pandakatiefominz
Wraith
"I know that you're scared," Zeinab murmured, "It's okay to be scared, habibti. It just means you care. There's nothing wrong with you. Trust me, Daizi. You know I'd never lie to you, right? You know that."
Daizi nodded as she gasped for air, but then shook her head, "I'm so scared."
"I know... I know, sweetheart." She swallowed, kissing Daizi's head again, "But you aren't alone. I know I'm not nearby, but you can always call me. Or any of us. And you have so many friends here who love you, and Dark loves you and wants so desperately to help you. You are not alone, and nobody, nobody, would hear what you have told me and think any less of you. You aren't weak, habibti. It's just hard, but you can do hard things. You have proven that time and time again. I think you're courageous."
Trembling, Daizi curled up against her aunt, "I keep saying--we just need to get past this one last thing," she gasped, "and then we'll be okay. But then what's around the corner is even worse. I want to say I can face anything, that I can handle it, but it's so hard, and I'm so tired."
"You are doing everything you can," Zeinab said, holding Daizi tightly, "I know you, and I know you've never in your life not put your whole heart into something. I know it's been difficult, but you've survived so much, habibti. I can't fix everything tonight, we can't fix everything tonight, but we will, okay? We'll put the work in, and I'll help you. I promise."
Daizi took a shuddering breath, "Okay..."
"Okay. It'll be okay. This is all just growing pains. You're doing so well, Daizi. You really are."
"Okay..."
"You are." Zeinab promised, once more drying her niece's face, "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Tonight, I want you to do three things for me, okay?" She waited until Daizi nodded and then said, "I want you to finish this glass of water, and I'll get you a second one, and you'll drink that one too. And then you'll curl up in this bed, and I'll stay here with you for as long as you like, but you'll go to sleep. Can you do that? Okay."
As promised, she handed Daizi the glass of water and while she drank it, Zeinab continued to walk her and rub her back. When the glass was finished, Zeinab walked away for just long enough to pour a second glass from the bathroom sink and then cuddled her back up, singing softly to her until the glass was empty and Daizi's hiccups had stopped.
"I love you so much, Daizi." Zeinab whispered, "and I am so, so proud of you. Things will look better in the morning, and I mean that."
"Amty?" Daizi asked softly.
"Yes, habibti?"
"We--we should let Dark inside, s-so he can go to sleep, he's t-too big for the couch."
"You're probably right," Zeinab chuckled. She wasn't strong enough to lay Daizi down in the bed, so she waited until Daizi had crawled out of her lap before tucking her back into bed and then going to the door, chuckling sadly at the sight of Dark sitting there like a dog who had been locked outside, "Come on, Zalmi, it's bed time."
Quickly, Dark scrambled to his feet and went inside to see his wife lying there, causing his heart to break all over again, and he climbed in beside her, not caring he was still dressed in his day clothes, and stroked her cheek, "Spider..." he whispered sadly, and once he was under the covers with her, pulled her into his arms, sighing softly as she melted against him. Being absolutely exhausted, but now feeling safe, Daizi fell asleep almost immediately, curled against her husband's chest with her aunt's hand on her back, listening to her sing a lullaby. Zeinab stayed until she was absolutely certain her niece was asleep and then left her to her husband's care and dropped into 'her' own bed, exhausted along with the rest of them.
Come morning, she was once more cooking breakfast, waiting until it was a decent enough hour to call the other aunties, unaware that Dark had already spoken to Neha, and either through her or through Saladin, the rest already knew.
Daizi nodded as she gasped for air, but then shook her head, "I'm so scared."
"I know... I know, sweetheart." She swallowed, kissing Daizi's head again, "But you aren't alone. I know I'm not nearby, but you can always call me. Or any of us. And you have so many friends here who love you, and Dark loves you and wants so desperately to help you. You are not alone, and nobody, nobody, would hear what you have told me and think any less of you. You aren't weak, habibti. It's just hard, but you can do hard things. You have proven that time and time again. I think you're courageous."
Trembling, Daizi curled up against her aunt, "I keep saying--we just need to get past this one last thing," she gasped, "and then we'll be okay. But then what's around the corner is even worse. I want to say I can face anything, that I can handle it, but it's so hard, and I'm so tired."
"You are doing everything you can," Zeinab said, holding Daizi tightly, "I know you, and I know you've never in your life not put your whole heart into something. I know it's been difficult, but you've survived so much, habibti. I can't fix everything tonight, we can't fix everything tonight, but we will, okay? We'll put the work in, and I'll help you. I promise."
Daizi took a shuddering breath, "Okay..."
"Okay. It'll be okay. This is all just growing pains. You're doing so well, Daizi. You really are."
"Okay..."
"You are." Zeinab promised, once more drying her niece's face, "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Tonight, I want you to do three things for me, okay?" She waited until Daizi nodded and then said, "I want you to finish this glass of water, and I'll get you a second one, and you'll drink that one too. And then you'll curl up in this bed, and I'll stay here with you for as long as you like, but you'll go to sleep. Can you do that? Okay."
As promised, she handed Daizi the glass of water and while she drank it, Zeinab continued to walk her and rub her back. When the glass was finished, Zeinab walked away for just long enough to pour a second glass from the bathroom sink and then cuddled her back up, singing softly to her until the glass was empty and Daizi's hiccups had stopped.
"I love you so much, Daizi." Zeinab whispered, "and I am so, so proud of you. Things will look better in the morning, and I mean that."
"Amty?" Daizi asked softly.
"Yes, habibti?"
"We--we should let Dark inside, s-so he can go to sleep, he's t-too big for the couch."
"You're probably right," Zeinab chuckled. She wasn't strong enough to lay Daizi down in the bed, so she waited until Daizi had crawled out of her lap before tucking her back into bed and then going to the door, chuckling sadly at the sight of Dark sitting there like a dog who had been locked outside, "Come on, Zalmi, it's bed time."
Quickly, Dark scrambled to his feet and went inside to see his wife lying there, causing his heart to break all over again, and he climbed in beside her, not caring he was still dressed in his day clothes, and stroked her cheek, "Spider..." he whispered sadly, and once he was under the covers with her, pulled her into his arms, sighing softly as she melted against him. Being absolutely exhausted, but now feeling safe, Daizi fell asleep almost immediately, curled against her husband's chest with her aunt's hand on her back, listening to her sing a lullaby. Zeinab stayed until she was absolutely certain her niece was asleep and then left her to her husband's care and dropped into 'her' own bed, exhausted along with the rest of them.
Come morning, she was once more cooking breakfast, waiting until it was a decent enough hour to call the other aunties, unaware that Dark had already spoken to Neha, and either through her or through Saladin, the rest already knew.
