Alice

12

"Mom?" I closed the door and dropped my bag on the floor. "Mom, you home?"

Silence. Sighing, I head towards the kitchen. There's a note on the fridge made out to my sister. I try to carefully slip it from under the magnet, but the magnet falls and rolls somewhere. Sighing, I focus on the small paper. 

Ashley,

Went grocery shopping. Should be back around 5.
Love you!

- Mom

"Love you too," I mumbled to myself, flicking the note over my shoulder. She didn't know I was coming, but I couldn't help but feel bitter.

I jogged upstairs and toward my room, eager to be in bed after the three hour ride. Noah was nice enough to have his driver take me home. Perks of being friends with a rich kid, I guess. I hadn't been home to see my mom in a while. She's been calling me a lot, asking to come for a weekend but I hadn't been up for it.

Mostly because I knew my dad would be there.

But he's gone for the weekend – some business trip or something – and I figured now's the time.

And, of course, my sister said she'd be here.

I push open the door and stop.

What.
The.
Fuck.

Blue. My walls are blue.

Except my favorite color is yellow. My walls were yellow. And last I checked, I wasn't a baby. I looked around, disbelief settling in. There's a cradle where my bed use to be, and a box filled with toys and other stuff obviously meant for someone who is not me. I walked over to the dresser and pulled it open. Baby clothes. For a baby. Which I am not.

"What the fuck?" I hissed, slamming the dresser closed. "What the fuck did they do to my room?"

I stormed out of my room and went to the one across the hall from it — my sister's. I pushed it open. It's in tact. Exactly the way she left it.

The front door suddenly slammed shut and voices flood the hall.

"Whose is this? This is your bag, Ashley?"

Ashley.

"No. Maybe it's—"

I left her room and jogged down the steps in time to see my mom pick up the bag. She paused and looked at me.

"Alice!" A wide grin spread across her face. "Honey, you're home!"

My eyes were on my sister. Her hair is red now and cut to the nape of her neck. Other than that–and maybe her tan–she looked the same. Same slender figure. Same innocent look.

I teared my gaze away from her to look at my mother who was eyeing me expectantly. "My room is blue."

She opened her mouth and closed it, resembling a fish out of water. Finally, she settled for a small, sheepish smile.

"Alice, I have some news." She stepped closer to me and pulled me into her embrace. "Honey, I'm pregnant."

Pregnant.

She's pregnant.

She's having another baby.

"And you made my room the nursery?" I asked incredulously.

She immediately pulled away. Clearly I hadn't given her the reaction she'd wanted.