They sit with me on my bed and we eat the fresh meal the Refuge has prepared for us. As I jab my fork in the salad I think of Mom, her hands weeding the lettuce I eat, and her purpose in coming here. She did it because she loved me. “What are you girls doing this afternoon?” “We need to put in our hours at the laundry center. Then Hana needs to try on her white dress for the ceremony tomorrow,” Timid explains. “I finally get to wear white like the other Vessels. Aren’t you excited for a dress that matches everyone?” Hana asks. “I suppose so, I hadn’t thought much about it.” The girls still have a long day of work ahead of them; it isn’t fair that I get to do whatever I want while their nine-year-old bodies do all the hard work. “Sorry you have to work in the laundry center. Can I do something to help make it go quicker?” “I don’t think Honor would like that.
