bookblather: Sarah Porchetta in a pink sweater, smiling at the camera. (In the heart : joy : sarah porchetta)
bookblather ([personal profile] bookblather) wrote in [community profile] rainbowfic2012-05-14 11:49 pm

Snow White 8, Ruby 5: Lemonade

Author: Kat
Title: Lemonade
Story: In the Heart
Colors: Snow white 8 (fairy godmother), ruby 5 (windowsill).
Supplies and Materials: Seed beeds, bichromatic (snow white and ruby), feathers (your character spends time with their mother), stain (Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is the tree of life), oils (a sense of balance), modeling clay (champion), glitter (Don't Worry, Baby), novelty beads (siblings).
Word Count: 682.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Joy and Acacia discuss Maya.
Warnings: discussion of abortion and child abuse.
Notes: Hey hey hey so today's yarn? Dawn flying over an asteriod? Yeah, my dad built that satellite. [/bragging]


Her dad took Maya out back to show her the garden, and her mom sat her down at the kitchen table, glasses of lemonade between them and a look in her eye that Joy knew very well. "All right, joyful," Acacia Maserati said, leaning forward. "Explain."

Joy sipped her lemonade and put on her most innocent look. "Explain what?"

"Everything you know about that young lady outside," her mother said, "and leave nothing out."

She thought about protesting that she'd left nothing out when she called, but all she'd said had been 'I have a friend and she needs a place to stay.' She sighed, curled her hands around her glass. "Well, she's fifteen, she got pregnant, and her family kicked her out. What was I supposed to do?"

"Hmm." Acacia leaned back, cupping her own glass against her sternum. "Did you check this out?"

"No." Joy thought about Maya, frozen on the stage at the Velvet Lounge, and added, "I met her at work, Mom. I repeat, she's fifteen."

Acacia's eyebrows flew up, and she set her glass down so hard the table shook. "What on earth was she doing in a strip club?"

Joy grimaced. "Trying to dance. I took her home. What else could I do?"

"I'm not arguing with that." Acacia leaned forward and rubbed her fingers across her forehead. "I just mean... people take advantage, sometimes."

Joy's hands clenched very suddenly into fists. "I was there when she had her abortion, Mom," she said, levelly. "I was holding her hand the whole time. I don't think she was making it up."

"Oh, no, I didn't..." Acacia blew out a breath, and started again. "I didn't mean to imply that she was, Joy. I'm sorry if I did."

Consciously, she relaxed her hands and cupped her glass again, letting the chill slick over her hands. "No, I know, I... I'm just protective of her."

"I can see that." Her mother took up her glass and drank for a moment, then ran the glass across her forehead. "You bonded pretty quickly."

She shrugged. Careful here, careful phrasing so as not to hurt her mother-- "She's like the little sister I never knew I had, you know? I feel like... I was supposed to help her, and bring her to you and Dad. I know it's strange, but there it is."

"Hmm." Acacia studied her for a moment, then looked out the window, where Joy's father was picking a hydrangea and tucking it behind Maya's ear. It shone pink against her soft black hair, like the sky at dawn. "Well, your father is pretty taken with her."

Joy smiled. "Dad always did want lots of little girls."

"He got his private tutor qualifications last week," Acacia said, dryly. "As soon as you called. He never had any doubts."

Joy raised an eyebrow, but decided to let that one go. Her mother was suspicious by nature, and not always wrongly so. "So..."

"So we can educate her here, at least until she's old enough for college. At that point..."

"I'll pay," she said, immediately. "If she doesn't get a scholarship."

Acacia narrowed her eyes. "You said that awfully fast."

Joy shrugged. "I dunno, it's like... look, you and Dad did so much for me. And Maya... she didn't, she so did not, I just want to do something for her. To help her out, the way you guys helped me."

"You're our daughter, joyful," Acacia said, gently. "That's what parents are supposed to do."

"Yeah, well." Joy thought of Maya's frightened eyes, of Maya crying herself sick when she thought Joy was asleep. "Her parents didn't. Can you say she deserves any less than what I got?"

"No," Acacia said, softly. Then she shook her head, and said, "College is some time away, at any rate. You don't need to worry about that yet. Let's just get her settled and stable, and worry about the rest when it comes."

Outside, Maya was bent over a row of string beans, her father demonstrating something. "Okay," Joy said, and resolved to start saving anyway."
finch: (Default)

[personal profile] finch 2012-05-15 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
Yay for families that are made. And I like Acacia's awareness that something has gone on without her here even if she can't put her finger on what and decides in the end it doesn't matter.
isana: Makinami Mari Illustrious (mari)

[personal profile] isana 2012-05-15 05:22 am (UTC)(link)
The Maseratis are the best, here--I love how Joy's dad is bonding with Maya already, and how Acacia is concerned but not suspicious of Maya. Poor girl's been through a lot, but I think with them she's going to be fine.
kay_brooke: Stick drawing of a linked adenine and thymine molecule with text "DNA: my OTP" (Default)

[personal profile] kay_brooke 2012-05-15 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm so glad to see this. I think Acacia's concerns are valid, but Joy very clearly knows her own mind. I'm happy it looks like Maya will gain a new family and some support, anyway. Good job!
clare_dragonfly: Abby from NCIS, text: squee! (NCIS: Abby: squee)

[personal profile] clare_dragonfly 2012-05-19 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
Aww, so sweet. I see where Joy gets it from!
shipwreck_light: (Default)

[personal profile] shipwreck_light 2012-05-19 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
I wanted to read this SO BAD. Well, something with Joy talking Maya over with her parents (who seem very cool indeed). I get that, Joy being so frank and so sweet, mixed in with Maya and Joy!Daddy being adorable. With flowers.

This is like the most perfectful In The Heart fic. I wish it was a painting. Not that it needs to be a painting. It has enough visuals. But then, I could carry a little version of it around in my notebook. I could lacquer over it and wear it as a necklace.