Re: Livingroom: Marta / Seven
Watching Seven shake his head and look at the floor made the moment stretch on and on, and she had to admit to herself that part of her mind was screaming to just step away and leave. That everything would be better if she took the moment to escape. But she kept her feet stubbornly planted where they were and refused to let herself move.
Trying to reply was still a struggle though. Especially because it was hard to miss the cut of anger in Seven's voice. And after hours and hours talking to her doctor and fellow patients, she knew it was a valid reaction to everything that had happened and that she'd done. But it still made it difficult to try to respond without flaring into her own defensive reactions (that wouldn't help keep anything calm). She couldn't keep the shake of her head from being a sharp motion though, and there was grit dug into her words when she forced them out. "Not... to hurt." Her hands felt icy, but the rest of her felt flushed hot with an almost sickly sort of emotion. "You're her father and you protect her." Please let this make sense, the thought rushed desperately through her mind. "I didn't know if you'd think it was... too risky."
And yes, she was paying attention - enough that her gaze was strong even though part of her wanted to shrink away and hide. And when she replied, she was surprisingly steady. "I know. You said that before. On the phone. I get it." In her mind, it was just another repetition of the unbridgeable canyon she'd carved between the two of them. But the next bit? It cut in a way that hurt.
"Do you think-" She had to swallow hard, but her voice still came out rough, her eyebrows creasing downward. She was surprised to find that she was actually offended by the next thought. "That I would make her call me 'mom'?" Was this the way he felt about her thinking he'd keep Sawyer away to hurt her with it? It was like acid at the back of her throat. "I would never." She tried to stay calm, still aware that they were standing in the middle of a party. "I know I'm... her mother. But-" She shook her head again, eyes steady on his. "I know I'm not her mom."