The term brings Mary out of her regression. Never have Angeline yelled at her before. And why did she call her Ebony?.
"My name is Maryanne!" The girl yells. It has finally occurred to the woman that her outburst did not go unnoticed. The said name has a significant meaning that is yet to be revealed. Rather than shamefully admiting to her faulty behavior and give the young girl a suitable explanation, she dares to cover it up with an halfhearted apology.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, I didn't know what I was saying. You are Maryanne. Now, can I have the pacifier?" she opens her hand, motioning for the girl to surrender the pacifier. By choice, Mary throws the pacifier across the room as opposed to handing it over in a civil way. Angeline is stunned.
Abruptly, Dario walks in on the action, "That wasn't very nice," his New Yorker accent seeping through the slightest.
"She's not very nice," Mary hops off the bed, darts out of her room and head straight into the kittens' room—locking the door behind. She hides her face in her folded arms—sulking. She can't understand what she did wrong. She thought she would be able to open herself up to Angeline and Dario. Instinctively allowing her confusing headspace to unleash. She couldn't remember when, how or why she initially started experiencing these switches of emotions and behavior that she's never had full control over. To say the least, it has spiraled more recently. She felt embarrassed and triggered from being yelled at, reminding her of those moments when her father went through lengths to correct the behavior and she could never understand why. For that reason, she solely confided in Elaine. The only person who understood her.
Starting now, she vows to suppress these urges the best way she can.
Angeline park herself on the little girl's bed. She sighs—holding the rejected pacifier in her hand. She rubs her forehead.
"What's going on?" Her husband ask. "I heard yelling then I seen Mary throwing something across the room," Dario then realize that the item in question is in the palm of his wife's hand. "What was she doing with that?" It felt like a long time since he laid his eyes upon it. She kept it for all these years.
"I called her Ebony," she confess. Dario present a poker face. Still, Angeline can easily read his mind after knowing him for over a decade.
He sits next to her,"Did she say anything?".
"She yelled back at me," Angeline has Mary's voice on repeat. "She had this in her mouth. I cannot say why because I'm not so sure myself. She said she found it. I asked her to give it back and she refused, so I yelled at her," she puts her head down.
"There are sensible options to rely on, Angie. Yelling at her does not solve anything".
"I know, I was in the moment. I was wrong, but you of all people should understand how I feel". Dario can see the tears in his wife's ocean eyes. He grieved the loss just as much as she did and he never intended to brush it aside. In spite of, having to press on and manage a business for the sake of his family.
"I do understand what those things mean to you. Regardless, her feelings are just as valid as yours. You've upset her and I think you owe her an apology and an explanation ," He express to his wife. "-and I will have a talk with her as well".
"She probably, hates me now," she was finally able to convice Mary to be comfortable with her. Angeline is worried that if Mary back tracks it will dampen things.
"Don't say that, you have to stay positive. Come on" he takes her hand, driving her out of the bedroom.
Maryanne's tangled beach hair is splayed out on the only piece of vinyl flooring in the house. Her arms and legs are stretched out. She looks like a starfish. Dried up tears marks on her face. Lola the kitten climbs down from the cat tree and scopes out the young girl. She licks Mary's hand with her sandpaper tongue to get her attention. Mary jumps at the reaction before settling down again. The kitten proceeds to lay on her back and make air biscuits.
"Your mama is a meanie, Lola," Mary rubs her stomach and the cat immediately purrs. Mary keeps her hand there to feel the vibration.
She never thought that taking the pacifier would be such a big deal. Yes, she had taken it without permission. nonetheless, It reminded her of the pacifier she possessed for as long as she could remember. it was the only thing that was able to soothe her to sleep along side the small baby blanket. She was devastated when they mysteriously disappeared.
At this moment, Mary is able to decipher the voices of Dario and Angeline calling for her. She decided that she doesn't want to listen. Mary grabs two small pillows, holding them over her ears.
-||-
"Dear, calm down, she is still in the house. The system would have warned us if she went outside," Dario says. His poor wife is pacing in the house, sliding her hands through her blonde hair. Her naturally darker blonde hair is starting to peak at the roots. Two months ago, she dyed it a lighter color, had it cut to armpit length, and styled in layers. She still is a natural blonde, but she has the type of blonde that mixes with brown.
"Then where is she? we checked everywhere," Angeline is far from calm. It was their house they should know every nook and crevice. Somehow, when you are in a state of panic you tend to forget everything.
Dario finally noticed Lola coming out of the large flap opening at the bottom of the door "We forgot this room," he points out. They didn't think to check there because it is not the most noticable of rooms because it is a space next to the laundry room.
Angeline quietly thanks her princess with pets and rush to open the door, finding it locked. She looks to her husband, who gently knocks on the door. He subconsciously flexes his arm muscles. He was working out prior with the few weights he have in his office when he doesn't have the time to go to the gym."Bambina are you in here? Can you open the door for us?". They wait in silence. Mary uncovered her ears as she realizes that they are on the other side of the door.
The next time, it is Angeline who speaks, "Honey, I'm sorry for yelling at you. Okay?".
Mary listens to her foster parents distressed sounding voices—desperately trying to get her to come out. She anticipates what will they say next before she choose to cooperate. If only she could see the look on their faces.
She listens in on Angeline telling Dario to 'try again'.
"Let's make a deal. When you come out you don't have to look at us or talk to us". Angeline gives her husband a mean look. Dario holds his finger up waiting for a response from Mary.
The girl judges his deal as fair game. Her next move is to unlock the door and keep her head down. Clearly, the tear marks lingering on her cheeks did not go unnoticed by Angeline. Her first instinct is to comfort mary. She never intended to make the girl cry.
"Maryanne," She puts her hands out, seeking for young girl to abide in her plea. Dario has high hope for his pitiful wife. However, he is learning that Mary is the type of child that is obedient most of the time and also adamant. Withholding stubbornness and pride. He can guess where she obtained those traits.
On the dot, Mary turns a blind eye and brisk into the hollow halls until she reaches her bedroom. She slams the wooden door behind. It forms an echo that rings throughout the large house. Dario roll his eyes at the action.
"We need to go over rules in this house".
-|||-
It's a little after seven and Mary has not left her room. She was called down for dinner and refused to come out. Angeline resorted to keeping her food warm in the oven. In her opinion, cold and soggy tacos are not ideal for eating. Nevertheless, Mary had Frenchie to keep her company, but for a short moment until she demanded to released—meowing and pawing at the door.
Meanwhile, Angeline is sitting crisscross on a yoga mat, facing the sunset—straight posture and closed eyes. She focuses her breathing, listening to the calming ambiance sounds of the outdoors. She lets out an exasperating sigh when her husband decides to interrupt. Angeline lifts herself up from the position, ready to scold her husband with a tempered look. He mirrors her expression.
"I finished typing the rules, anything you want to add before I print?". Dario is just as aggrieved with his wife.
"No," she breathes out. "Te l'avevo detto, si?" coming in as passive and cold.
"I want to be clear because I'm actually aware of other people's feelings," he says in a snarky manner. "You're the one with the attitude," he recognize that it can be unpredictable when his wife uses her mother's tongue with him.
"I don't feel like arguing right now, Dario. I already apologized to her. What more do you want?" her voice gets shaky. As overwhelming it is, She doesn't want Mary to be angry with her. Yet, she's disconnected herself because of the past that she has not entirely disclosed.
"That wasn't an apology, you never said it to her face and you never explained—,"
"How! She hasn't come out of her room".
Mary changed into her pajamas a while ago, after writing several letters dedicated to how much she dislikes Angeline. Something alone the words of 'Angeline is not nice. Dario is cooler than her'. All will be given to Elaine, Dario and Angeline herself. Perhaps she can have the guts to leave her room and place both letters on the kitchen table.
Earlier, Dario stood outside her door to tell her that she was welcome to play a game with him. Her door is unlocked they could simply walk in. What burdened her the most is that she'd thought Angeline would put more effort into her apology. Begging and crying, calling her sweetheart, baby, honey or even something in italian. She didn't have much to say, except stop by with the dinner the girl rejected. Does she still want her here? Mary did not understand why her partaking in the pacifier made Angeline so upset. Did it have some sort of significance? She can only recall it being placed away with items only a baby could have. Did she have a baby? If so, where are they. Is it a boy or a girl?. Was the baby's name Ebony?
The sun has set. everything in her rooms look grey as the day fade into night. Her small collection of stuffed animals has illusionary frowns. It all projected from her emotions. She plays with the two necklaces meshed together on her neck.
"I miss you," she says as if her father was right in the room. Before she knows it, she is drifting off into a light slumber.
After having a heart to heart with her husband with tears and raised voices, she came to a conlusion. She felt ashamed and respected the girls space. Even when she so desperately wanted to see about her. She couldn't force her to eat. Missing one meal won't kill her.
Angeline walk in Mary's dark room. Her solar fairy lights hang on a wall above her bed. The empty walls lacked pictures. Her room is plain like all other guest bedrooms, except it is steadily becoming full of life and personality as the girl makes herself at home. She is humbled to not see the girl curled up on the ground. She closes the drawn curtains, turn on her night light for better lighting. Revealing her sweet face with fingers planted in her mouth. It would be out of the ordinary if they weren't in her mouth. People would say it's a bad habit because you can contract germs and she couldn't agree more, but it is a precious sight.
She touches her curly beach locks. "We have to fix that hair" she kicks herself for not handling it before it tangled. It will be a challenge to get the knots out. She softly grazes her smooth cheek, captivated by her distinctive features.
"Mommy is so sorry". She says in a low voice. "I was being selfish. You are just as important as he is," she says holding back a tear. "I love you so much. In time, I will tell you everything," She puts a lingering kiss on her forehead, adjusting her covers and placing a small item next to her pillow.
"My baby".
●●●