The Perfect Family

Within Reach

Matilda scooped another bite of chocolate ice cream into her mouth as she watched mindless cartoons on the television, waiting eagerly for her father to come home from a long day of work.

After behaving like an angel for the last few days, she was more than ready to annoy him again as a slow and steady punishment for killing her mother, which was the only reason she had not run away from him. The opportunity had presented itself many times since they moved into their new home, but running away and having the police send him back to the mental institution seemed like way too easy a punishment for him.  She wanted to make him think that she was on his side, then catch him off guard when he least expected it. That was the only way she could really make him suffer for what he had done.

The door to the apartment opened and her father walked in with a sack full of groceries in one hand, and a beautiful doll in the other.  "Hello, baby."  He said, setting the sack on their ragged dining room table.  "Did you have a good day at school today?"

She ignored his question and snatched the doll from his hand.  "Wow, is this for me, Daddy?"

Her father smiled.  "It sure is."

Her eyebrows knitted together as as she examined the doll. "This doll has blonde hair. Why would you get me an ugly doll with blonde hair when my hair is red?" She stomped her foot down and threw the doll on the floor. "I hate it!  I hate it so much!"

"Now, Matilda." Her father said, picking the doll up with a frown. "You shouldn't be so ungrateful. We don't have very much money right now, so you won't be able to have many toys for a while."

"Mom always bought me toys. She made a lot more money than you do!  You're just a stupid janitor!"

'That's it, baby girl."  The voice of her mother said inside of her head.  "Make him feel bad."

Matilda smiled and decided to take it a step further, snatching the doll from him again. She ripped off the head and threw it at him. "Take this piece of crap back to the store before I scream!!"

"What has gotten into you, Matilda!?  I was only trying to make you happy-"

"Yeah, well, you didn't!"

'Now tell him you HATE him!'

"I hate you, Daddy!  You're a jerk!!"

She could see the beads of sweat forming on his face, and the sadness in his eyes.  But he said nothing.  He just picked up the doll and went into his bedroom, closing the door with a loud sigh. 

She thought he would stay in there for the rest of the night and sulk, but he soon returned with his cellphone in his hand. "Matilda," He said, sitting on their sofa. "I have something to show you."

"What is it?  Another ugly doll?"

He shook his head.  "Please, just have a seat and let me show you.  I think this will make you happy."

Matilda hesitantly took a seat next to him, crossing her arms. "This better be good."

He ignored her snide remark and searched through his phone until he found a picture of a rather pretty teenaged girl that looked like it had been taken in a hurry. "I was going to wait a little longer to tell you this, Matilda." He said, "But you seem so unhappy today, and I really want to cheer you up."

"Who is that?"  Matilda asked, her curiosity peaked to the point that she forgot her agenda to make him feel bad. "Is she one of your friends that live at the house that you like to go watch at night?"

"Yes, but she is also much more to me than that. She is your older sister, Matilda."

"W-what?"