Finding Her Joy

The Eldest

*A/N- Don't freak out! But... this one is going to be the only chapter until Wednesday. I had a bad weekend and need some time to recover and get some stuff done. I will be back, so don't go anywhere. In the meantime, check out my other stuff or reread this one. Maybe you missed something. *insert wink here* Anyway. Happy reading! Enjoy!

(MIA POV)
The dishes were now clean. Every surface had been scrubbed. The laundry just needed to dry, and then everything would be finished. Cleaning always helped calm me and make my brain settle. I guess it was something to do with the repetition that relaxed me.

I put some music on my phone and was playing it quietly so everyone could stay asleep. It was 2:30 a.m. and I couldn't quite shut my brain off enough to go back to bed.

To try and exhaust myself, I started dancing alone in the kitchen. Nothing crazy, just some swaying and moving to the beat of the slow songs. It wasn't until the third song that I turned around to find I was being watched.

"Hello there, Grace. Are you alright?" I asked the small shadow in the doorway. It was Charlotte's eldest.

She was smiling at me. "You're really good at that."

"Well, thank you. Can I ask why you're awake?" I paused my music and grabbed her something to drink.

She sat at the table and leaned on her elbows against it. "I dunno. Couldn't sleep, I guess." She looked upset about something.

I sat next to her and nudged her with my shoulder, "Do you want to talk about it? I've been told I'm a great listener."

She looked up at me, sadness deep in her eyes. I smiled at her to try and convince her to open up. She looked away and let out a heavy breath. "I don't want to upset you. It's just a silly question."

"Hm... you know, in all my years of listening to others, I've never once heard a question that was too silly to have an answer. I promise to answer it as best I know how if you'll let me. I also swear it won't upset me." I placed a hand on her shoulder, "If you would rather I go get your Mum, then I can do that, too. I just don't want to see you upset."

"No," she said, gripping my hand, "Don't get her. She's sleeping. I don't want her to know. She doesn't need to worry about anything else."

I fixed our chairs to where we were looking right at each other. "Then I guess I'm your only option. What's on your mind, Dragonfly?" She shook her head at the nickname and made a face, "Not my best work, was it? I'll try again. How about Honeybee?"

"I like that one. Can Olivia be Bumblebee? Like in that movie?" She asked, smiling.

"Are you talking about Matilda?" She nodded, "If that's what she would like, too, then that's fine by me. You two can be my little busy bees." I laughed, and so did Grace. "Can we finally talk about what's going on with you?"

"Okay... there's this kid in my class that's been being mean to me about all sorts of things." I could feel myself getting angry for her. "They have this group of kids that bully me when we're outside... they keep saying that I'm dirty and gross because my mum and Dad aren't together. They say their mums told them my mum is bad because she likes girls." She started to tear up and said, "They told me it's my fault. Is it my fault that they aren't together?"

"Oh, Honey." I used one of my hands to hold hers and placed the other on her face. "It is not your fault. Never has been and never will be. I promise."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes, "Then why don't they love each other anymore?"

"They still love each other. It's just in a different way now. They love more like best friends."