Escaping Pink

Papa 2

"Alright, I have the food, the diaper bag, and- oh! I have to grab the drinks."

"Let me do it, you go get Candace," I tell Ava.

"No George, I'll get the drinks," she says.

"Honey, listen, all you have to do is spend time with her. She just doesn't know how to act around you yet," I say with as much patience as I could muster. I've been married to Ava for two years, it just doesn't make sense for her and Candace to not get along.

"She hates me," Alicia huffed, stomping into the kitchen. "I really am trying George, but she's so distant. And even when she does talk to me, it's only when she plays with those creepy dolls." An adorable frown is placed on her face.

I walk up to her and kiss her forehead. "Okay. I'll grab her alright? You two can try and bond on the way there."

She nods and picks up the case of Dr. Pepper to bring to the car. With a sigh, I turn and head upstairs. I can hear Candace talking in her room. I expected for her to spend most of her time in her room either listening to music or talking loudly on the phone at thirteen, but no, she still plays with the dolls her mother gave her.

I pause outside of her door. I know it was hard losing her mother, but the dolls and all the photos of her and wearing her clothes is just unhealthy. I put a smile on my face before knocking and walking into her room. She whirls around to face me, holding a Ken doll.

"Hi sweetie, I was just coming up to check on you," I look around her room. It may be wrong, but I hate my daughter's room. She keeps it cold at all times and has turned it into, basically a shrine to my dead wife, Amber. It's a severely eerie place to be.  "What were you up to?" I ask her.

"I was playing Dad," she smiles and turns back to the bedroom model she and her mother put together so long ago. "This doll is you," she says, holding up the Ken doll. "I'm the baby doll right there," she points. "And the Barbie is Ava."

I try to keep a frown off of my face. "Oh. And what are Ava, Candace-"

"Baby Doll," she interrupts. Her voice is serene, and a little raspy. As if she has just woken up from a trance.

"Right," I smile again. "What are Ava, Baby Doll, and I doing?" I ask.

There's a moments silence as she stares at the model room, with all it's details and dolls. I step forward to get a better look. From what I can tell, Ava is laying horizontally across the large bed, with a piece of paper on her chest. Maybe she's reading? The baby doll was on the bed too.

"We're just hanging out. You were about to come join us," she says in a small voice. Glancing at her, I see she has a little smile on her trance like face.

"Sounds coll. And um, what's the purple stuff on Ava's arm?"

"It's marker, a tattoo. I think she'd look great with a tattoo."

I laugh. "Is that so? Well we're ready to leave. Vacation time! Come on, in the car. Leave the dolls, Candace."

"Alright Dad," she kneels to put the Ken doll, me, on the bed with the others and leaves without a second glance.

I look at the dolls one more time. I can't help but think the purple marker on "Ava's" arm looks more like a bruise. And why isn't the baby doll dressed? I know Candace has lots of clothes for her.

I shake my head to clear it. Those dolls are creepy.