The Story Of Soldiers

Chapter 27 (beginning of segment 3)

Asura Arison stood in her living room, the early morning light filtering through the window.
A hot cup of coffee was held in the woman's hands, wrapped in grey silk.

Her husband sat at the table, finishing his breakfast.
Asura glanced at the clock, then made her way to grab a brush from a nearby shelf.
She moved behind the man, beginning to brush his messy blonde hair.

"Huh?" He hummed, momentarily confused, "Oh, thank you, dear."
Asura didn't respond, making quick work of getting rid of the knots in her husband's hair.

Now he looked to the clock, then stood just as Asura pulled the brush away.
"I'll get going now," he smiled, kissing her gently on the cheek.
"Goodbye," Asura said softly.

"Wait!"
A voice rang out as the man opened the door, and a little blonde girl came running out into the room to cling to her father's leg. She was followed quickly by a young lady.
"Oh, good morning Rosealine," he chuckled, kissing her on the head.

"Daddy doesn't have time right now, dearest," Asura said as if she was timid, though her voice held no shake or anything else to give off that impression.
The girl pouted, even as the man crouched and wrapped her in a hug.

After a too-brief embrace, he pulled away.
"Mama is right honey," he agreed, cupping her face, "I have to go to work. But I'll see you this afternoon, okay?"
Rosealine smiled hopefully.
"Promise you'll be back for dinner?"

The man frowned to himself, light brown eyes softening.
"Sweetie, you know work keeps me. There's no guarantee." He said as he stood.
"But mama's making your favorite tonight," Rosealine whined, tugging at her father's pants leg.

The man looked at his daughter, then to his wife, before sighing.
"Alright, I promise."
He and Asura both very knew how easily that could become a lie, but neither had the heart to tell that to the 4-year-old.

"Bye-bye daddy," Rosealine said, waving goodbye to her father.
When the door closes, Rosealine looks sad.
No, no. That can't stand. Asura won't let it.

"Come on darling," she says tenderly, "Do you wanna help mama with her hair?"
Rosealine lights up again, a grin stretching across her face.
"Yeah!" She cheers, running off to her mother's room.

Asura giggled to herself, an affectionate smile never leaving her face even as she turns to the teenage girl residing in her home. Standing still. Waiting for orders to do whatever was asked of her.
"Miss Grace, could you please attend to the garden?"

Grace nodded, smiling all the while. Asura didn't know why, but she always smiled. It always looked so fake though. She didn't like it.
"Of course, mistress."

Asura headed over to her room, already seeing her daughter looking through different hair ties through the open door.
She enters the room and closes the door behind her. This was private. A time for her and Rosealine.

Rosealine looks up at her with those adorable dark green eyes that she got every part of from her mother, and Asura's heart melts.
"Mama, I wanna put your hair in...uh...uh," she points to a picture in an open book on Asura's vanity, "This thing."

Asura had a book of different hairstyles opened to a page with a half-ponytail on it.
"Okay dear," she said tenderly, "Go pick out a bow or tie that fits mama's dress."
She gestured to the dull muted red dress she was dressed in.

Rosealine nodded, running off to the drawer that she knew contained all her mother's hair ties or bows.
After digging around, the girl pulled out one of the bows she guessed would go well with her mother's current outfit.

"This one mama!" She cheered, running over with the bow in hand.
Asura was sitting on the chair at her vanity, pulling half her hair into a ponytail.