CYNOSURE | RICHIE TOZIER

saudade

"Henry?"
"Yeah?"
"When's Mummy coming back?"
"I don't know, Lizzie." Henry sighed.
After a moment of deep thought, the little girl stood up from her spot on the floor, "She's not coming back, is she?"
"I don't know, Lizzie." he sighed again but this time in frustration instead of in nonchalance.
"Don't call me that. Only Mummy is allowed to call me that." she pouted and crossed her arms.
The older sibling finally looked up from feet, "Liz-"
"No!"
"Fine." he grunted, this time turning his attention to a stray cat outside his bedroom window.
Eliza sat down again.
After a few minutes of silence, she jumped up once more, "It's my fault - I know it is - that Mummy left."
"No it's not." Henry reassured, a little shocked at the child's statement.
"Then why did she leave us? She loves us, doesn't she?"
He moved from the window seat of the small girl's room to the floor and she clambered into his lap, "Yeah, she has to: she's our mother."
"Then why didn't she take us with her?"
"I don't know. I'm sure she had a reason." he encouraged, not quite sure whether he was talking to his sister or himself.
"Why did she go?"
"He hurt her."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah."
"Daddy hurts you."
"I know."
The little girl sat quiet again as Henry struggled to look at her.
"Hen-Hen?" she whispered, clutching at her long braids.
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to leave me then too?"
"What?" he choked, shocked by the little girl's question.
"Because Daddy hurts you; he hurts you like he did to Mummy." she explained, her voice still soft.
"Eliza, listen to me. I will never leave you. I love you. You're the only thing I love, and-."
"What about Vicky?" she interrupted, her serious expression bringing an astonished grin to his lips.
"Vic?" he chuckled and she hummed in response, "Only when he doesn't smell."
He pinched his nose and crinkled his features. He stuck out his tongue in fake disgust and the child in his lap erupted in a fit of gigg!es.
She poked his cheek, "Vicky doesn't smell! You do!"
"How dare you!" he gasped dramatically, tickling her sides.
"Not the tickle-monster!" she squealed, "Go away, monster! I want Hen-Hen back!"
He laughed again before letting her go and getting to his feet, "Alright. Are you coming to the park? We could see if Vic can come?"
"Yes please!" she shrieked, excited at the mention of her brother's best friend.
She sprinted to the front door to pull on her boots and was out the front door before Henry could tell her to 'wait up'.

A/N: here's a bonus chapter because a) i kinda want to make up for not updating b) i love writing the sibling stuff and c) i love Vic and i want to start putting him in a few chapters so i needed something to help it make sense :)