Chapter Text
Gebura sat on her favorite couch in her room. Comfortably enjoying the silence as she sucked on her lollipop. Her husband, Kim, was out sparring with her siblings. He finally reached their level of power after five hard years of pure hardcore training. While her four-year-old daughter was in her room playing with her toys. Gebura trusted her enough not to get herself into too much trouble. And she's only a few feet away if she needs her for anything.
She smiled, never in a million years did she ever think she'd obtain a family. She has two wonderful siblings, adorable nephews and nieces, amazing friends, her handsome husband, and one beautiful daughter. She soon finished her lollipop and threw the stick away when she heard Paige begin to cry as she ran out with her favorite stuffie.
“M-mommy! Teddy got a b-big rip!” Paige cried out as she held out her stuffie. It was a red bear that was holding a plush version of Gebura's mimicry. She thought it looked stupid, but her daughter loved it,t so she reluctantly kept “minicry,” as Chesed called it, on the plush. The plush now had a noticeable rip between the arm and the body.
Gebura, despite not knowing how to sew, instantly told Paige that she'd fix it to comfort her. “Don't worry, sweetheart, mommy will take care of it,” Gebura gently took the plush out of Paige's hand and gave her head a light ruffling. “You just go back to your room; I promise Teddy will be all fixed up.”
Paige gave her a slight nod, and she hugged her waist. “I love you, Mommy,” Gebura swore that Binah hid some onions in her room as a joke because she felt herself tearing up.
“Mommy loves you too,” Gebura hugged her back before Paige let go and walked back to her room. Gebura now had a fire in her eyes to fix Teddy for Paige.
Gebura first walked to Netzach's room to ask for a sewing kit. She figured he’d have some since he’s into all kinds of artsy stuff or whatever. As she entered the Floor of Art, she could smell a faint hint of alcohol. Netzach, for the most part, had cleaned up his life to take care of Violet with Hod. However, it seems he still likes to indulge a little and swag a bottle once in a while as Gebura saw him chugging away. He leaned back in a chair as he drank away, so Gebura decided to get his attention the funniest way she knew how. She walked up and flicked his chair a bit, causing him to fall back as the light pressure from the flick startled him.
“GAH! G-Gebura! What was that for!?” Netzach rubbed his head as he stood up to face Gebura. He could see she was both mildly disappointed in him and was a bit frantic.
“Stop drinking and help me find a sewing kit. I need it to fix Paige's stuffed animal.” Gebura said to Netzach with a level of volume that was very much not suited for the indoors. She held up the stuffie like it was a fragile diamond to show Netzach the damage. Netzach looked at it for a second, then nodded. Quickly looking through his mess of a floor to find it.
He soon found a sewing kit and stuck his hand out with it for Gebura to take. But before she could take it, he decided to speak. “You know, Gebura, I could do it for you. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard for me to do,” Gebura looked at Netzach for a second. Contemplating taking the offer until she shook her head.
“Thanks, but this is my responsibility as Paige's mom,” Gebura spoke with a sense of doubt in herself. Sewing and all this other girly and motherly stuff never really came to her. But she was inclined to prove that she could be a good mother. Prove who? Mainly herself.
Netzach just looked at her, not wanting to upset her by accidentally implying that she wasn't capable of sewing. “Alright, but the offer is still up if you want it,” after handing the kit to her, Netzach went to finish the rest of his bottle. But when he turned to grab it, he noticed the bottle wasn't there. He turned back to see Gebura flipping the bottle in her hand.
“I'll be confiscating this. You've been doing good on holding back on the alcohol, I believe you can go fully clean,” and with that, Gebura left Netzach's floor to go fix her beloved daughter's stuffie.
When Gebura got back to her floor, she quickly went to work trying to figure this sewing thing out. She took the tiny needle and tried to get a bit of red thread in the hole. But she was having a hard time getting it in. She suddenly heard her door open. But Kim wasn't supposed to be back until later.
She looked up and saw Chesed with his signature stupid smirk. He took a sip of his coffee and squatted down to level himself with Gebura.
“Whatcha doing?~” Gebura gave him an irritated look. As much as she loved her brother-in-law, now was not the time for his usual teasing.
“What's it look like? I'm sewing Paige’s bear back together. I have no patience for your teasing as I need full concentration on this,” Gebura said as she continued to struggle with putting the red thread in the needle.
“Looks less like sewing and more like you're trying to shove a dinosaur in a smart car… and to also get him to buckle up,” Chesed then felt himself being pelted by a lollipop stick.
“I said I can't be distracted by your teasing right now! And why are you here anyway?” Gebura said as she contemplated throwing the needle and the whole sewing kit at the wall.
Chesed took a moment to rub where the stick hit before he shrugged. “I had some free time~ Binah's watching the kids, so I figured I'd visit my favorite redhead… oh and you too, I guess~” Gebura just sighed.
“Paige is in her room. If you want to see her, just knock on her door. I'm sure she'll let her favorite uncle in,” Gebura paused for a second before she resumed speaking. “Don't tell Roland I said that,”
Chesed chuckled. “I won't. But before I see her, Want me to help you with that? You've been struggling with that for the couple of minutes we've been talking.”
Gebura gave him a stare; she really wanted to give in and just let him do it. But the idea that she'd be a bad mother if she didn't do this herself always came into her mind. So she shook her head. “I'll be fine, I want to do this myself, but thank you,” Gebura continued to struggle with the needle and the thread. Chesed just shrugged and went over to visit his niece.
He only visited for a few minutes before he left just to see Gebura still struggling with putting the thread in the needle. Her expression was one of both anger and determination. Gebura's stubbornness to fix this bear on her own was starting to worry Chesed.
“Um, Gebby~ you haven't put that needle in for five minutes… are you sure you don't need my-”
“No,” Gebura said bluntly while giving Chesed a death stare.
“OK, ok, ok, I'll leave you be. But maybe you should take a break and then try again. I can see you're getting worked up over this.”
“No… I have to do this now. I have to be a good mother.” Gebura returned to the task at hand. Chesed sighed before exiting.
Finally, after twenty total minutes, Gebura finally put the thread through the needle. She found it to be easier once she took it a little slower. Her franticness to fix this damn bear to make her daughter happy made the task feel way harder.
Now it's time for the real task. Gebura took the needle and began trying to sew the rip together.
She tried and tried and tried, and she still couldn't get it right. It always didn't stitch on all the way, or it didn't hold. Now Gebura was starting to get pissed.
Gebura's anger turned to shame. Despite usually being able to hold it together. Being so bad at a simple task such as sewing a rip together and being unable to give the best thing in her life, her daughter, back her most prized possession after promising her that she'll fix it made her start to tear up.
“I'm a bad mother… I'm such a bad mother,” Gebura muttered under her breath as she tried to fight back the tears in her eyes. Gebura honestly couldn't remember the last time she cried. She always told herself that she wasn't allowed to cry as that'd get in the way of protecting others. But here she is, crying over not being able to sew a bear back together.
No, she was crying because she wasn't a good mother. She was never fit to be a mother. This was clearly proof that she lacked the ability to raise a kid. She shouldn't have even bothered trying. She's a failure of a mother.
Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore. She couldn't stop crying. She softly sobbed. She finally broke down.
She suddenly felt two arms wrapped around her in a tight hug. She felt herself in the familiar embrace of her husband.
“My beloved, what has gotten you so worked up for you to be crying?” Kim said softly, slowly rocking Gebura back and forth.
“I can't sew a damn bear back together! I can't keep the promise I made to Paige! I'm not a good mother!” Gebura sobbed out. Kim just listened while he rocked her back and forth to soothe her.
“My beloved, you believe you're not fit to be a mother over a stuffed bear? Gebura, you've been an excellent mother. Everything you've done right far surpasses this one thing you can't do right. And you always have me to rely on, too. I'll always be there by your side. And so will your friends and family,” Kim gave his lover a light kiss on her forehead. Gebura's crying slowly died down.
“Yeah… you're right. I was too blinded by my pride, my desire to be this perfect mother to Paige, to see that I already was a good mother to her,” Gebura gave Kim that beautiful smile he always loved seeing. “Would you mind helping me with this?”
“But of course.”
The process took less than a few minutes. The bear was almost as good as new. The two looked proud of their work. They were ready to show their daughter her Teddy.
Gebura and Kim walked up to her door and gave it a small knock, the bear behind Gebura's back. Paige soon answered the door. She looked happy to see her father.
“Daddy!” Paige ran up and hugged her father. A hug, which he happily returns. Soon, they break the hug and Paige looks at Gebura.
Gebura smiles at her before she reveals Teddy. “Look what I got for you, honey, it's Teddy!” The young girl eagerly squeals as her mother hands her the stuffie.
“Teddy!!! Oh, thank you, mommy! I love you!” Paige hugged Gebura as tight as she could.
“Well, I did get some help from Daddy. So why don't you thank him too?” Gebura hugged Paige back.
“Thank you, daddy! Thank you!” Paige broke out of Gebura's hug and went back to hugging Kim.
“Of course, sweetheart. Anything for you.”
Paige quickly went back into her room to play with Teddy. And the two lovers were left alone again. They went back to their favorite couch. The couch where the two would usually relax after a long day of sparring. They got into their usual position, with Gebura leaning on Kim's shoulder.
“Kim, I love you. You know that?
“Yes, you won't let me forget. Not that I would because I love you as well.”
Gebura took a look at the ring she proudly wore on her finger. It signified their love for each other. It wasn't anything flashy. A simple rose gold band with an open book carved into it. It didn't need to be covered in jewels for her to love it. It just had to mean something. And this meant the world to her. It symbolized the best thing that's ever happened to them, Paige. The open book symbolizes Paige. A page to her book. Once she figured that out, she fell in love with it. Kim and Binah did well with her ring.
“Never thought I'd be married. If anything, I thought I'd be single my entire life. And having a kid was out of the question, despite me wanting it. I've always wanted a kid. But I thought I could never have one.” Gebura smiled. “But you proved me wrong. Just like how you proved me wrong today. You just love proving me wrong, don't you?”
“If it means you can love yourself like how I love you, then I'm always happy to prove you wrong.” Kim took off his hat. Showing off a smile that only Gebura and Paige had the honor to see. Not even Aeng-du had seen his smile.
“Please do, I'll do the same right back at you,” Gebura leaned into Kim more. The two of them enjoy the silent atmosphere together.