The Art of Disappearing and Reappearing (UNEDITED)

.2.

"Delivery for Bambi Colin?"  The deliver boy looks flustered, suddenly under the gaze of a several of Bianca, Bambi's mother's friends- or older women from her neighborhood who she bragged to about her daughter marriage to a top notch New York lawyer who was starting his own firm.
In his grasp is a bouquet of violet tulips, wisp of baby's breath tucked between the petals. Bambi flushes as the older women 'ooh' and make suggestive faces in the middle of the cake tasting session they had going on at a expensive bakery Sean insisted the cake be from, he was really on her ass now that they had only four days til the wedding.

"Ma'am?" The delivery boy thrust the flowers in her face and she's yanked from her thoughts, blinking rapidly as she takes them.
"Thank you, they're beautiful." She murmurs being polite.

"Is there a note? Read it!" Mrs. Henry from two doors down was a Chatty Cathy and loved to pry into others business, and with a look from her mother Bambi knew she had no choice but to please the masses so she plucked the note from the center of the bouquet.

"Violet tulips, a royal bouquet for my bride before our day. Forever mine, Sean." The women around her gushed at the words, taking them as sentiments but Bambi can feel the threat in his words, they wrapped around her throat like he was reaching from the tiny piece of paper and choking her himself.

"Isn't that sweet, oh!-"

"Speak of the devil!" Another two women chime in giggle like school girls.

"Huh?" Bambi barely has time to register someone's lips on hers until the familiar sting erupts in her bottom lip. Sean's teeth sinking into the flesh in demand of a response so she moves her lips quickly and waits for him to pull back.

He's smiling when he does, eyes shining. "I missed you, I see you got my flowers."

"Yes they are very beautiful, thank you." She swallows thickly as his eyes narrow slightly. What has she done wrong already?

"You didn't miss me?" He pouts playfully at her and the women around her swoon like their reading a romance novel, Bambi felt like she was going to vomit.

"Of course, how was the office?" She pats her self on the back for quickly correcting her mistake. Sean sighs shaking his head.
"Long, I had to interview new assistants. What flavor is this?" He swallows a piece of buttercream cake whole while Bambi still digesting what he just said, panic raging through her like a hurricane.

"B-butter cream. New assistant? But I'm your assistant." She's careful to keep her tone light and non accusing. Sean's either in a good mood today or Bambi's doing better walking on the egg shells than she thought.

"Yeah, but you agreed when we got married you would start staying at home, I mean someone's got to watch our babies." He swallows a chocolate cake, grimacing at the taste while Bambi hasn't stopped staring at the empty spot of the butter cream.

If she stopped working at the firm, she'd lose her only source of income. Solely relying on Sean for everything, trapped in that apartment day in and day out- who knows what would happen to her. She slides her mother a pleading look but she's to emerged in a conversation with the baker about the short notice catering.

Sean's massive hand rest heavily on her knee as he sucks frosting off his thumb. "Relax, I say I'd take care of you didn't I?" His tone has taken a turn for menacing and she's forced to nod.

"Oh Arianna, have you decided on a flavor?" She's still dazed as her mouth opens to answer.

"Butter cream."

I have to get the hell out of here.

"I won't be long I just need to get my birth certificate for the marriage license." The lie slides through her teeth as she keeps her face muscles relaxed. They were in his Mercedes, out side her mother house and the faint scent of a perfume that wasn't hers would usually feel like a punch to the gut, Bambi only felt numb.

"Hurry up, I have to finish up some paper work for a case and I can't wait on you forever Bambi." He spits and she hurries out of her seat belt, fumbling with the door for half a second before she's knocking on her mother's front door.

"Arianna? Are you here for the invitation cards?" She nods absentmindedly at what her mother is saying, glancing over her shoulder she can practically smell the irritation oozing off Sean in waves and she hadn't even made it in the house yet.

"I need to use the bathroom first." Her mother stops her sentence abrupt, nodding.
"Okay, I'll have the invitations next to the placement cards when you come down!" Bambi's already darted up the stairs to her old room two at a time.

Everything is exactly as she remembers, bare, no personal objects or stigmas to signify this was Bambi's room. Just a queen mattress with white sheets and a dresser, an empty closet with a few hangers.

Her feet carry her to the empty space, checking over her shoulder once more she can feel the panic eating away at Sean or her mother bursting through that door. Her arm sinks into the furthest corner, dust coating her finger tips as she blindly reaches for the envelope.

The paper is frayed at the edges, dust and other dirt coat the once white envelope but the letter inside is still intact, the return address easy to read but even if it wasn't, she could possibly forget about the property her father owned in Nevada.

Her mother had always assumed her brother had took off back to Georgia but the one letter Bambi got the first year after he left made it clear exactly where he was, this information she kept to herself for eight long years.

Maybe eight years to long, but that would have to remain another choice she made she'd have to live with.

"Arianna? Sean says you guys have to get a move on." Her bedroom door creaks open just as she shoves the filthy envelope into her pocket. Avoiding her mother's curious gaze as she dust her hands.
"I was making sure I didn't leave anything behind in the move, I can't find the earrings you got me last year Christmas." It's getting a lot easier to lie without stuttering.

Bianca waves her hand, "Of course you did, you would lose a piece of gold if I glued it to your hand." Bianca makes a face telling Bambi to get a move on and she spirals into action, grabbing the invitations and whatever else her mother shoves into her arms on the way out.

"Bye Ari, I'll see you on Sunday."

Bambi's throat was thick with emotion, would she see her mother Sunday? Or would Sean lose his temper and have the wedding pushed back? Or maybe there'd be a funeral instead.

"Bye mom." She whispers but her mother has already shut the door and gone back to her telephone conversation with Mrs. Henry about her future grandchildren.