The Dark and the Light

The Secrets

"Mom? Mo-om? Mom, where are you?" the little girl shouted through the large empty halls. A cold gentle hand rested itself on her shoulder causing Mia to jump a little. " You scared me" Mia whined.
With a slight smile on her elegant face, Julia bent down to engulf her child in a hug.
"What's up Mia?"
"I was just looking for mommy. Do you know where she is?"
"She's downstairs calling your babysitter."
"Did you hear that?" Mia asked while looking around.
"Hear what?"
"That beep sound."
"I didn't hear anything."
"Oh, well which babysitter is she calling?"
"Caren." Julia replied while laughing at how short of an attention span this child has.
"Yay! She's my favorite! Well, I'll see you later Julia. I want to play with mommy before she leaves."
"Okay, have fun and be a good little girl little miss."
As Mia ran down the hall towards the kitchen, Julia watched her with so much pride and adoration in her eyes. Slowly turning back towards her private wing, she walked up the long stairway at her own slow pace until she reached the hall leading into her area that only Mia ever went into.
It's pitch black in her living space until she pulls back the long curtains that had previously covered the tree sized windows.
"Much better" she mumbled to herself. Grabbing her watering can, she moistened her lucious asparagus fern and spider plants. "My, how you all have grown." Walking towards her sitting area where she had been when she heard Mia, she settles into her chair, pulling her blanket back over her and returning to her 1888 Paris adventure.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Mia chambers onto the counter where her mother was putting everything she needed into her bag.
"Oh, there you are. I was just about to go looking for you."
"Where are you going?"
"I have to go to work a little early today."
"Why?"
"Because my boss asked me to."
"Oh, can I come with?" Mia asked with hope and excitement in her eyes.
"Not this time hun. But I should be home earlier than usual and I called-"
"Caren," Mia interrupted.
"How did you know that?"
"Julia told me. Did you hear that?"
"No. Whose Julia?" she asked with confusion etched into her face.
"The woman who lives upstairs."
"No one lives upstairs Mia."
"Julia does."
"Take me to her."
"Okay,"Mia says as she starts to climb off the counter and out of the kitchen door.
When they reach the doorway, Mia knocks politely and they both wait for an answer. Suddenly the door opens to reveal Julia.
"What are you two doing up here?" Julia asked with a kind smile on her face.
"Mommy forgot again."
"Oh I see. Well would you two like to come in? I just made some tea if you lovely ladies would like some?"
"Tea party!" Mia exclaimed excitedly.
Sitting around the table with their tea cups, Mia and Julia explained what's happening again.
"It's okay to forget sometimes Margret. We'll always be here to remind you."
"Yeah mommy! Neither of us will ever leave you!"
"But why do I forget? Why do I not remember you?" she asked looking towards Julia.
"We don't know. You haven't remembered me in years."
"Did you guys hear that?" Mia asked