Bewitched

Chapter 6

 Moriya got a feeling as soon as she was leaving the doctor's office. "We need to get home," she told her husband without telling him why. Charlie had a protective streak when it came to his girls and she didn't want him to destroy his relationship with Bella too quickly. She realized it might eventually get there anyway but she wasn't going to let her girls be the catalyst.

They went up the stairs quickly and Rosalie was still sitting with a more calmly crying Clair. "What happened?" Charlie asked her.

"She was trying to talk to Bella."

"She's mean! She told me you don't love me! That you only want her!" she said. It wasn't the exact words but it was how it made her feel. Charlie picked up his daughter and held her close.

"Of course I love you. My very first Tabby. You're the brightest star in the sky," he said to her and she pouted.

"Then what is Charli?"

"The shiniest gem in the mine," he said.

"And Cris?"

"The prettiest stone on the beach," he said and she giggled.

"Daddy, you're silly."

"No. I'm Daddy!" he said and swung her around. She giggled more, tears mostly forgotten as he took her to the living room.

"So what did she say?"

"That Charlie wouldn't love Clair if Bella actually loved Charlie. And that it would be better if Clair didn't exist." Moriya huffed. She didn't know what to do. It wasn't going to be good.

"Thank you for helping her."

"Of course."

"Ar eyou sure you don't want any money?" Moriya asked.

"How did you-" Then Rosalie stopped herself, "Right. And yes, I don't need any money. Time pent with children is all I could ask for."

"Then why not become a preschool teacher. They don't expect you to be older."

"I actually was. I taught at an all black school when we lived in upstate NewYork in the forties. All while doing suffrage protests," she said with a smile.

"You'll have to tell me about it more some time," Moriya said as she escorted her out. She knew it might look weird for her to be friends with a teenager but in her mind, it was okay.

"I'd love to. I'm sorry about everything." Moriya waved her off as she left out the door.

Charlie came back into the kitchen to see Moriya making dinner. "Are you coming with me to talk to Bella?" he asked her.

"I don't think you should do that. Not right now."

"If I don't I'm teaching Clair we don't care about her feelings." Moriya sighed and turned to face him.

"Do you believe it will change Bella's behavior?"

"What does that matter?"

"Please just answer the question."

"I don't know! Because I don't know that girl downstairs. All I know is she likes to read and is best friends with her mother."

"Which isn't your parenting style, I know."

"That isn't a parenting style at all."

"Well she's alive and her grades aren't bad."

"But they aren't good. Someone with no extracurriculars or an after school job should have near perfect grades. And now she's horrible to our daughters when they've done nothing to her."