Author's note
Decided I wanted to confirm Hope’s ending from What a Fluffy is For. Just a small drabble of an epilogue.
If you havent read it, it’s in my masterpost that should be linked at the bottom.
“I mean, I thought it was helping me, you know?”
Sitting on the faux leather couch, Riley ran her fingers through the thick purple fur of the fluffy on her lap.
“But it was just engaging with your trauma.” Across from her, a smartly dressed woman wrote quickly on a small notepad.
“Exactly. I would just relive it over and over while I…” Riley trailed off, digging her fingers deeply into the fluff. Hope lifted her head, nuzzling into her owner’s chest.
“There’s no judgement here, but you don’t need to continue if you don’t want to.”
“Thank you. I did the same things to fluffies that people did to me. I thought being the one in power would make me feel better.”
“It’s fairly common that we try to recreate the memories, as if we could redo the event.” Riley’s psychiatrist explained. “We try to take the power back, to rewrite history.”
Riley nodded. “I realized that the fluffies sobbing and begging reminded me of myself. I would lash out at them because I didn’t get help, why should they?”
“But that was then, and now you can make new decisions.” The woman smiled, closing the notebook. “I normally recommend changing the end of that story, so the victim receives the help they need and is removed from the abuse.”
“That’s basically what happened.” Hope smiled as Riley scratched under her chin. “When she offered to find some way I could hurt her I… I guess I saw myself for what I was.”
“What you were.”
Riley chuckled. “I don’t think I’m totally past it yet, but I’m working on it.”
“That’s good to hear. What matters is what you want to be.” The woman stood, setting the notepad aside. “That’s about all the time we have today, same time in two weeks?”
“That works.” Riley stood, setting Hope into the purse-like fluffy carrier on the floor next to her.
“I’ll email you the reminder.” Riley’s therapist escorted them to the door and waved at Hope as they walked to the bus stop.
“Can get wunch?” Hope asked, looking up at her owner with big eyes. “Sammich?”
“No, you’re getting too heavy.”
“Pweeeease? Hope be su guud!”
Riley rolled her eyes. “You can have a lettuce wrap or you can have granola at home.”
Hope pouted, resting her chin on the edge of the bag. “Hope wan’ cheesy bwead…”
“I’ll see if they’ll put the meatball sauce on a wrap, does that sound better?”
“Yus!”
Riley rolled her eyes again as Hope’s tail began to wag. “Spoiled rat….”
