To Goo or Not to Goo

A single tear slid down Veronica's cheek from each eye when she finished her story.

Maggie walked over to her to comfort her. She reached up to pat Veronica's head and murmured, "Goo."

It was a long, drawn-out goo, meant to soothe Veronica's aching heart.

People often say that the quickest way get over one's negative emotions, like grief, pain, or embarrassment, is to find someone else to help. By helping someone else, whether their issues are greater or smaller than one's own, one will quickly feel better. One will feel happy from helping someone else and often say or do the things they need to hear the most.

What Maggie needed the most was someone to share her pain with, which Veronica provided. She also needed physical contact with a person, the warmth and reassurance of a hug, but as she was isolating herself, it had been hard to give her that. When she patted Veronica, she made proper, meaningful contact with someone else since her own tragedy.

Veronica sniffed and wiped away her tears with a smile. "Sniff… So, do you believe me know when I say I understand?"

Maggie nodded, not saying anything.

"I know it's hard and you absolutely do not want to talk about how you feel, but I don't think it's healthy for you. If you want, I can listen to you, or I can find someone more suitable if you'd like."

Maggie vehemently shook her head when Veronica suggested finding someone else.

In a small, timid voice, she stammered, "I—I wa—want to talk t—to you."

Veronica smiled. "I glad you feel that way, Maggie. I'll listen to anything and everything you have to say."

Maggie peered up at Veronica and smiled. However, that smile soon warped in pain, and she buried her head in Veronica's lap, wailing, letting out all those pent-up emotions.

"There there," Veronica whispered as she stroked Maggie's head.

Sometimes, it was hard to open up, but she was glad she had.

…

Veronica and Nana were sat in another living room, discussing the situation surrounding Maggie over a coffee and some cake. Maggie had long since stopped crying and had fallen asleep on the couch shortly after.

"I'm surprised that her circumstances are so similar to yours though," Nana muttered.

Veronica frowned. "Domestic abuse and a car crash aren't exactly the same thing."

"I mean, of course, the deaths of your parents are completely different, and you clearly come from different background. However, when I look at her, I see you. The pain in her eyes and how fragile she looks… it all reminds me of you when we first met."

"Me, fragile? I'm not sure you're remembering properly," Veronica put on a mock-pout, trying to brush off Nana's comment.

Nana saw she didn't want to discuss her own feelings, so she changed the topic back to Maggie. "Still, to think that her mother was murdered by her father in a violent rage… that's going to be a tough wound for her to heal."

Veronica nodded. "Yes, she's going to be hurting for a long time. At least the scumbag father was killed trying to evade the police, otherwise she would've been further traumatized by the ensuing court cases."

"Every cloud, eh?" Nana joked dryly.