A Little Sane

Chapter 116

Mercedes was lying wide awake around three A.M. staring at the ceiling. She looked next to her to see Jerome lying on his stomach passed out with his head facing towards her. He had an arm protectively around her waist. She could hear the words that came from Jerome and Jeremiah earlier that day after she ran off stage crying. 

"We know things have been hard on you lately.. but we are both here for you.. Everything will be okay beautiful."

"Doll face.. things will get better." 

She gently removed Jerome's arm and climbed out of bed. She stood over Mariana's crib staring down at her daughter. She turned back towards their bed and stared at Jerome. She could visualize all the looks Jerome didn't mean to give Mariana. She could tell he didn't know that sometimes he was looking at her as if she was an alien. She looked back down at Mariana. She wanted her to feel loved and appreciated. Mercedes knew something wasn't right. She would look at both Jerome and the kids and feel nothing. She knew she loved her family more than anything, but she just couldn't feel it when she looked at them. She had felt nothing with Jerome and Jeremiah tried to comfort her earlier. She sank into herself slightly as an overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over her. It was the only feeling she was every feel in a little over a month. Everything bad that had ever happened in her life flashed before her eyes. Everything she felt made her a failure as a person screamed at her. She especially felt that she was terrible mother. She looked back at Mariana. A sweet, innocent and beautiful baby girl. She looked at Jerome one last time before grabbing Mariana out of her crib. Mariana started to fuss. Mercedes gently rocked her.

"Shh.. my sweet baby.. it's okay.. go back to sleep.. everything is going to be okay.. I promise you.."

Thirty minutes later, Jerome could feel the bed was colder than it should have been. He slowly opened his eyes. He quickly set up when Mercedes wasn't there. He looked around the room and she was gone. He climbed out of bed and noticed Mariana's diaper bag and other essentials were gone. He quickly ran towards her crib. Mariana was gone as well. He instantly grabbed his phone and dialed her number.

"What the fuck is going on...? Pick up.. please pick up..."

Mercedes looked in the passenger seat as her phone vibrated. The name in big letters came across the screen.

Menagerie 

Menagerie was Mercedes' favorite word. She loved the way it sounded when it was spoken. She also loved the definition. A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition, or a strange or diverse collection of people or things. She felt Jerome was the human embodiment of that word. The screen turned black. She had set there staring at the fact that Jerome was calling her. She finally looked up from her phone. She stared at Jeremiah's bunker. Her gaze lifted to the rearview mirror. Mariana was sleeping peacefully in her carrier. She unbuckled the carrier and stood in front of the bunker. A light shined on Mercedes and Mariana. 

"Mercedes? Is everything okay?"

"I need to talk to him Karen.. but I can't come in.."

"Let me alert him. Is that Mariana? She is a precious baby."

Mercedes ignored Karen. She waited for what seemed ten minutes before the bunker door opened. Jeremiah stepped out half asleep.

"Mercedes what are you doing here at three in the morning..?"

He noticed the carrier and instantly looked into it.

"My precious princess."

Mercedes set the carrier down. Jeremiah was confused when she brought some more of Mariana's things to him from the car.