Forever With Me《Marcelee》

Chapter 5 Part 1

(MARSHALL'S POV)

I was 3 years old.

"Marshall, honey, wake up!" Mom cheerfully woke me up with that sweet, soft voice of hers.

I opened my eyes and rubbed them with my fingers. "Good morning mommy," I said as cheerfully as I could, my voice still hoarse. There was a pleasant smell coming from the kitchen.

"How was your sleep?" She asked with a smile.

"Good," I answered, smiling back at her. I sniffed again, and I smiled wider and was now more active, "Are we having bacon for breakfast?"

"My little demon's favorite," mommy said with a soft laugh.

"Yaay!" I cheerfully exclaimed and jumped into mommy's arms, hugging her. She caught me into an embrace and laughed, a laugh that made me somehow happy and proud of myself, because it felt like I made her happy for simply existing. She took me to the kitchen, and we ate breakfast together.

We lived in a simple suburban home. We were a small but happy family. But, I didn't remember anything about dad. He was very busy, he was always not home. I didn't even have enough time to look at him and study his face, much less talk to him.  All I knew was when there was a man who'd come home for a few hours, wearing a suit and a tie, that's dad. Even he and mommy don't talk much.

On my 4th birthday.

Mommy bought me a teddy bear. I was so happy! I hugged it tight the moment I opened the present and thanked mom. I never had a brother to play with, or a sister to protect. I never had a playmate, but now I got... uh...

"Mom? What should we call him?"

She placed her fingers on her chin, as if thinking deeply. "Hmm. You decide, Honey."

"Honey... how about Hammy? That way I can always remember you."

"Me? Why?" Mommy asked with a soft chuckle.

"I remember you every time I hear 'honey'. It's just honey and mommy put together," I explained happily, happy with the name I'd come up with.

"That's perfect. Oh, come here my sweet boy. You're growing so fast," she said as she hugged me. "I love you," mommy said. "I love you too mommy."

...

When I was four and a half, I heard that dad died. I never even got to see him. I was sad, but we didn't really have that much time together, we barely had memories to remember, so I was not that sad. I didn't even cry.

Mommy was silent. She left for a few weeks and entrusted me to the care of a demon. That demon was a humanoid like us, only that she had red skin. Mom and I had light blue-grey skin. We demons were hunted down by humans these days, which was why dad was never able to stay home for a long time. His working place and our home were too far, and he had to work long hours at a day. He would have been able to go home from time to time, but travelling was hard, he had to go outside and expose himself, Mommy explained after dad died.

Mommy had a few demon friends, so it was easier for her to go out with their help. But I wasn't happy with the demon nanny. She did nothing to make me happy. She only cooked, cleaned and read newspapers. She didn't talk much, but I behaved like a good little boy just like mommy told me to.

I missed mommy during those weeks. I only played with Hammy everyday. He was all that I've got. I talked to him so I wouldn't feel lonely.

After three weeks, mommy came back. I immediately ran to her and hugged her. "Mommy, you're back!"

She smiled dully and put her arms around me.

"Mommy? Are you okay?" There was something wrong. That wasn't mommy's smile, I knew she wasn't happy.

"Honey, give mommy time to rest, okay?" Was all she said, coldly. But I was still happy. When mommy wakes up, we can play together again. I grabbed her hand and dragged her to her bedroom. I tucked her in and kissed her cheek. "Good night mommy."

...

Mommy had been acting strange since dad died. She was not as happy as she used to be. She spent less time with me. It was like she's not happy with me anymore.

I drew a picture of her and colored it beautifully, making sure to stay inside the lines so it wouldn't get dirty.

"Mommy look! I drew you a picture!"

"That's nice Marshall," she said casually, not even looking at the picture. She had been busy with all those papers on her desk. "Mommy?"

"Mommy's busy, Marshall."

I frowned and dropped the piece of paper I was holding. She couldn't even look at me.

...

"M-mommy? It's getting late," I told her. She was sitting in the dining room, with a drink on her hand. She looked stressed. She only looked at me as I talked.

"Mom, aren't you going to tuck me in?" She only looked down and read the paper on her table. I walked towards her, maybe she didn't hear me. Her drink immediately caught my senses. It reeks of a strong, pungent smell.

"M-mommy, are you drinking?"

"Mommy, talk to me!"

"Mommy!"

"Mommy!"

"DAMN IT MARSHALL! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU?! I'M BUSY, NOW GO TO YOUR FU-"

She stopped when she finally looked at me after all those thrasing and throwing. Tears were streaming down my face. I hugged Hammy tight. She had thrown her drink into the floor, just inches to where I was standing, breaking the glass. Some of the shards even got to my feet, but I doubt she noticed that.

"M-mommy..." I panted.

She looked away.  "Go to your room, Marshall."

Since she returned home, she became cold. She easily gets mad at me. She began shouting at me and she drank a lot. We barely had time for each other since.

...

On my fifth birthday.

Surely mommy has remembered. She didn't wake me up today, she never did since that day. I got out of bed and dragged Hammy behind me as I walked to the kitchen.

What I saw suddenly brightened up my day. Mommy baked me a cake! She did remember my birthday! I ran to the table and climbed hurriedly up the chair. I was so excited to see.

It was a chocolate cake, my favorite. The candle had already been lit. It must have for quite a while because almost half of the candle had melted.

But I never saw mommy. I called her name and checked every room. She just wasn't there. I even checked if she left any notes, but she didn't. Once again, I felt sad. She's not here to celebrate my birthday. I looked at Hammy and remembered how different she was a year ago. I hugged Hammy. I missed Mommy, the old her.