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Peli sighed as she sat herself down on the couch in the living room, gesturing for Din, her 15 year old son, to sit in the armchair across from her. Din did so, looking irritated, as Boba moved behind Peli.
“We need to talk about what happened last night.” Peli started, pulling her cardigan closer around her. Din rolled his eyes.
“Nothing happened.”
“Oh, really? Because Boba told me that it looked like Migs and his gang were throwing eggs at Mr Hess’ house, and you were there!”
“Mr Hess is an asshole!”
“So that gives you the right to throw things at his house?!”
“I didn’t throw anything!”
“But you were there, Din!” Peli cried. “You were with them, that’s all anyone is going to see! You’re in a gang, terrorising the neighbours!” She sighed, sitting back. “What exactly did Mr Hess do?”
“I don’t know, Migs just said he was a fucking asshole.”
“Watch your language.” Boba snapped, but Peli shook her head, not one to govern language in her house, in their safe place where they should be free to express themselves.
“You know that's on us, Boba, and you know he’s entitled to say what he wants here. But Din,” Peli turned to the teenager. “One day you’re going to get in trouble if you continue hanging out with Migs’ gang.”
“But I’m not doing anything!”
“You’re still in their gang with them, and if they get into trouble, so will you! I know you and Migs have been friends since you were kids, but I don’t like the new people he’s messing around with. That Xi’an girl is always hanging herself off you, I can’t imagine how Cobb feels about that.”
“She flirts with everyone.”
“That’s not reassuring at all.” Peli blinked. “I don’t want you hanging around with them anymore, Din.”
“But they’re my friends!” Din cried, standing abruptly.
“No. Migs is your friend! The others? They’re using you, and they’re using Migs too! People like that do!” Peli hated to raise her voice to Din, but he just wasn’t listening . She didn’t know what else to do to get through to him. “I know first hand how this will turn out!”
“It’s a good thing I’m not like you then, isn’t it?” Din scowled. Boba stepped in at that point, clearly enraged.
“Din Djarin-Motto, how dare you speak to your Mother that way!”
“She’s not even my real Mom!” Din argued, indicating to Peli carelessly. Boba looked ready to snap, so Peli quickly stepped in again.
“Boba, let him express himself, he didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Din, you’re grounded.”
“What the fuck?!” The teenager turned to Peli, clearly distressed. She sighed.
“If you won’t stop seeing them, I’ll stop you from seeing them myself.”
“That’s so unfair!” Din snapped, glaring at Peli. “I hate you!”
“Okay.” Peli nodded.
“You never let me do anything!”
“That’s not true. I let you do plenty. You don’t have experience with people like them, but I do. I know how this is going to go. I just want to keep you safe.”
“Oh, like you kept Oto safe?!”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Din immediately paled and sat himself back in the armchair, his eyes fixed on Peli as she recoiled and stared down at her lap. He didn’t dare look at Boba. He didn’t need to look at him to know he was in deep shit.
“I-I didn’t mean that.” Din tried, though he knew the damage had been done. “I didn’t… M-Mom?”
Peli didn’t speak, just nodded, her eyes burning with tears that she didn’t even try to fight back.
“I-I’m sorry… Mom, please…” Din stood, and moved around the table, hoping to reach out and comfort her, but she flinched the moment he touched her. Din’s throat was tight as he stepped back. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it…” Boba came behind Peli, gripping her shoulders, in an attempt to ground her.
“Din, I think you should leave the room.” Boba whispered in fear of lashing out if he spoke any louder. Din shook his head.
“No, I-“
“Now.” Boba growled. Din spared another look at Peli, noting how pale she’d gotten all of a sudden. Tears fell down her face at this point, her body trembling as she brought her hand to her mouth with a sniffle.
A memory surfaced in Din’s mind; His 9-year-old self entering Peli’s room to apologise for telling her he didn’t want her when he was angry, only to find her curled up in her bed, tears staining her face from where she’d cried herself to sleep because of what he’d said.
And then she’d proceeded not to blame him, but herself.
“I’m sorry, I swear-“
“Din, get out!” Boba snapped. Din nodded, quickly doing as he was told. He lingered in the hallway, peering around the wall, like he always used to do when he was sent to his room as a kid; Peli had never sent him there for being bad, only to keep him from seeing her at her worst.
Din watched from afar as his Mom burst into tears, sobbing audibly as Boba moved from behind the couch to sit beside her and pull her close, rocking her gently and whispering assurances that Din couldn’t quite hear. Peli buried her face in Boba’s chest, her body heaving with each muffled wail.
And he’d done that to her…
Not knowing what to do, Din did as he’d been told and went to his room.
-
“Din…?” Peli stood outside Din’s bedroom door, waiting for a response, but not getting any. “Din, I’m sorry… Can I come in?” Once again, she was met with silence.
Peli always supported the idea that everyone had their right to privacy in her house, as well as a right to freedom of speech, but Din wasn’t answering, and every second that passed just filled her with more dread. She dared to open Din’s bedroom door, peering inside, only to find the room’s occupant wasn’t there. And the window was open.
Peli’s heart dropped.
“Boba!” She fled from the room and ran into the living room, but stopped when she saw Boba pointing at the back door.
“It’s alright, he’s outside.” Boba told her. Peli sighed in relief, catching her breath.
“He could have gone out the bloody door instead of the window…” She muttered, crossing the room. She stopped at the back door, taking in the sight of her Son sitting under the apple tree they’d planted in memory of their family, living and not, before taking a deep breath and opening the door.
Din looked up immediately, scrambling to his feet.
“Mom-“
“Hey… I’m sorry, sweetheart…” Peli whispered. Din blinked, his eyes burning.
“What are you talking about…? Mom, you didn’t do anything wrong- I- I’m the one who should be- who is sorry!”
“Din-“
“I-I know you said I was grounded, but technically you didn’t say for how long, so I just pretended you meant for, like, 30 seconds, and I went and told Migs I wouldn’t hang out with the gang anymore, and I got you these.” Din leant down and picked up a bouquet of flowers from behind the tree, holding them out for her. “A-and some for Oto, because I’m sorry to him too… I-I put them on his, um, on the grave-”
“They’re beautiful… baby…” Peli took the flowers, setting them aside and pulling Din in for a hug. Din clung to her tightly, neither of them saying anything for a moment, just holding each other.
“I-I’m so sorry…”
“Shh, Din… It’s alright… I’m sorry I upset you, sweetheart…”
“No… Stop-” Din pulled away from Peli, taking her face in his hands. “Stop taking the blame for me when I hurt you; You didn’t do anything wrong! I was being a prick and you were trying to help me and I said- I brought Oto into something that didn’t concern him at all and I practically blamed you-“
“Din-”
“No. I’m the one that’s sorry. You don’t need to be sorry.” Din told her firmly. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you…” Peli whispered, pressing a kiss to Din’s forehead. “And the flowers are beautiful.”
“Yeah, well, I know it doesn’t fix anything…”
“I don’t know, it’ll fix the nasty sunflower situation in the kitchen.” Peli shrugged. “I don’t know where Boba got the idea that I like sunflowers, but at least now I can get rid of them.”
“He knows you don’t like them.” Din smirked. “He just likes watching you pretend to be grateful for them. He said it’s funny because you screw your nose up.”
“That man is a shit.” Peli shook her head fondly. “I ought to- Huh… ” Din recognised the twinkle in his Mom’s eyes. Peli turned and headed inside, and Din followed behind, eagerly awaiting the chaos that was about to ensue.
Peli moved past where Boba was sitting on the couch and into the kitchen, grabbing the half-dead sunflowers from their vase, and approached Boba from behind before whacking the man in the back of the head with the offending flowers, yellow petals exploding over him.
“What the hell?!” Boba cried, turning to face his partner, who crossed her arms and glared at him crossly while Din doubled over laughing.
“I know you know I don’t like sunflowers!” Peli scolded him. Boba turned to Din, who stopped laughing immediately.
“Oh shit-“
“You brat!” Boba scrambled up from the couch, moving to tackle Din, who ducked behind the armchair and launched himself over it to get away from him, calling him an old man as he did. Peli laughed, watching the two of them fondly, until Din ran to her, hiding behind her.
“Mom, save me!”
“Come here.” Peli chuckled, pulling the boy close and resting her cheek atop his head, playing with his hair gently. Din relaxed into the hug, embracing her back. Boba stopped at the sight.
“Such a Mommy’s boy.” Boba joked, tugging Din’s ear playfully. “You always have been.” Din smirked at him.
“Can you blame me?” He asked, snuggling closer to Peli, who sniggered.
“He gets that sass from you, you know?” Boba pointed at Peli, who just laughed and pressed a kiss to Din’s forehead.
“Am I still grounded…?” Din turned to Peli. “Cobb and I had a date this weekend…”
“Technically, I didn’t say how long you were grounded for. And you did say you wouldn’t hang out with that gang anymore.” Peli smiled at him. Din beamed at her.
“You’re the best.”
“Don’t I know it?” Peli laughed. Din shook his head.
Peli didn’t know it, and with all the things in her life telling her otherwise, making her feel otherwise, it was likely she never would. But that’s why she had Din and Boba; to remind her that she was loved, that she was the best.
They’d make sure to keep reminding her.