Tala’s eyes widened. “Does that mean that she…?”

“She might.” Rane shrugged again. “We can scan her soul for the boon, but that can also wait until later. The techniques still work.”