With Ben's help, she manages to make it out of the tree without dropping the mice or hurting herself. Which is good, because she definitely would have hurt herself to keep from dropping the container. She knows he didn't ask, but she can't say the wrong thing if she just stops talking. You can't say the wrong thing if you don't say anything at all. How many times has she heard that in her life?
She's in the process of putting the container back, wanting to give Ben a little privacy, when he brings up his mother and that stops her cold. "What? No." She said that she'd stop, and this might upset him, or make him want to stop talking to her, but she decides, very quickly, that that's all right. Some things, you just don't stay quiet about. Some things, you just don't let them pass in silence. Even if you lose because of it. She can't say the wrong thing if she doesn't say anything at all, but if she stays quiet, if there's any chance that her silence could be seen as her agreeing with his opinion about what happened to his mother, she just can't do that, either.
Cho straightens up, the door to the carrier open, and moves right in front of him. "She died giving birth. You didn't kill her. Maybe-- someone told you that it was your fault, or wanted to make you believe that you were the problem." She wonders, in a fleeting moment, just what form the abuse of his adoptive father actually took. "But it wasn't your fault. Babies don't-- we don't ask to be born, and we don't choose the circumstances or the complications or anything else that might happen. It isn't our fault if we're a girl instead of a boy, it isn't our fault if our mother can't have children after us, it isn't our fault if someone dies so that we can live, and it isn't our fault if we end up with someone who doesn't love us the way we should be loved - and... we should be loved. All children should be loved. When the bad things happen, it's a tragedy and it's heartbreaking and it shouldn't be the way that a brand new life starts out, but it's not the baby's fault, it's not your fault."
Her hands have been fluttering indecisively in front of her while she rambles endlessly, and they seem to come to something of a firm decision, finally, as she reaches to lay her palms against his crossed arms. "You can tell me to shut up if you want, or to leave you alone, and I'm not saying that you are, but you can, and I will - and you can tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, and I know that's partly true, but... I also know that you were a baby. You were just as innocent as she was, and just as blameless, and it's horrible what happened to you both, but it's not your fault. And I'm sorry I'm making you think about her and I'm sorry that it's making you sad, and... I'm sorry that she's not here to see that you grew into the kind of person who wants to take care of others. I'm sorry for the circumstance that took her away from you."
no subject
She's in the process of putting the container back, wanting to give Ben a little privacy, when he brings up his mother and that stops her cold. "What? No." She said that she'd stop, and this might upset him, or make him want to stop talking to her, but she decides, very quickly, that that's all right. Some things, you just don't stay quiet about. Some things, you just don't let them pass in silence. Even if you lose because of it. She can't say the wrong thing if she doesn't say anything at all, but if she stays quiet, if there's any chance that her silence could be seen as her agreeing with his opinion about what happened to his mother, she just can't do that, either.
Cho straightens up, the door to the carrier open, and moves right in front of him. "She died giving birth. You didn't kill her. Maybe-- someone told you that it was your fault, or wanted to make you believe that you were the problem." She wonders, in a fleeting moment, just what form the abuse of his adoptive father actually took. "But it wasn't your fault. Babies don't-- we don't ask to be born, and we don't choose the circumstances or the complications or anything else that might happen. It isn't our fault if we're a girl instead of a boy, it isn't our fault if our mother can't have children after us, it isn't our fault if someone dies so that we can live, and it isn't our fault if we end up with someone who doesn't love us the way we should be loved - and... we should be loved. All children should be loved. When the bad things happen, it's a tragedy and it's heartbreaking and it shouldn't be the way that a brand new life starts out, but it's not the baby's fault, it's not your fault."
Her hands have been fluttering indecisively in front of her while she rambles endlessly, and they seem to come to something of a firm decision, finally, as she reaches to lay her palms against his crossed arms. "You can tell me to shut up if you want, or to leave you alone, and I'm not saying that you are, but you can, and I will - and you can tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, and I know that's partly true, but... I also know that you were a baby. You were just as innocent as she was, and just as blameless, and it's horrible what happened to you both, but it's not your fault. And I'm sorry I'm making you think about her and I'm sorry that it's making you sad, and... I'm sorry that she's not here to see that you grew into the kind of person who wants to take care of others. I'm sorry for the circumstance that took her away from you."