CXXV. Helena Fraser

Life at home went on well enough. Robin liked to talk about Helena, and Peter noticed that his son seemed much happier now that he had a friend his age. This was good for all of them…

With Lilac’s pregnancy drawing ever closer to its end, Peter began to pick up more of the responsibility of tending to Wren.

This kept him even busier, which meant he had less time for Robin. Knowing his son had a friend he could spend time with was a relief.

Especially considering that the new baby decided to join the family quite suddenly.

Starling’s birth was premature, but she was healthy enough. Between the newborn and Wren, however, Peter and Lilac had more than their hands full.

They did not consider how Starling’s presence and their divided attention might affect Robin… If Starling was fussy, then Robin’s mood dropped to match it, and his was much more difficult to calm.

He had been much younger when Wren was born, and thus it was easier to distract him. With Starling, however, his sister’s screaming cries was too much to handle.

It made him lash out, often saying very unpleasant things to his mother, since she was the one to bring Starling into the world.

Peter was far from pleased with how his son acted towards his mother. He understood that much of Robin’s behavior came from the over-stimulation and chaos of living in a household with a newborn. He understood that it wasn’t entirely in Robin’s control. However, Peter also knew that Robin could learn to cope with his emotions and frustrations.

Discipline provided structure, and structure was important. Even if Robin hated it, Peter knew – or at least hoped – it would help his son to one day exist comfortably in the adult world; more comfortably than he had.

School was Robin’s haven. Even if the other kids thought him a know-it-all who never stopped talking about stars or science, sometimes it was far better than listening to his sisters.

He was no longer bothered by the way his classmates viewed and treated him.

Because Robin had Helena Fraser.

They became fast friends, each outcasts in their own ways. Helena, Robin learned, was not entirely mute, but rather something called ‘selectively mute’. She didn’t like to speak, though he never found out way. She always spoke with her hands, with her arms, and with her eyes. Sometimes she would mouth words and he learned to read her lips as easily as one reads a favorite book.

… And Robin liked Helena much more than he liked his favorite book.

He learned that she had a service dog named Merlin, who’s role was really more for comfort than anything else.

Helena lived with her grandmother, Aurora Fraser, who’s home was a vintage wonderland that did not quite match her modern and carefree heart. She wasn’t Helena’s legal guardian, but apparently Helena’s mother had suddenly gotten married in the fall and intended to spend the entire winter and spring traveling with her new husband. Helena did not know her true father, and Aurora and Helena both spoke very little about the girl’s mother.

If there was something amiss about the strange, distant mother, however, Robin did not catch on. He and Helena forgot about the concerns of adults while they hung out and watched T.V.

When they weren’t at the playground or Helena’s home, they could sometimes be found at the local park. Robin loved it there, because there was always an interesting plant or insect to discover and talk about – and Helena enjoyed hearing him talk.

Robin: “Those are Nimbostratus clouds. That means it’s probably gonna snow a little. And those over there are contrails, because a plane flew by.”

With both of their eyes high on the clouds, Robin paid little attention to where he placed his hand.

Until, of course, he realized it was right on top of Helena’s. Nervously he looked down, surprised at the touch, while she studied his face curiously. He didn’t mind the way her hand felt beneath his and would have been content to leave it there. However, Robin wasn’t quite sure if it was polite or even normal to do so. For several long seconds they sat there while he tried to figure it out.

In the end he opted to remove his hand and the two stood. To his interest, Helena started to sign something, just as light snow began to fall. He knew her first gesture. “I’. That one was easy enough.

The second he was less familiar with…

Fortunately the third was also easy to read. “You”. Robin smiled, pleased with himself for catching at least two of the three words. He still wasn’t sure of the second…

But when Helena pulled him into a sudden hug, he decided it must have been a very good thing.

He would look it up later so that he could sign it back to her. For the moment, Robin was pleased enough to hug his best friend back.