fandomhigh | Dealing With Loss [after classes]

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Dealing With Loss [after classes]

"Hey, everyone," Ben said, smiling around the room. "We'll keep this short because the Homecoming Fair has really astral free food and my grandfather in a dunk tank, and so isn't to be missed."

He crossed his legs out in front of him. "I guess the question I want to ask today is what brought you all here to this group? I'm not really one for wallowing in the past if I can avoid it, but I've been in Fandom long enough to realize that I'm not the only person without certain family members, you know?" He smiled. "And there are certainly more people who've lost people than are in this group, so what drew you here?"

He tried to meet each person's eyes individually. "If you want to talk about it. I'm not going to push. We can also just sit around and drink coffee and eat ice cream."

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Ben nodded. "I'd like to think we're going to be a pretty good group of listeners," he said.

"I'd say from experience you already are," Karla said, giving him a slight smile. "Though I'm still a bit leery at the idea of talking about everything that happened after my parents died. It's just...a lot."

Ben nodded again. "Yeah, I don't want this to feel like some kind of interrogation chamber or like I have a weird obsession with other people's tragedies. I just hated feeling so isolated when Mom died."

"It's hard," Karla said, nodding. "No one knows just what to say, but everyone feels like they have to say something anyway. And eventually you end up catering to their emotional needs instead of your own, because they don't know how to handle you any other way."

Or maybe that was just Karla.

"I was the same way," Ben said. "They want you to be okay, so after a while you just pretend you are."

"Are you sure we're not related?" Karla teased. "I could be the daughter of the heretofore unknown triplet."

"I don't know," Ben said, grinning back. "The separated at birth thing has already been done in my family."

"Fine, then," Karla said, tossing her hair. "We're related some how in the future. My mother is actually your granddaughter, who was born in Kaeleer and never knew the other side of her family."

She beamed at Ben. "I love you very much, great-grandpapa."

Ben sighed and hid his face in his hands. "I really wish that didn't sound almost plausible."

"It's okay, great-grandpapa," Karla said, patting his shoulder. "Think of this instead: you owe me fifteen back years of Winsol gifts. Isn't that better?"

"Not even a little bit," Ben said, making a face.

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Dealing With Loss [after classes]

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