An Ordinary Life

Epilogue: Back to Normal

"I heard what happened in the newspapers. I can't believe someone would do such a terrible thing!" Mercy's cyan irises glued to the well-defined, feminine visage of the woman seated beside her on the living room couch, the soft, plump cushions beneath each of their unique physiques serving as a suitable source of generous comfort. "I know! It was horrible. Theodore was thankfully arrested." Clara's soft, sweet vocals, taut with a kind warmth, piped up from her position in a plump armchair, whose locality remained perched within the cozily decorated room's opposing corner. Without forewarning, two wee, fur-clad creatures breached into Mercy's family's living room in a swift dash, a pair of diversely bred dogs thrilled by the excitement of a childishly playful round of tag. Patches trailed behind Talulah in an adrenaline-fueled chase, his fluffed tail streaming behind him in a black and white blur. The stout, fawn-colored pug maneuvered betwixt the seated woman's bent legs, a warm, kind-hearted chortle sliding past her rosy, grinning lips, her joyful baby blue irises transfixed to the innocent scene. "Oh, did you get a new dog?" Whilst Ansara uttered a harmless query to Clara, the brown-haired woman's intently observant gaze swapped its focus unto Mercy's mother leisurely seated over yonder. "That's Talulah. She's Molly and Isaiah's dog. We decided to keep the pug when we adopted Molly." With a cheery smile of her own, Clara informed in riposte, her femininely bijou, svelte palm gesturing to Talulah in a brief, natural motion.

     Like the beaming sun gifting the world with its precious light, Ansara's entire visage lit ablaze with a fresh, joyful lathering, her already present smile widening a tad. "I've heard a lot about Molly. Where is she now? I'd love to meet her!" She chirped, her optimistic enthusiasm provoking Mercy's own bow-shaped lips to twitch into the faint beginnings of a smile, an expression which had been specially bestowed upon her at birth. "She's at the graveyard currently, visiting Isaiah's grave. Miraz accompanied her to keep her safe." Clara's poised, curvaceous physique shifted idly in awkward, wary-induced movements, an apologetic shine soon conquering the dark forest-like greens of her eyes. "Miraz and I have become quite overprotective. We're still cautious over what happened with Theodore." Ansara's cranium, adorned by braided chestnut locks, bobbed in a sympathetic nod, her pasty features twisting in understanding with such suddenness that one would have hardly been supplied with the proper time to blink. "I understand, Clara. No one blames you, either."

     The sharp rapping of flesh upon a wooden door shattered the peaceful silence, the familiar sound an iconic alert that an unbeknownst individual had arrived upon the Mystic family's oak-carved porch. "I'll get the door." Mercy proffered in a decision that came quite naturally to her, her body already rising to her slim haunches so as to permit her soles to flatten upon the lurking floorboards beneath. "Mercy, please do be careful. How about I come with you?" Clara piped up, her usual serene, undisturbed vocables doused with anew, heavyweight frets. "It's alright, Mom. If it's a sketchy stranger, then I'll just close the door." As Mercy's silhouette dispersed down the awaiting corridor at an unconcerned stroll, Ansara sluggishly following in pursuit after having bid the living room couch adieu. "I'll stay near just in case." The middle-aged woman reassured Clara while peering over her shoulder; however, the inevitable gyrating of her skull resulted so she could be aware of where her shoe-garbed feet treaded. Upon having finally journeyed towards her shut front door, Mercy's fingertips slipped around the cold knob in a mere coil, the simple twisting of her lean wrist allowing her to witness who loitered patiently in wait at her oak-crafted doorstep. "Who is it?" The juvenile girl inquired, her cyan irises perceiving the steadily increasing view of a stock-still lad's youthful visage the further the door creaked open. Mercy swore her jaw could've dropped right at that moment, such an unexpected encounter having internally stunned her senseless. "Mercy? Hi. It's Percy Young from the local church. It's good to see you." His lips curved into a sweet, angelic smile, his hazel orbs kindly locking with Mercy's so as to initiate a respectful maintenance of recently adapted eye contact.