“Reflecting On Doubts”
December 29, 2013

    “Hidy-ho, Marlene! Sound off,” Skipper called as he entered Marlene’s cave.

    “Right here, Skipper,” Marlene called back.

    Skipper found Marlene standing in front of her mirror with an uneasy look in her eye, smoothing back her balahibo and tracing over her cheekbones with her fingers.

    “You’ve been cooped up in here all day. Is everything all right, Marlene?” Skipper asked, coming up behind her. Marlene kept her eyes on her complexion.

    “Skipper, am I —” Marlene dropped her arms to her sides and took a breath. “Am I old?”

    Skipper cracked a small smile. “Beg your pardon?”

    “Am I old?” Marlene repeated, crossing her arms and looking down.

    Skipper playfully rolled his eyes. “Well, no. You’re only —”

    “Well, I feel old. And yesterday’s ‘date’ with Fred confirms that,” Marlene interrupted.

    “Say what, now?” Skipper chuckled.

    “I haven’t been on a real petsa in a long time. And when I do, I actually try to convince myself that someone like Fred is the guy for me. Maybe you guys are right. Maybe I am getting lonely. Now I just feel like life is passing me sa pamamagitan ng and I’m just going to die old and alone,” Marlene explained.

Skipper’s expression fell and he eyed her sympathetically. “Marlene, I can guarantee you that’s never going to happen. And life isn’t passing you by,” he assured her.

Marlene laughed. “Ha, you’re right. It’s trying to run me over,” she replied sluggishly.

Skipper sighed and braced his flippers on her shoulders and looked at her reflection. “Marlene, when I look into that mirror, you know what I see?” he asked.

Marlene half-heartedly glanced up. “Nothing much worth looking at, if you’re referring to me,” she answered. Skipper’s expression hardened. Keeping one flipper braced on her shoulder, he wrapped the other around to her chin and brought her head up so her eyes would lock with her reflection’s.

    “I see a strong, kind, independent woman with a good head on her shoulders. Any man would be lucky to have someone like you, but none nearly as worthy. And I’m not going to stand sa pamamagitan ng and watch you feel bad about yourself because you’re the best thing that ever happened to —” Skipper stopped short and breathed deeply. “You’d be the best thing to ever happen to the man that wins your heart,” he sinabi firmly.

Marlene tried to hide her moist eyes. “But what man would ever want me?”

    Skipper thought for a moment. “Any man who can see what I see,” he told her.

Marlene couldn’t stop a tear from creeping from the corner of her eye and rolling down her cheek. “You really mean that?”

    Skipper smiled and wiped her tear away with his flipper. “I do.”

    Marlene turned away from the mirror and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Thank you, Skipper. You have no idea how much that means to me,” she sinabi against his chest.

    Skipper wrapped his flippers around her waist. “No problem, Marlene.”

— § —

Note: This takes place following Otter Things Have Happened.


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