Dollhouse

3.0

The voices reached her ears before she saw her family. She could feel the familiar blanket over her body, the pillow under her head and assumed, she was back at her house, in her bedroom. Her husband, Gabriel sat on her right, warm hands enclosing her own. His grip on her hand was soft, like she was fragile and would break if he held tight.

"Lay, she's fine," Gabriel assured his daughter. Mara felt the bed dip with Lalia's weight on the other side, her tiny fingers placing a strand of Mara's her behind hair ears.

She let out a sigh, a slight waver as if she was afraid. "Mom feels cold, Dad. Are you sure she's fine?"

"Yes, Lalia, she's just upset about her father," Gabriel explained to their nine year old daughter.

"Mom barely talked about him," Dothan pointed out, his voice the most distant. "Does that make her sad now?"

Before any of them could respond, Mara's eyes fluttered open, no longer wanting to hear her family talk about her. She sat up on the bed. The rest too surprised to talk at the sudden movement. The first thing she noticed was the lack of her mother's presence, and the thought on its own, oddly caused for her heart to beat erratically against her chest. Her blue eyes darted over the room, dancing over the white vanity next to her bed, then the long mirror leaning against the wall across, to the rocking chair in the corner on which she'd once nursed her children. The rest of them followed her eyes cautiously, as if waiting for her to explode.

"Where's Mother?" Mara asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth like a breath of air.

Lalia looked towards Gabriel, whose brows were drawn close in concern, his brown eyes set on Mara. Dothan's eyes rove over Mara's face, like he'd done the day before when he found Mara in the kitchen, scrambling to clean the mess she caused.

"Mother?" Lalia repeated.

"Dothan, Lalia, why don't you guys go play outside for awhile until I talk with Mom?"

Begrudgingly, the children followed their dad's order, and exited the room. Dothan closed the door behind him. Once they were out of sight, Mara turned back to Gabriel, frowning as she asked, "Well, where is she?"

"Mara-"

Sudden chills ran down Mara's spine, causing for her to shiver as she rubbed her arms over the sleeves of her black dress. Her eyes turned towards the window, expecting to find grey clouds covering the sky, but all she could see was the sun pouring through the unveiled window.

"Here I am." Mother's voice reached her ears before she saw her, and immediately a smile slipped onto Mara's lips. She straightened from her slouched position, watching Mother take long strides into the room, before sitting in Mara's grey nursing chair.

Mara searched Mother's head for any wound, finding nothing. The smile fell off her lips, and she wondered if she'd imagined her mother's head injury, though she'd been certain about the crimson red staining her mother's flawless skin.

"Could you leave me alone?" Mara asked Gabriel, pulling her hand away from his, and placing it onto her lap. His lips remained pursed in a thin line, deep in thought, but he nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead then walked away. Once Gabriel was out of sight, Mara's eyes turned to Mother. "Are you okay?"

At first, Mother didn't answer. She stood up from the chair, strutting across the room and towards Mara's white vanity. Mother took a seat on the white stool with grey faux fur thrown over the top. She watched Mother through her reflection. Mother combed her ebony hair, curls flowing down the sides in smooth waves. "Tell me, Mara, what is the rule on losing your composure in front of others?"