One Last Hope

Chapter 40

⭐“Allow yourself to be proud of yourself and all of the progress you’ve made. Especially the progress that no one else has seen.”⭐
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I go down the hallway to her room and find her sitting on her bed, sulking (for a change)

I knock softly at her door and enter. She gives me a dirty look.

She goes back to playing with her dolls. I gently approach her and sit down at the end of her bed.

Nora: "Lorie?"

She ignores me.

They've gotten ignoring people down to a fine art in this family!

Nora: "Come on, Lorie! I'm sorry. I wasn't gone long. Don't make that face!"

Lorie: "You said I was a pain in the ass..."

And I meant it.

Nora: "Come on, it was only because I was angry. You know that."

Lorie: "I don't believe you! You're lying."

Nora: "No, Lorie! I'm not!"

Lorie: "I can tell you don't like me..."

Nora: "But that's got nothing to do with it. I was hired to take care of you... and you won't always like my decisions. That's fine. It's my job to make decisions for your own good... even when they don't suit you."

Lorie: "I don't care about that! All I want is a nanny who plays with me and does what I say!"

Nora: "You're gonna wind up disappointed in that case! I'm your nanny... not your slave."

Here comes the pout. Maybe a few hundred years ago she was allowed to torture people... but not in the 21st century!

Nora: "I'm not here to make life easy for you. You might as well get used to it."

She looks at me with an unconcealed hatred. I don't feel very comfortable.

This is awkward.

Nora: "Maybe we should both try harder to get along better. It's just as exhausting for me as it is for you. All these fights are crazy, don't you think?"

Lorie keeps the same sullen look on her face.

I'm sure we really could do better than this.

Nora: "You're a smart little girl. You know the rules were set by your brothers for your own good."

Lorie: "So what? You're not one of my brothers!"

Nora: "That's true, but I have to follow their guidelines when it comes to taking care of you. And they want what's best for you."

Lorie: "Well, I like it better when they take care of me! It's bad enough that Father's never around..."

Nora: "I understand, but you know they aren't always available. They have their lives too..."

Lorie: "Maybe, but who cares about my life?"

It breaks my heart. I'm starting to see Lorie as a frustrated child. I think she's tired of being trapped in this child's body... for eternity.

Lorie: "No one understands…"

I'd like to hold her in my arms, but Lorie's not like other kids. Maybe that's the problem.