Shattered

Chapter 4

I walk up to the door and ring the doorbell. Shortly after, mom answers. I spot the mirror behind her across the room and I wish for my eyes to narrow and glare at it. They don't. Mom doesn't bid me hello. She just calls out for Ava before walking. She's probably not in the mood to fight with Emma this morning. Especially since Ava was left here overnight. Willow bounds out of the house and skips to the car. I close the door behind me and I have my body back for under a minute before I'm suddenly forced in position in the car.

"Are we gonna go anywhere?" My eyes move to the mirror but I look at Willow. "You know what? Why not?" Willow smiles at me and I turn my eyes back to the road. I will myself to believe it was Willow's smile, not Ava's. I let myself think this is our life. We're going out for breakfast, not Emma and Ava. But it disappears as quickly as it formed. With each forced step, each forced smile, and each forced words, my imagined world of us fades and I'm brought back to reality.

I wouldn't order sausage with waffles. I'd have pancakes with chocolate chip or blueberries and bacon. We seem to both prefer scrambled eggs though. Fruit to the side would make for a nice touch. "Thank you, mommy!" For a second, I hear only Willow's voice. The ringing sound, like a bell. I feel my lips turn up in a smile as I cut the plain waffles. "We haven't gone out together in a while, huh?"

"No, you're always busy with work." I feel my smile go stiff and I turn my attention out the window as a car drives by. In it, I see Emma. The real Emma in the Reflected world. She wears a stiff smile, but I can see even in her eyes, the slight sadness she may hold. There seems to be something else we may have in common. Something she doesn't often show, but often feels, like me. We both love our daughters.

*****

By the end of the day, we've gone out to eat for breakfast, then we just came home and watched TV. It went like that until they both ate and went to bed. I immediately sit up after Emma fell asleep and I can hear Willow's footsteps come down the hall. I hear my door creak open before she runs in and leaps onto the bed. "Can we watch a movie?"

"Now? But we watched TV all day."

"Yeah, but we should watch a movie." I try to hide my smile as we stare at each other, but I eventually crack. In the process, I suddenly remember last night and how Connor had come with movies of his own prepared. He had wanted to watch movies together before. Maybe he'd like to tonight. "That sounds nice. Which reminds me, someone wanted to watch movies with us last night."

"Really?" I nod as her eyes widen. "Who?" I shrug as if I don't know. "Who do you think it is?" She jumps down and runs out. I deeply sigh, letting myself relax at least for a second before I stand up and slowly follow her. She watches me anxiously from the couch as I pick up my phone and dial Connor's number. "Hello?" I smile when I hear his voice. "Hi, I was wondering if you'd like to come over tonight. A certain someone wants to watch movies tonight."

"Well, that's a coincidence." I half laugh, half scoff. "Coincidence, fate, call it what you'd like. Are you coming or not?" Suddenly, Willow jumps up from the couch with wide eyes as if she'd just figured it out. And she just might have. She's no idiot. "Yeah, I'll be there in a little bit."

As soon as I hang up, as springs up to me with a suspicious smile. "Connor!" I raise a brow at her. "How'd you know?" She steps back and shrugs. "The way you talk to him." The way I talk to him? Isn't it how I usually talk to people? "Is he your boyfriend?"

I feel my face start to radiate with heat as the thought occurs to me. "No. He's just my friend. You know this." Willow looks up at me with a confused face. "Why is your face red mommy?" My eyes widen and I immediately turn away. "It's a little hot in here."