Daughter AU - Salt

[troublewillfindme]

“You didn’t have to drink it,” John says, eyeing her over his coffee cup.

 

She fears she will never chase the taste from her mouth. She has downed copious amounts of water, she has brushed her teeth several times over, and she has even managed to down some of the hard tack.

The memory, however, still persists — to her great disgust.

“Oh, yes, I did,” she counters. “I wasn’t going to be the first person in three generations of my family to wimp on the salt in the coffee gag.”

“I think your dad would have understood. He probably would have told you not to.”

“Oh, he definitely would have, but personal pride, though. I have a family reputation to uphold and I take that seriously, even if Dad doesn’t.”

“How much did you have in there?”

“Have you seen how Dad takes his coffee?”

John nods.

“Okay. Like that, but more.”

The man wrinkles his nose in disgust. “And you still drank it.”

“I still drank it.”

“Of your own free will.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“How?”

“I white knuckled the table and just went for it: just … all at once. I showed no fear.”

“So, when I find a table with gouge marks, I’ll know who to blame.”

“I don’t think I actually managed to gouge it. I’m strong, but I’m not nearly strong enough for that.”

“Strong in stomach, if nothing else.”

“Let’s not go that far. I still think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Just not on the bridge.”

She offers him a sloppy half-salute. “I make absolutely no guarantees.”