Murana heard the crack of the mirror and came rushing in. She saw her daughter, Taylor, crying on the bed, face down and tail wrapped over her like a blanket to hide out the world. Gazing about the room, she could see torn sheets, the shattered mirror, articles off the vanity strewn everywhere and a glaze of saliva covering most surfaces. Murana's face fell at the mess. She knew it wasn't an easy thing being born with a tailmaw. Murana tried to relate as best she could, but having no tailmaw herself and that her daughter was first in the world to have one, there was little help she could turn to regarding her. She had to wing her parenting on the fly.

"Hey, baby. What's going on?" Murana sat on the bed next to Taylor's tiny form. She put a comforting paw on her waist, but Taylor just scooted away, trying to dig herself deeper into the bed. "Okay, you don't have to talk about it. I can just sit here for as long as you need me."

Murana knew better than to force Taylor into saying anything during these moments. They were coming more frequently now that she was becoming a young preteen and the realities of what she was born with conflicted more harshly with the 'normal' views of what a kid should be like when she was at school. Looking about the room, it seemed her tantrums were getting worse. Murana sighed. There might come a point where it would be too difficult to contain Ahya and who knows where they'd be then as a family.

As if on cue, Ahya began to nudge up against Murana's paw, demanding pets. Murana chuckled and smiled, doing as requested and scritching the loving tailmaw much to its delight. This caused Taylor to stir. Without looking at her mother, she asked softly, "Mommy, why am I like this?"

Murana looked over at Taylor. "Like what, honey?"

Taylor sat up, gesturing angrily to Ahya. "Like this! Why do I have this thing?" Ahya looked hurt and wilted to the bedsheets. "Why can't I just be normal?"

"What is normal?" Murana smiled, putting an arm around Taylor's shoulders. "Normal is just a setting on the dryer. As I see it, you were just blessed with more than what most people have."

"You don't have to lie to me, mom." Taylor bunched her knees to her chest.

"I'm not. I find you beautiful just the way you are." She squeezed her daughter's shoulder.

Taylor began to cry. "But look at her. She slobbers all over, she bites and tears up the bedsheets. She ruins everything she touches and the other kids are afraid of me because of her. I wish I never was born with her."

Murana's heart broke for her daughter, but she knew little how best to comfort her. She tried every trick in the book, but it always ended up the same. "I may not understand all that the gods choose to do, but I believe you were born with Ahya for a reason and I wouldn't have it any other way." At an incredulous look from Taylor, she continued. "It's true! What other mother out there gets to say they had the privilege of raising a girl with a tail like that? I don't know about you, but I'd get pretty bored if I just had a 'normal' daughter to raise! If anything, your tailmaw keeps me young and fit, trying to chase it all around the house with you!" Taylor chuckled as Murana tried tickling her. Ahya "laughed" at the feeling too. "Now come on, cheer up. I think I got some techniques that can help you control Ahya better. For now, how about you and me go out for ice cream, does that sound good?"

Taylor sniffled, a smile creeping back onto her face. "Okay, mom. I'd like that." She slumped into her mom's arms and hugged her tight, Ahya wrapping around in a loving embrace.

"I love you, sweet pea." Murana whispered quietly, kissing the top of Taylor's head.

Artist: Draggincat (Seyumei) - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/draggincat