C94 Like A Mother-Bear

Annabelle tossed the phone onto the freshly made bed with a frustrated flick of her wrist.

It landed atop the crisp, unfamiliar sheets.

And for a fleeting moment, she stared at it, willing herself not to pick it up again.

She clenched her jaw, pushing away the nagging thought that she had just snapped at the one man who could help her navigate the chaos she’d unleashed.

Instead, she turned her back on the phone and the guilt simmered in her chest.

Mauve sat slumped in her wheelchair near the door, her expression clouded with defeat and something Annabelle couldn’t quite name.

Annabelle didn't spare her a second glance as she walked over to the door.

Then she gripped the handle to yank it open.

She was desperate for air, for space.

Anything but the suffocating tension in the room.

She knew her mother couldn’t wait to leave too.

“You can…”

She froze when she saw Cathy standing there.

The twelve-year-old’s dark brown hair, unkempt and slightly frizzy from sleep, framed a face that looked far too old for her age.

Her wide hazel eyes brimmed with unease, and her arms hung limply at her sides, as if some weight held them down.

“Cathy?” Annabelle’s voice cracked with anguish as her sister’s name left her lips.

The moment stretched taut between them, and Annabelle's heart plummeted as she realised Cathy had overheard far more than she should have.

If not, her sister would never look that way.

Cathy’s gaze flicked toward Mauve, but their mother didn’t seem to notice.

Lost in her own thoughts, Mauve wheeled herself out of the room, pausing only to mutter, “I am your mother. I will not let you do it.”

Her tone was defiant, yet hollow, and she disappeared down the hall without even glancing at her youngest daughter.

Annabelle’s attention snapped back to Cathy.

The little girl’s disillusioned expression made Annabelle’s chest tighten painfully.

Cathy looked older than twelve, her innocence tainted by things she shouldn’t have heard. Annabelle longed to wrap her arms around her sister, to shield her from the ugliness of their reality.

But she hesitated as she was afraid of scaring her further.

“Anna,” Cathy said finally, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry.”

The apology shattered something inside Annabelle.

Cathy was apologising.

As if she had done anything wrong.

Overwhelmed, Annabelle pulled her sister into a fierce hug.

She buried her face in Cathy’s hair, which smelled faintly of lavender shampoo.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Cathy,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Nothing at all.”

She guided Cathy into the room and closed the door behind them, sealing off the rest of the world for just a moment.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she gently rocked her sister, who clung to her like a lifeline. Cathy’s tears soaked into Annabelle’s sweater, but she didn’t care.

She stroked Cathy’s back and started murmuring soft reassurances until the sobs subsided.

When Cathy finally pulled back, her tear-streaked face was etched with worry. “Anna… I didn’t mean to listen. I didn’t… but I heard…”

Annabelle’s heart sank further. “What did you hear?” she asked softly, though she already suspected the answer.

Cathy hesitated, her hands twisting in the hem of her oversized hoodie.

The hesitation was answer enough.

Annabelle swallowed hard, fighting back the wave of guilt that threatened to drown her. “I’m sorry, Cathy,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’m so sorry you had to hear any of that.”

Cathy shook her head. “It’s not your fault,” she said, her voice small but steady.

Then, after a pause, she asked, “Is Mom… is she a bad person for letting da… Tad do what he did?”

The question cut through Annabelle like a knife.

She closed her eyes, struggling to find the right words. “Mom isn’t bad,” she said finally, her tone measured. “But… she trusts the wrong people. She always has.”

Cathy frowned as she absorbed that for a moment.

The room was silent except for the faint hum of the newly-installed heater.

Annabelle braced herself, knowing what she needed to ask next but dreading the answer.

“If you had to choose…” she began tentatively. “Would you stay with me, or with Mom?”

Cathy’s brow furrowed, and she looked down at her hands. “Would you and Mom fight?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Annabelle exhaled slowly, her shoulders sagging. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I hope it doesn’t come to that. But if it does… I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

Cathy’s eyes darted up to meet hers. “You don’t think I’ll be safe with Mom?”

Annabelle’s throat tightened, but she forced herself to be honest. “Not if Tad comes back,” she said quietly.

The air in the room seemed to grow heavier.

Cathy’s hands stilled in her lap. “Do you think he will?”

“I’m sure of it,” Annabelle replied grimly. “And I’m just as sure that Mom would let him back in.”

Cathy bit her lip, her expression conflicted. “Where would we go?” she asked after a long pause.

Annabelle hesitated.

She hadn’t thought that far ahead, but she knew she couldn’t let Cathy see her uncertainty. “How do you feel about staying at Dante’s place?” she asked, trying to sound confident. “You could go to school there, be away from Tad’s threats…”

Cathy’s gaze flickered with something Annabelle couldn’t quite understand. “I liked it there,” she said cautiously. “Everyone was nice to me. But… the men standing around all the time… it’s like they’re waiting for something bad to happen.”

Annabelle nodded, understanding her sister’s unease. “I know it’s not perfect,” she said gently. “But it’s safe. And that’s what matters. We will be safe. Dante will make sure of it.”

Annabelle marvelled at how firm that conviction was in her mind.

She wasn’t just placating her sister.

She somehow believed that with everything in her.

He would keep them safe.

Cathy didn’t respond right away.

She seemed lost in thought.

Her young face was weighed down by adult concerns.

Annabelle wanted to tell her sister it was okay to feel unsure, but before she could, Cathy looked up. “Do I have to decide now?”

Annabelle smiled faintly. “No,” she said. “You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just think about it, okay?”

Cathy nodded, though the apprehension in her eyes lingered. “Mom will be mad at me,” she murmured, her voice tinged with guilt.

Annabelle leaned forward, placing a hand on her sister’s knee. “You don’t have to worry about that,” she said firmly. “Mom might be upset, but she loves you. She’d never be mean to you.”

As Cathy left the room, Annabelle watched her go with a mixture of pride and heartbreak.

Cathy was so much stronger than any twelve-year-old should have to be.

But if Mauve turned her frustration on Cathy… Annabelle’s jaw tightened.

She wouldn’t let it happen.

If her mother crossed that line, she’d see firsthand what a mother bear could do when her cub was threatened.

Shaking off the thought, Annabelle reached for her phone.

The memory of how happy they’d been at the hospital flashed through her mind before she shrugged it away.

She hesitated with her thumb hovering over the screen.

Then, with a steely resolve, she made the call.