“Wash”

“Wash”

———————-

“Lean your head back baby girl. Good girl. I’ve got you, okay? I’ve got you,”.

Tara whimpered, holding her abdomen. It was the first time she was getting her hair washed since she left the hospital. She was tempted to shave her head, but Sam refused to let her do that. Instead, her sister set up a spot at the kitchen sink to wash Tara’s hair.

She wasn’t ready to look in the mirror. Tara was afraid that she would see the scarred monster that she saw on the inside, reflecting on the outside. She hadn’t taken a look at herself since she got home. She refused to acknowledge that she was still alive.

Surprisingly, her big sister was okay with that. Sam had even gone so far as to tape bed sheets over the mirrors and disable the camera on Tara’s phone. It was strange having someone so willing to take care of her, faults and all.

Sam undid the braids that kept Tara’s greasy hair together, kissing her forehead each time she undid a braid. Tears slid down Tara’s face unwillingly, and Sam just kissed them away as well.

For someone who had brutally assaulted a man, her sister was so gentle and sweet with Tara. She had cushioned a chair for Tara and draped the softest towels she could find across her sister’s chest. Sam even used the same lavender shampoo that she used on her hair for Tara.

Tara leaned her head against the sink, trying to control her breathing. She hadn’t felt this vulnerable since Sam had rescued her in the hospital. It wasn’t in Tara’s nature to let her walls down and ask for help like this. But she needed Sam. She craved Sam. She prayed that Sam wouldn’t leave again after the Woodsboro bloodbath. It would be in her sister’s nature to leave, and Tara couldn’t blame her. Tara was a liability.

But after the hospital visits and police reports- Sam stayed. She had her fingers in Tara’s hair, whispering sweet nothings to her. She kissed Tara’s forehead when she whimpered in pain. And she made sure to gently wash the soap off of Tara’s forehead before it reached her eyes.

It wasn’t like anything Tara was used to. It had been years since she had felt this safe and loved. Amber tried, she did, but she wasn’t willing to love Tara as Sam did. Unconditionally.

Tara didn’t want to take this moment for granted. She knew her hair was stringy and greasy, but Sam was all in to help her. Her big sister didn’t shy away. It was almost as if she wanted to stay.

And if Sam wanted to, Tara would let her.

She took a deep breath, ready to bare her soul. This was the pivotal moment of testing whether or not Sam would stay.

“I love you, Sam,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. If their love died young, at the age of thirteen, Tara couldn’t bear to witness the fallout. She couldn’t witness her sister leaving again. It would tear her apart.

A beat passed. Water dripped out of the faucet, plinking against the metallic sink. Tara could feel herself shivering in desperation, waiting for three words that may never come.

But they did.

Her sister leaned down, kissing Tara on the forehead gently. Her voice wobbled with tears, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was Sam’s response.

“I love you too Tara. More than you’ll ever know,”.