1989
Lily watched with tears streaming down her face at the small cherub face of the precious baby girl that slept in the crib in front of her. She clutched the pillow in her hands tightly, her fingernails digging into the soft fabric. "You'll soon be mine baby Belle." she said just above a whisper. The room seemed to be closing in on her as millions of thoughts raced through her mind. Could she bear the guilt of having taken another's precious miracle? She knew the pain Belle's mother would feel once she found her daughter's corpse peacefully lying in the crib she had placed her in for safety and security. Her head hung low as she remembered the first moments she had spent with Thaddeus. She remembered the mysterious warmth that his body emulated and the look on his face once he had settled down comfortably in his mother's embrace. Could she really steal those memories away from Mrs. Sorento and replace them with horrible nightmares? She heard a loud crash and turned her attention towards the noise. There hidden behind the shadow of Belle's dresser was Thaddeus, carefully studying his mother's actions. A different feeling boiled within her and clawed at her very core. It was not sympathy, not remorse, not a longing for her past self, not even jealousy- it was anger. An anger that had sat dormant in her lifeless body for centuries. Her memories went back to the night Hamish had given her what she thought would be the best news she had ever heard; Her son was alive and would be back into her loving arms once again. To her disappointment, the thing she had found in that crib wasn't her innocent little boy. It was a blood-thirsty, demonic creature who used the shell of her deceased son's body as a host. She snapped out of her thoughts and without hesitation she brought the pillow down onto the unsuspecting infant's face. She held it in place for what seemed like hours before Belle's cries for help were muffled out and the struggling had stopped. Lily watched closely as Belle and her soul became two. The transformation that had taken place in front of her was far more beautiful than any treasure she could've received. Lily felt as though she had just watched the birth of her daughter from another's point of view. She reached down and lifted the baby who continued to whimper and wine into her arms. Lily was pleased with herself. For the first time in her life she had seen what she wanted so desperately and simply took it, disregarding all others. Lily turned on her heels with Belle in her arms and looked back only too see the lifeless body that Belle once harbored. Mrs. Sorento's feelings didn't matter to Nora. Nora had her dream baby and there was nothing that could tarnish her happy spirits.
The following morning, Lily had left little Belle in the basement in Evan's safe care. Lily stood in the shadows as she watched Mrs. Sorento's happy voice chirped through the halls of the large house. "Good morning, my baby." she said as she walked into Belle's nursery. When she noticed that the infant's eyes were closed she paused, slowly creeping over to the side of the crib. She sighed happily and rested her arm on the bed. Love for her daughter shined brightly in her soft hazel eyes. "Belle." Mrs. Sorento whispered as an attempt to wake the infant. "Belle." No response. She leaned in closer, rubbing her index and middle finger down Belle's arm. She quickly retracted her hand as she felt how ice cold her skin was. As she stood observing her, tears quickly formed in her eyes. "No." she said quietly. She placed her hand on Belle's chest. No movement. A shriek finally managed to escape her lips as she fell to her knees. "Daniel!" She cried out, looking around for her husband. "Daniel!" Her screams of agony shook Lily's very core. Mr. Sorento ran in quickly. "Lydia." he spoke loudly. "It's Belle, she's not breathing!" She shouted. Mr. Sorento rushed to his daughter's side, lifting her limp body into his arms. Tears of pain streamed down his face as he clung onto his daughter. "We have to get her to the emergency room! Daniel, she's not breathing!" There was something about Mrs. Sorento's voice that opened up Lily's eyes. The sound of her voice described exactly what Lily had felt when she found Thaddeus's dismembered remains. "It's too late, Lydia." Mr. Sorento whispered, sobbing into the baby's head. "She's been gone for a while." Mrs. Sorento latched onto his ankle and sobbed uncontrollably into the leg of his khakis. That's when Lily realized the terrible error of her action. She closed her eyes tightly, wishing that when they opened this would all just have been a dream and Evan would be standing there, talking away. But to her dismay, the scene of a mother and father who had their daughter's short life stolen away from them still played on.
2012
"Taissa, huh?" She said, dusting off a space on the mattress beside Evan. "Is she nice?" Evan glanced at his mother. "I've only seen her once. I was thinking that you could maybe sign me up with sessions with her dad, Dylan. He's a psychiatrist. I could-" Lily held up her hand to quit his rambling. "Woah, woah, woah. Slow down, Mister." "And how would we pay for these sessions?" Evan sat pondering for a moment before suggesting, "You still got Hamish's stash? We could use his money. It's not like we are going to any shopping malls any time soon." Lily chuckled, seeing the flare of hope for the first time behind Evan's determined brown eyes and she liked it. "Alright. It's young love and we have plenty of time." Evan smiled brightly. This was a new behavior for Evan. Ever since he was a little boy he was always quiet and somber, careful to never get too excited. Depression was his standing mood. "You can go over to the neighbor's and use their phone, Mom. Could you go right now?" Lily smiled and sighed, knowing that Evan never asked unless it was of upmost importance. "I guess I could, but only for you my little prince." She gave Evan a kiss on the cheek before rushing over to the neighbor's. Knock. Knock. Knock. The door swung open revealing an older woman with a sweet smile. Lily looked at her intently. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I am lost and I was wondering if I could use your phone." The old woman nodded, "Of course, young lady." Little did the woman know that she was the younger of the two. "It's in the back room, right near the door." She allowed Lily to help herself. Lily quickly rushed over to the phone, dialing the number Evan had given to her. A rough, ragged voice answered the phone. "Hello?" "Hello, is this Dr. Cade?" Lily asked, surprised at the sound of his voice. She thought psychiatrists usually had a voice that would soothe their patient. "Yes, do you need an appointment?" 'Yes' Lily thought but she suppressed them. "I do, not for me but for my darling boy." she answered. "Sounds wondedful, when were you thinking the session could be?" Lily smirked to herself. "We've got all the time in the world, Dr. Cade. We can meet at any time."
