#scarsdale

"I don't... there's Mama. " a puff of air, hands turned up in out in a gesture of uncertainty.

"Hannah knows who she is, Zara." Quiet amusement. "Always has."

"I don't... I don't want to hurt either of them."

He shrugs. "We all hurt each other, sometimes. Maybe the trick is to recover when we do."

"They love you, you love them.... what's to worry? So you call one by another name." Another shrug. "You apologize."

"She's wonderful."

He shrugs. "She has her moments."

She closes her eyes, and shakes her head. "She's wonderful."

"Zara, she's just as perfect as the rest of us, nu?" Dry. "Remember what you said the blue boychik does? Ok. So."

"So. Maybe we get you home to eat something, get some sleep? You look exhausted."

"Bah." He looks around his 'office' with distaste. "Forgot what I came in here for but I see I have a mess to clean up.... You, go home. Say hello to Hannah and Aaron for me."

"It can wait. Food. See your husband. Get some rest."

"I leave it here, it spreads, or some idiot apprentice who can't figure out which end of a hammer does the work smears it on my samples. No. I'll clean this up now." He goes to get rags.

"Feh. Stubborn. Promise to go home after?"

"Sure, sure, sure. I promise. Go on, now." He shoos her out the door.

She gives him a skeptical look, eyebrow raised, mouth quirked to the side... but she goes.

She hears him "Hmmph" before she gets too far away.