it’s not feeling like it should. If you made this up into a shirt that Dad would wear, it’d be warm and soft. Like something I’d want to curl up against and fall asleep. But on this table, it just feels smooth, like Ra said. I wouldn’t want to take a nap on this.”
Ellie frowned. “So textures depend on what’s underneath them?”
Sara nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. There’s a cold, hard table under the fabric. It changes how it feels.”
Joshua and Ellie exchanged a look, then Ellie continued with her inquiry. “When you say feels , do you mean what your hand is experiencing, or is it an emotional kind of feeling?”
Emily put her finger to her chin. “Both. Maybe it shouldn’t be. But I can’t touch something and only give you an explanation of the texture without giving you something of what I think while I’m touching it.”
Sam expected Sara to contradict her sister, but to his surprise, she nodded. “It’s like the softness of a stuffed animal. I will always laugh when I touch one.”
Ellie wrinkled her nose. “Why? Is it because soft fur tickles?”
Sara shook her head. “No, not that. I’d laugh because it reminds me of Ed falling on the ground and Emi and me throwing stuffed animals at him. I didn’t laugh at furry things before that. I used to just cuddle them against my face.”
Joshua sighed in frustration. “I’m not sure we can base our textures on what you’re emotionally experiencing. Especially if those emotions are always changing.”
Sara nodded. “I know. You just have to incorporate what’s happened to you when you felt these textures.”
“I think I understand,” Ellie said. “My sensitivity wasn’t fine-tuned enough to feel your mother’s skin when I first shook her hand. But once it is, I’ll always hold that texture as being especially important to me.”
Emily reached out for Ellie’s hand. “Skin has all kinds of textures. Everyone’s is different. And not just because of my emotional reaction to someone. Mom’s hands are very soft but firm—like all the muscles are right under the skin. Dad’s hands aren’t as soft, but they give more. And Grandpa Doc’s hands are very leathery.”
Joshua scratched his head. “Cow hide and your grandpa’s skin feel the same? Isn’t one smooth and the other hairy?”
Sara laughed. “You’re right. But Emi’s right too. There is a similarity, but I’m not sure I can describe it.”
Emily turned to Jillian. “What do you think?”
“I think you two are very perceptive. But something’s added when you can touch all of a person’s skin and they touch yours. That rough, leathery touch of Doc’s hand has a very different effect when it’s on the small of your back.”
Sam wondered how far Jillian would take the explanation. The twins knew of all the different couplings in village life. They wouldn’t be shocked by anything she had to say.
Ellie saved Sam from having to consider the idea further by pulling out a block of ice and putting it on the table. “Let’s try something else. This is smooth, right? Really smooth?”
Sara went first again. “It’s cold and wet, but I wouldn’t call it smooth.”
Ellie frowned. “But your hand can glide right across it even easier than cotton fabric.”
Sara nodded. “That’s true, but smooth should be comfortable. This hurts my hand. And I want to wipe it dry after I touch it. Plus, my hand doesn’t really glide across it. I wouldn’t call it sticky, but the cold wants to grab my skin. I don’t like it very much.”
Emily ran her hand over the top of the ice but didn’t touch it. “I like it up here. It reminds me of ice cream.”
Sara shook her head. “It reminds me of the side of the agro pod on Leviathan . Do you remember that time we were playing and lost hold of the vines, Emi? We drifted all the way out to the pod wall. You were scared.”
Emily squinted at her sister. “We were both scared. You want to make it sound like you
Ellie frowned. “So textures depend on what’s underneath them?”
Sara nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. There’s a cold, hard table under the fabric. It changes how it feels.”
Joshua and Ellie exchanged a look, then Ellie continued with her inquiry. “When you say feels , do you mean what your hand is experiencing, or is it an emotional kind of feeling?”
Emily put her finger to her chin. “Both. Maybe it shouldn’t be. But I can’t touch something and only give you an explanation of the texture without giving you something of what I think while I’m touching it.”
Sam expected Sara to contradict her sister, but to his surprise, she nodded. “It’s like the softness of a stuffed animal. I will always laugh when I touch one.”
Ellie wrinkled her nose. “Why? Is it because soft fur tickles?”
Sara shook her head. “No, not that. I’d laugh because it reminds me of Ed falling on the ground and Emi and me throwing stuffed animals at him. I didn’t laugh at furry things before that. I used to just cuddle them against my face.”
Joshua sighed in frustration. “I’m not sure we can base our textures on what you’re emotionally experiencing. Especially if those emotions are always changing.”
Sara nodded. “I know. You just have to incorporate what’s happened to you when you felt these textures.”
“I think I understand,” Ellie said. “My sensitivity wasn’t fine-tuned enough to feel your mother’s skin when I first shook her hand. But once it is, I’ll always hold that texture as being especially important to me.”
Emily reached out for Ellie’s hand. “Skin has all kinds of textures. Everyone’s is different. And not just because of my emotional reaction to someone. Mom’s hands are very soft but firm—like all the muscles are right under the skin. Dad’s hands aren’t as soft, but they give more. And Grandpa Doc’s hands are very leathery.”
Joshua scratched his head. “Cow hide and your grandpa’s skin feel the same? Isn’t one smooth and the other hairy?”
Sara laughed. “You’re right. But Emi’s right too. There is a similarity, but I’m not sure I can describe it.”
Emily turned to Jillian. “What do you think?”
“I think you two are very perceptive. But something’s added when you can touch all of a person’s skin and they touch yours. That rough, leathery touch of Doc’s hand has a very different effect when it’s on the small of your back.”
Sam wondered how far Jillian would take the explanation. The twins knew of all the different couplings in village life. They wouldn’t be shocked by anything she had to say.
Ellie saved Sam from having to consider the idea further by pulling out a block of ice and putting it on the table. “Let’s try something else. This is smooth, right? Really smooth?”
Sara went first again. “It’s cold and wet, but I wouldn’t call it smooth.”
Ellie frowned. “But your hand can glide right across it even easier than cotton fabric.”
Sara nodded. “That’s true, but smooth should be comfortable. This hurts my hand. And I want to wipe it dry after I touch it. Plus, my hand doesn’t really glide across it. I wouldn’t call it sticky, but the cold wants to grab my skin. I don’t like it very much.”
Emily ran her hand over the top of the ice but didn’t touch it. “I like it up here. It reminds me of ice cream.”
Sara shook her head. “It reminds me of the side of the agro pod on Leviathan . Do you remember that time we were playing and lost hold of the vines, Emi? We drifted all the way out to the pod wall. You were scared.”
Emily squinted at her sister. “We were both scared. You want to make it sound like you
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