Summary: She watches them playing.

Rating: PG

Through the Kitchen Window

By Alexannah

They are playing again. Screaming and laughing and yelling and crying. There are balls and toys and climbing frames. One falls off the slide and scrapes his knee. It hurts. He cries.

She comforts him, pulling him close, letting him whimper on her shoulder. Blood is beginning to run down his knee. She dabs it with a handkerchief, mopping it up, and wraps his knee in a bandage. He manages a small smile and thanks her in a quiet voice.

Not long later he is happy again, running around with his friends. He laughs; a beautiful sunny laugh. His face is alight, the pain forgotten.

She watches, through the kitchen window. His knee is unbandaged, although the scrape has now clotted. She longs to mop it up and kiss it better.

One other child points to it and laughs cruelly. His face crumples as they mock him for being so clumsy. A tear runs down his cheek.

She is there with him, wiping his tears and scolding the other children for being so heartless. They cry and she cuddles all of them, wiping their faces dry.

He limps to one side, and sits on the grass, his hands over his poor knee. His face is dry now but his eyes gleam with unshed tears. His lip trembles as he watches the other children play without him.

He cries as he is no longer part of their group. They ignore him now, which is worse than teasing. She watches through the kitchen window, and a tears slides down her own cheek.