Someone's Daughter

27. i knew to love would be to lose my mind

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Lovelovelove - r

April 27th, 2020.

Kennedy was on her phone when scattered rays of moonlight snuck through her doorway. Caroline stood culprit in her light peach hoodie with 'AWESOME!' embroidered across her chest in differently colored letters. Her fingers tapped against the door, and Kennedy waved at her. It was night five. Caroline had never come to her room before.

"I'm sorry for doing this, but I'm upset about something."

Kennedy made room for her before the blonde could whisper, "Can we talk?"

She walked towards the bed and hopped on the edge, crossed her legs, and hunched over on her elbows, picking at her fingernails. She spoke in small, hushed fragments. "You said some stuff earlier. It just kind of peeved me. And I thought it was fine. But it's not. So I'm telling you now. I would've told you earlier."

Kennedy sat up against the headboard, concern muddling her smile. Caroline took it as an excuse to fall over on the bed, set her head on Kennedy's leg, and curl into a ball on her side.

She'd never had someone mad at her put their head in her lap. It was reassuring, but not nearly as much as it felt like a hair-raising shrouded figure with tendril-claws inching toward her airway.

"I'm sorry." It felt empty as she said it, with no context. She didn't know what she'd done. What would be owed to fix it?

Caroline sighed and pinched at the fabric on Kennedy's knee. The brunette didn't know what to do, but she'd watched enough of Caroline's sitcoms to guess. She knew what she'd always wanted when she felt alone in an unfamiliar house. It could be the same.

Kennedy tucked Caroline's hair behind her ear and let her hand smooth down the sleeve of Caroline's hoodie. That was all it took for her to break the silence.

"I just really love doing makeup and dressing up. Mom and Amelia and I used to have fashion shows in the attic with Nana's old dresses. And I know you hate talking about this stuff, but- it's important to me."

Silence hung again; she was waiting for permission. Kennedy squeezed her shoulder.

"Mom never got my nerd stuff or the Taylor stuff or marvel or any of it. But she could do that. She could do fashion and makeup. It's our favorite thing, and I was trying to share that with you, and you wouldn't let me. And I know you didn't know 'cause I didn't tell you until now. This isn't a blame thing. It made me sad, though."

"I'm sorry I made you sad."

Kennedy realized why she'd been upset earlier. She didn't feel appreciated.

"You looked beautiful. You're really good at makeup." Her hands were set on Caroline's shoulders, "Thank you for doing mine, and I'm sorry if I was being a jerk about it. It's not because it doesn't look good. I just felt weird."

"It's okay." She shook her head. "But, like, why did it feel weird? What was wrong?"

"I just looked too much like her. I'm not supposed to look like her."

"Y'all are way too tense about that."

"I still don't like it. Women with red lips tend to betray me."