Unlike the first time – unlike the times he’d seen her at all, after the house ( in the house? oh God– ), at the clinic, at Nell’s funeral – there is no immediate dread that his mind is fracturing like he thought hers was.
( Maybe it did fracture, but only under the bend of the house. If it weren’t for the house, it might never so much as even cracked, or splintered. Nor her head. )
“Hey, Mom,” he says, quiet in the night; Leigh is sleeping in their bedroom, her hand probably still laying over her flat stomach. Having a children would be a mistake, would be a curse, an heirloom of a killing house and it’s feast of trauma, but he and Leigh have talked about it since… He’s still surprised she let him come home.
( “Do you really think I give up on people that easily, Steven?” He almost wishes, for her sake, she would. )
Stirring a cup of tea ( no need for vodka tonight ), he seats himself back on the sofa. The only light on is the overhead fan, casting dim murky light and stretching shadows; he can only just make out his mother’s silhouette, but he can tell it’s her instead of Nellie. “You wanna sit down?” Do you want to talk? I’ve missed you.
━━ 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 s e l d o m 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗇𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖺 𝖿𝖾𝗐 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗎𝗍𝖾𝗌 ( 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 ) 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗋 p r e s e n c e 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐𝗇 . 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗇 , 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽𝖾𝖽 a s s u r a n c e 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝖿𝖾 . 𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 ( 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖾𝗅𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍 ) 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝗈 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 . 𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗁𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗁𝖺𝖽 t a k e n 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗇 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝖾𝗋 . 𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗈 s u r v i v e 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗈𝗐𝗇 , 𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍 n e e d 𝗁𝖾𝗋 . 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗏𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗆 .
𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗍𝗈 w a ke u p . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗍𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗎𝗉 . 𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝖺'𝗌 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝖿𝗅𝗎𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 , 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗂𝗍𝗌 c o n t r o l 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺𝗉𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 . 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖽𝗈𝗇𝖾 , 𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗓𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 ( 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗋𝖺𝗋𝖾 ) . 𝗍𝗈𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 , 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖺 b r i e f 𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗌𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝖾𝗋 , 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗋𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝗈𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 . 𝗇𝗈 r e d . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋 e l d e s t 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾𝖽 . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗁𝖾'𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 , 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝗎𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽 . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾 𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗐 .
𝗁𝖾 𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 , 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗆 . 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾 , 𝗁𝖾 𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗐 . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝗂𝗆 ( 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 w a n t e d 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗄 ) . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗉𝗉𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 , 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝗐𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗎𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝗁𝗂𝗆 . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗍 , 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗁𝖾 r e a c h e d 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗁𝗂𝗆 . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗎𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗆 , 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 . 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽 , 𝗍𝗁𝖾 d a r k n e s s 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 , 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗂𝖾𝖼𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾 f o u g h t ( 𝖺𝗅𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗂𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖾𝗂𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖾 ) . ━━ ❛ 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎 , 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 , 𝐈'𝐕𝐄 𝐌 𝐈 𝐒 𝐒 𝐄 𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 . ❜ 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝖿𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗌𝗉𝗈𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉𝗉𝖾𝖽 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗆 .
𝖻𝗎 𝗍 𝗁𝖾 b e l o n g e d 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 , 𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝖽 ( 𝗁𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝗐𝖾𝗅𝗅 ) . 𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀𝖾𝖽 h o m e ! 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗐 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 . 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝖺𝖻𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾 .