Dominion

Cloudy Tuesday Morning

"Okay, no problem. Babysitter?"

"Yeah. I got to go, alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you. Tell Marie I said hello. And sorry about the hectic day today—we can't control the world, we can only report on it," she says with a laugh.

Just as MaryAnn ends the call and throws her phone back on the passenger seat, it rings again.

MaryAnn reaches for the phone but hesitates. It's the homeschool teacher—Mrs. Zarate. Mrs. Zarate was always urging her to come home so that she may leave. She is always paid for any extra time spent, but it is always at the expense of her other students.

MaryAnn allows the phone to ring three times before she succumbs to the pressure—answering it on speaker again.

"Mrs. Zarate, is that you?" MaryAnn says, but the voice responding is robotic and broken.

"...Have you... but it is too late, let me kno-..."

"Hey, I can't hear you. I think I'm in a bad area. Zarate?"

"Marie...that's why Havel's book got wet...tell...have to go."

"I'm almost home, Mrs. Zarate. Just five minutes, please."

"See you, see you."

Zarate hangs up before MaryAnn can find a straight in the road where she can look away and end the call.

As she reaches the threshold of her neighborhood, MaryAnn's thoughts drift back to her conversation with Sarah. That day at work, there was a press release from Moscow about tensions between Russian and Ukraine. The release was nebulous and did not involve any direct threats, but The Marmont Periodical knew their competitors would be spinning the story to excite and pull more viewers. When she left, it was still up in the air whether or not the Periodical would follow suit.

When MaryAnn gets home, Zarate stands out on the sidewalk, waiting for her in the light afternoon breeze.

...

An hour later, MaryAnn is sitting on the marble floor outside the kitchen with her daughter, Marie, assisting in building a wooden block house. Mrs. Zarate had been teaching the children about human evolution that day, and she had left out a whiteboard display titled "The Ascent Of Man," written in bold black marker. There was a printed image of the progression from ape to human, with a vague marker drawing of Africa. Considering the children are so young, MaryAnn wonders if they can understand the subject—but this thought is interrupted by a dangerous block placement by Marie.

"That's good, dear, be careful. Don't let it fall," MaryAnn says as Marie places the highest block yet.

While attempting to place a roof on the structure, half of it collapses and clatters over the marble. Marie growls tantrumously but soon finds herself smiling as her mother leans in for the rebuild.

In the kitchen, the microwave time expires and chirps.

"One moment, dear," MaryAnn says, "take a seat at the table."

MaryAnn stands and straightens out her green shirt before walking to the microwave and pulling out a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese. After stabbing a fork into it, she places the bowl on the fogged-glass dining table where Marie had already sat down.

"Your father should be home soon. Would you like to watch cartoons?"

"Okay."

...

Several potted plants grow tall beside large casement windows that disrupt the royal blue wallpaper of the Finch living room. Jack chases Havel through the space where Marie watches cartoons beside her new blockhouse, their course set through the blocks. Her structure is gracelessly demolished by Havel, who trips over its north side like it were a wooden crate left on an active racetrack. Even after his fall, Havel clutches the stolen stuffed animal that triggered the chase—Jack's stuffed animal. Jack stands over Havel and rips the animal from his hands.