love story | seaycee au (ON HOLD)

2

Scrubbing floors was not exactly the picture Kaycee would paint in her mind when told by her mother to expect "hard work."

In fact, when her mother handed her a brush, a cloth, and a soapy water bucket this morning, she almost laughed out loud. She considers this to be a punishment? She must be sorely mistaken, she had thought to herself. Especially considering how cleanly she thought their floors to be already, she was convinced that with a bit of soap and water, things should look brand new.

But oh, how foolish she was. She regrets even thinking for a second that the task would be simple.

Because as she scrubbed the same spot of the floor again, on her hands and knees, she realized it was actually her worst nightmare. She had been at it for what seemed like hours now, going over the same spots in the same room, not being allowed to stop because her mother did not deem them clean enough. It took all her willpower not to pull her mother onto the floor with her, just to make her see how wrong she was.

It was impossible the floor wasn't clean by now. At this point, it was solely to put her through hell.

"This is pointless, meaningless garbage," she ranted to herself, scrubbing so harshly at the floor with the brush that her knuckles had begun to turn white around the handle. "Oh, you don't want a husband, Kaycee? That's too bad. We must make you act like a housewife anyway, then."

The sound of the brush as it hit the floor had begun to sound like nails on a chalkboard. When her mother came back to check on her again, Kaycee was about ready to start begging. "Mother, please, please just let me do something else. I will wash the dishes. I will wash the clothes. I will run around the house forty times screaming about how much I am the biggest idiot around. Please."

Before she can answer, a voice from the other room shouts, "Mother! We'll be heading out to town in just a minute. Do you have anything particular you need?"

His words make her mother's lips upturn in a smirk, glancing from Kaycee to the floors and then back. "One second, Devon!"

Immediately, Kaycee knows what's going on. Her mother plans on sending her to run errands as a sort of punishment. As if leaving this house, or these newly-cleaned floors, is an actual punishment. Desperate to keep her on the same train of thought, Kaycee puts on a face of displeasure, groaning loudly. "No, I take it back. Anything but running errands, please-"

"It's too late, I've made up my mind," her mother says quickly, turning away to write something on a piece of paper. While her back is turned, Kaycee throws her hands up in praise, pleased with her sudden acting skills. Turning back to face Kaycee, her mother hands the paper to her, the smug look still on her face. "This is what I need you to bring home. Make sure you buy these things exactly, or you'll be right back to scrubbing the floors tomorrow. No getting off task, or interacting with strangers, or you'll be back to scrubbing-"

"What if I meet an eligible bachelor and have a sudden change of heart?" Kaycee asks sarcastically.

Her mother's lips press into a thin line. "Don't smart off, Kaycee. You know exactly what I meant. Now get up, go get dressed, and meet your brother and father in front of the house. Quickly."

Kaycee doesn't leave her time to regret her decision, muttering "Yes, mother," as she clamored to her feet, dashing upstairs with renewed energy.

Before long, she's bustling back downstairs in a clean blue dress, faded from use over time but still her favorite nonetheless. Her mother gives her a quizzical look as she passes by to get to the front door, but Kaycee is much too quick to be stopped- in seconds, she is out the door, past her waiting brother and father, and in the carriage they'll be taking into the city.