~ ZARA ~
"I… I don't want to go back, that's the problem," I admitted to her. "I want to be here."
"But you can come back—in fact, you must," she said with a pointed look. "Go back for a day, Zara. Be there, then return here, let me tell your father you can do it. Please."
She was extra twitchy that day and it made me nervous. "What's he doing to you because I'm not—"
"Your father is very important and very busy, Zara. Please, just… just do this for me."
I watched her warily. She held my gaze flatly.
Okay then, so I needed to actually try. I swallowed. What if I got stuck again?
"I… Okay," I said.
Mom took a deep breath. "Good, good. So… choose a time when you know you weren't there. While you're still learning, make sure you have a… a buffer of time. A week, at least. Your aim will get better and better, but if you're off, you'll fail. So, give yourself time to get it right."
