Face Of The Monster

***2***

Phoebe Kim is busy and she knows it.

She has recommendations to fill out for psychiatrists. She has family members to contact about a patient who has expressed suicidal intentions. She needs to order a birthday present for her mother from amazon. And she will not be able to do these things later because she is going to a service and reception for Chloe's niece's first communion even though she does not believe in God at all. They will go as soon as they are both showered and changed, and they will leave after Chloe has tired of talking to everyone about everything, which could be quite awhile.

Phoebe Kim is busy, but she is not doing work. Rather, she is opening an email from a certain emmaramos21@outlook.com. It says, Dr. Kim, I saw your email address on your busines card, so I thought I'd send you my story before I come see you today. I understand if you don't have time to read it, so no pressure at all. -Emma.

It's a brief email, probably rushed because "business" is spelled wrong. Still, it makes Phoebe feel good that Emma has taken time out of her day to email the story to her. She thinks it proves that Emma is desperate to share her work behind a thin shroud of defense, the one Phoebe was subject to yesterday.

She opens the attached document. While she's waiting for it to load, Phoebe glances at her phone. Her mother has called twice. Chloe says, should I make pasta salad for the reception or lasagna? or smth else? Phoebe says, how about two glasses of Chardonnay and sex on the back patio? but she erases the message and responds, pasta salad.

There is a knock on the door and just like yesterday, it's Lars telling her that Emma is here. "Okay," Phoebe says. "Tell her I'll be out in a minute." She wants to read the next chapter of the story before she talks to Emma.

"Sure," Lars says. "Oh, and your mom called a minute ago. Says you haven't been picking up your cell phone?"

They exchange an eyeroll. Phoebe's mother cannot go a day without speaking to all four of her children or else she figures one of them is dead. "Alright. I'll give her a call later."

Lars nods and leaves the room. She thinks for a second, like she always does, about how incredibly cute he is. She needs to set him up with one of her nieces; he can't be more than twenty four now. Ella is only twenty two. Maybe she'd like him.

She reads over the new chapter of Emma's story. It's called "Mess", which Phoebe could read into, but she decides not to. She reads the paragraphs, taking in the new characters. If she isn't mistaken, James and Elizabeth are probably her children. Phoebe hadn't known Emma even has children. She had assumed she didn't; Emma doesn't strike her as maternally inclined. She will have to ask her about Dolores, though. She has no idea who that could be.

Her phone dings. Chloe says, I think I'll do lasagne. Phoebe types, Well why the hell did you ask me then? but she erases it and says, K ♡ be home in 1 hr.

She quickly writes an email to the husband of her suicidal patient. Other than that, her work isn't urgent. Phoebe hits send, closes all her tabs except the story, and stands up to invite Emma in.

Emma looks paler today. Sleepier. She has her hair in one long french braid. She smiles at Phoebe when she sees her, still looking weary and spent. "Hello," she says.

When she stands up, Phoebe finds herself looking over Emma's body and thinking, maybe she does have two kids. Her hips are round enough to have produced children and Phoebe can see what look like stretch marks on her stomach when Emma lifts her hands in the air, yawning. She has a milky white stomach dotted with freckles.