Beauty Vs Beast

Beauty Lesson 2: What is a family?

“Hi , I am back. Ugh. Today’s class sucked”, Nova exclaimed while she took off her shoes.

 “Good evening Miss, what would you like to have today? Some tea?” Sophie greeted Nova as she came in and crashed on the couch.

Sophie  worked at Nova's place and helped around with the daily household chores. Slightly tall with light brown hair and black eyes, Sophie was a woman in her thirties, She had been living with Nova’s family for the past 15 years. She started off as Nova’s nanny, but Sophie didn’t have a family of her own, So she doted on Nova alot and stayed even after Nova had grown up.

“Thanks Sophie, tea would be great. Did you have lunch?” Nova enquired.

“Yes Miss, I did. Il go brew some tea for you and some coffee for me.”

“Hey Sophie, make some tea for mom too.” Nova added, as Sophie headed to the kitchen silently.

‘Maybe mom will also join us for tea.’ she thought to herself.

A few minutes later,

Nova placed her laptop on the table and switched it on, while Sophie brought in the tea.

Nova felt sad as she could only see a screen  flashing ‘skype calling-mom’.

“I guess, mom won't be coming, yet again.” Nova sounded very disappointed.

Sophie sat next to Nova and patted her back.

“Maybe it is an early time of the day in that part of the globe and mom must be busy taking care of her grandson or something, right?” Nova consoled herself. Sophie too, looked disappointed and frustrated.

“You know what this means right?”, Nova asked.

Sophie knew where this was going,

“You will have to…

... cook my favourite food again today. Yes! Woohoo!” Nova rejoiced.

“Miss no! it's not healthy! please don't  have it this often”, Sophie worried.

“A deal is a deal, right? Mac n cheese, mac n cheese, yippie!”

Seeing Nova this happy, Sophie agreed.

 But she had made a plan of adding broccoli to it today.

Suddenly Nova asks Sophie,

“You know,  sometimes I think about all this and feel that my mom doesn't love me as much. Does that make me a terrible daughter?” 

Sophie understood what was going through Nova's mind; she had practically raised Nova.

“Of Course not Miss, you are only feeling that way because Mrs. Maples hasn't called you for a long time. You are only human, everyone has such thoughts at some point in their lives. But she definitely doesn't do it on purpose. It just... happens. Mrs Maples is completely oblivious to what her words of praise mean to you”, she tried to explain.

“That's what makes me feel even worse Sophie;  I know my mom cares about me too, but at that time, it just hurt a lot.”  she slumped on the table and put her head down.

“Miss Nova, you are not a bad daughter", Sophie said as she pat Nova's back gently, 

"Sometimes, situations arise such that one has to choose. That doesn't make you any less important to her. Many times, it's unfair, though all the suffering falls only on one person. They can't even express their dissatisfaction and pain because they know what happened was nobody's mistake.  Right now that person might be you, but you won't be stuck like this forever. You still have me, you still have LOTUS and your amazing friends Crista and Tyler. Do you know how many people you’ve helped? Imagine, if you had not entered their lives, they would have never managed to become so strong.”

“No Sophie, They were already strong, I just gave them a nudge. They had the tools, I just showed how to sharpen them because I knew how to. But look at me right now, I preach about mental strength, but I am miserable myself, huh” she scoffed.

“ Miss, you are such a modest and kind girl, always trying to be cheerful and optimistic even though you have faced a lot in life. If that's not mental strength, then what is? You are beautiful my dear."

“And remember” Sophie continued as she pat Nova’s head gently, “ whenever you feel lost, you have two choices:

One, keep looking  down, at the dark path  you followed and mope, or two, keep looking up at the bright stars which will guide you ahead.  In your case, you have created your own stars: your friends and lotus.

Trust me, as an outsider, I can tell that you have got a bunch of great friends.”

Hearing this, Nova gave a smile filled with content.

After a slight pause she said, “Hey Sophie, thanks for being there for me. What would I have done without you? And you are not an outsider, you are the best person in my life."

Sophie was stunned. She got teary and hugged Nova. Sophie was overjoyed to hear this. Nova was like a daughter to her.

“ Miss Nova, won't it be unfair to your boyfriend? He should be the best person in your life” Sophie teased.

 "Oh goodness. Sophie for crying out loud, you know I have no interest in  boys that way. To me, all look the same: like a friend. Except one… that brat in middle school. Hate him", Nova went deep into thoughts as she remembered her middle school days.

To change the atmosphere Sophie said, "Miss Nova, stop friendzoning everyone. You have already broken so many hearts"

“ Ok  I promise you I  will find a great guy for myself.”

Sophie got excited to hear this. 

"Only if you start calling me just 'Nova' ",  she said.

"Miss,  please don't put me in an awkward position. You know i can't say that." Poor Sophie was left to gather her broken dreams about Nova's boyfriend which she had just weaved.

" Then I also can't think of guys that way." Said Nova wittily. 

"Miss please, just once? Give it a chance, I am sure there must be a tonne of good guys in your school."

“Ok, if you insist. But I have one condition… 

 Let's…  bring home a dog " Nova said as innocently as she could.

“Miss, you sure are taking full advantage of this situation" Sophie pouted, “But no, dogs not allowed!”, she warned.

“Why?! Sophie! Look, they are so cute! You won't- "

Sophie cut her midway and said with a poker face, "I said dogs are not allowed. These are Mrs Maples' instructions."

“Ok then, a cat maybe?” she asks eagerly.

“Miss Nova! A big nope.” said Sophie sternly.

“Ok, then a fish? You won't even know it's there.”

"Miss, I said, no pets!”

Nova laughs and teases Sophie more. She always wanted a person like Sophie in her life, a person she would be delighted to call as her family.

“By the way, I call mom’s tea serving! Hahaha I beat you! Bleh!”, teased Nova

“This is not fair!”

The beautiful bond between Sophie and Nova, filled the voids her family had left in her heart.

Will she be able to get over the trauma her mother had caused her?