Dominion

Neighborhood Threat

MaryAnn kisses Timon at the front door just after closing it behind him. He holds her waist and she leans back. Her glassy eyes wander, then look to him with some eagerness.

"Is everything alright?" he asks.

"Have you seen the news?" she asks. "They were talking about it at The Marmot today. We didn't know how to spin it. We don't want to freak everyone out—you know?"

Timon feels his throat again.

"Everything is going to be okay, dear," he says, attempting to keep the family calm. "I'll make us some dinner. Okay?"

He leaves MaryAnne at the door and starts toward the kitchen, but she intercepts and leans into him.

"They said the U.S will intervene. It could be war," she whispers, her warm breath on his neck.

"Just take a seat, darling. Come..."

Timon takes MaryAnn by the hand and walks her to the dining room table.

"Don't brush me aside, Timon. We have to find out what we are going to do."

Timon turns back to her. "I'm not brushing you aside. It's just—"

"What?" she asks as she pulls out a chair and sits at the table.

"There is nothing to do. All we can do is get through the night without too much excitement."

They look into one another's eyes for a moment before he fetches a cup of ice water. Timon watches her take a sip before he walks off to the master bedroom to change.

MaryAnn drinks the water and falls into her folded arms on the table. Marie comes silently to her side, placing her small hand on MaryAnn's back.

"Is everything okay, Mommy?"

"Yes, dear, why don't you go to your room. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

"I'm not done with my homework, though."

"It's okay, we can finish it up after dinner," she says, feeling for the first time homework is no longer a concern.

Marie hugs her mom and waddles off down the tall corridor to her bedroom, leaving her door slightly cracked. She hears Jack and Havel jumping around in their room while she sits with a piece of cardboard to draw.

Marie's pink-walled room is her favorite place. She always preferred to do school work in her room until the family psychiatrist told her parents it was best to have separate rooms for sleeping and studying. He said it had a dramatic impact on the efficiency of her work. But she still spent most of her time alone in the room. She did not get along with her rowdy brothers, and she never made any outside friends, always considering her mother to be her best friend.

Timon reappears wearing his white undershirt and black suit pants. He notices his wife still lying in her arms at the table where he left her. Timon hoped to avoid the subject for at least the night. He knew she may turn this all into another reason to leave the suburb.

He opens the refrigerator and pulls out a plate of salmon that had been marinating in the chilled air, then preheats the oven.

Timon strolls to the table and sits down next to MaryAnn. He takes her hand and places it in his.

"Everything will be alright. I'm sure this will all blow over. Just stay calm, at least for the kids' sake."

Timon leans over and looks down the hall, catching Marie peeking through her bedroom door.

"Close the door, Marie," he calls out to her.

Marie obeys.

Timon sits back in his chair, and MaryAnn turns to him with a forced smile.