"Mommy? Do you and Mama love Lolo more than me and Mila?" Normani mumbles, looking down as she swings her legs, the backs of her shoes tapping against the wall every now and then.
"What? Why would you ask that?" Dinah gasps, a look of hurt clear on her face.
"I- it's just- I don't know."
"Normani Hernandez-Hansen, look at me please." The blonde commands gently. "How could you ever think that? We love all three of you exactly the same and it really hurts me that you felt like I could love one of you more."
"It's just feels like that sometimes." The nine year old whispers, looking down again.
"I'm so sorry, baby." Dinah apologises, tears rolling down her cheeks. "We never meant to make you feel like we didn't love you as much as Lauren, there's just been a lot of focus on her for a long time because there's been a lot going on. You and Mila - I love you both so much; more than words can describe. Your Mama does too. Please don't ever think we love you any less because it's not possible. Do you understand, baby?"
"I love you too."
"Come here, babe." Dinah breathes, pulling her eldest daughter into her lap and holding her close. "Now I know you had a lot going on in that pretty little head of yours but you still need to apologise for yelling at Mama and your sister. It wasn't very kind of you and they'll be very upset about it. Can you tell me why you thought it was okay to shout?"
"I was upset 'cause Mama kept talking about Lolo and everything is always about Lolo and it's not fair!"
"Don't raise your voice at me, Mani, I'm just trying to understand. I think maybe me, you and Mama need to have a talk when your sisters are in bed, hm?"
"Am I in trouble?" Normani asks nervously.
"Not this time. But if you yell at one of us again, you will be."
"Why do we need to talk then?"
"To make sure you know how much we love you and to talk about some other things too."
"Like what?"
"Just anything. We can talk about anything you want to talk about because if it's important to you then it's important to me and your Mama."
"I love you, Mommy." Normani grins, cuddling into the blonde.
"I love you too, Manibear."
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"Sweet dreams, Mila. We love you." Dinah smiles, pressing a kiss to the sleeping child's forehead before leaving the room to find her wife and eldest daughter.
"I miss reading with Mommy every night and getting to have a Mama and Mani day and a Mommy and Mani day like we used to. Mila misses that too 'cause now it's just me and her all the time and you guys are with Lauren. " She hears Normani say from her place on Ally's lap.
Sighing deeply, Dinah makes her way further into the room to join her wife and daughter on the couch.
"We can start doing those things again, sweetheart, right D?" Ally offers tearily.
"Of course we can. We're so sorry for making you feel left out, Mani. So, so sorry, baby." Dinah apologises again, reaching forward to take the youngster's hand.
"And we're so proud of you for telling us, you're so smart for not keeping it to yourself, honey." The older blonde praises, pressing a kiss to the child's curly hair. "Tomorrow we'll organise a day for some us time and Mani and Mommy time and we'll do the same for Mila and Lauren so it's fair. We'll do our best to make sure you never feel like that again but if you ever do you need to tell us, baby, okay?"
"Okay."
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"So, this week we'll have Saturday as Mama and Mani day this week and then next Saturday it'll be your day with Mommy. Mila's day will be Sunday and Lauren's day will be Thursday because she's not at school yet. But there will be times when those days won't work so we'll work something out when that happens, sound good?"
"Mhm. Thank you Mama." Normani smiles happily as her mother pulls her into a hug.
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"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Dinah begins as Normani cuddles closely into her side.
The nine year old had chosen 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville as the book they would start with after hearing it being mentioned on a movie.
It had been months since her Mommy had read with her at bedtime and to say she was excited would be an understatement.
"It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can." The blonde continues in a quiet voice as she runs her fingers through the child's hair with her free hand.
She smiles softly as a yawn escapes Normani's lips and she leans down to press a gentle kiss to the tired girl's forehead before continuing to read.
"This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me." She finishes as she feels the small girl's breath even out and after placing down the book on the nightstand, Dinah finds herself watching the child intently; a look of pure adoration in her eyes at the sight of her little girl.
That is where Ally finds the two an hour later, cuddled up and asleep in the nine year old's bed with a content smile on both of their faces.
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I feel like I'm kinda getting my mojo back, don't get me wrong the start of this was a mess but I think I like the end. Hopefully this will last.
