C2 2

After a short pause, "So, Daphne..." Lucinda, Daisy's mother, opened the door for me with a shaky voice.

Since I lowered myself into her vehicle, she's been smiling the same way Daisy did at the café. The novelty of the grin made me wonder whether that was why I kept focusing on it.

Both Daisy and her mother smiled broadly as though it were nothing out of the ordinary. That grin wasn't fake or fleeting; it was clearly a permanent resident.

When I first saw Daisy's parents, I wasn't really shocked, but there was one thing that did stand out. In general, they lived up to my expectations.

Paul, her father, was wearing a wrinkle-free light blue dress shirt. His head of black hair was still thick and full, as if he'd never skipped a week of weekly haircuts. As a businessman, he checked his watch and took calls at appropriate times.

The smell of money was overwhelming around Lucinda. Her expensive clothing and body reeked of it. I could tell by looking at her bright hair that she needed to spend $300 every two weeks on treatments. She wore diamonds that appeared genuine and had nails that sparkled. She had a kind expression on her face.

That's the bit I didn't see coming at all. All the way to their home, Paul and Lucinda had been beaming at me with happiness. Nobody said anything except inquiring about the success of my flight. Every few minutes, Lucinda would peek back at Daisy and I in the backseat, but she would never speak. Simply, she grinned.

I looked about with wide, curious eyes. They had previously shown me around their home's ground level. In any case, I certainly wouldn't use the word "house" to describe it. A few weeks ago, I would have rolled my eyes until my pupils peered into the back of my skull and called it "something house" if I had seen a home like this. Quite possibly a mansion.

Perhaps this is where the affluent, spoiled motherfuckers call home.

As they walked, Lucinda had been keeping up a conversation. She had pointed to a vast, white room that might have been plucked from a tour of the Kardashians' mansions and introduced it as the kitchen. The dining room, the living room, the foyer are all right here...

For a family of three, how many rooms did they need, anyway?

After what seemed like an eternity, Lucinda had ushered me and Daisy outdoors. However, Daisy and I followed in quite different styles. She seemed at ease as she focused on my reactions rather than the potential bedroom options her mother was about to lay forth.

I was only trying to keep my expression neutral, but inside I was in shock since I had never seen such riches before and never expected to.

There was an in-ground pool in the backyard where we were standing. To the extent of an actual pool. I found myself constantly looking at it. I was able to see the whole depth of the pit since the water was so clear. It seemed as if the layout of their backyard revolved around their enormous pool.

As I glanced around, a smile formed on my lips at the thought of how much fun Daisy must have had spending her summers there. Here is where she would have learned to swim, with Lucinda and Paul joining her in the water and recording the experience for future nostalgia.

Later in life, she would have brought her pals here to get a tan with her. They were gossiping about males as they lay by the lake and tried to get the ideal tan. She could throw pool parties on her birthday.

Even though they were just in my thoughts, I could see Daisy's recollections. Is it possible that Daisy saw the last moments of her life? Was she able to choose from an endless supply of flawless seconds?

Lucinda's words, "We wanted to make sure you had your privacy," snapped me out of my reverie. I had to blink my eyes many times before I could focus on the door she was opening to the little building rather than the imagined recollections of Daisy.

They'll be housing you at the pool house, she said.

My first thinking was "well, that explains a lot." I don't see why they would offer me a room as nice as the one they gave to their other daughter. I don't fit in at all with their family. It makes a lot more sense to sleep with the pool noodles, the inflatable rafts, and the towels. When I finally understood this, I nearly let out a sigh of relief. I wouldn't feel quite so much like a fraud.

But as soon as Lucinda opened the door, all of that naive understanding vanished. It wasn't at all like the grimy, claustrophobic warehouse I had anticipated. There was no concrete flooring, only a cot covered in spider webs in the center.

A tastefully furnished room greeted me as I entered. In fact, it was more akin to a studio flat. It was so huge that it even dwarfed the flat I had leased in my native country. There were two white chairs and a white sofa on the beautiful sand-colored hardwood flooring. My mind was racing as my eyes darted all around the place in an attempt to take it all in.

Behind the little front room sat a bed that was easily the largest I'd ever seen. The bed was covered in crisp white sheets, and there were more pillows than could be counted.

In a daze, I found myself pulled to it and heading over to have a closer look. I reached down and touched the fabric, my fingertips moving over it to verify that it was really as supple as it seemed. It wasn't a stark white color as I had expected. The bedding was adorned with lovely needlework in a floral motif.

Seconds before Daisy threw down on the bed next to me and said, "My mom picked out the bedding," I heard her voice. I warned you, Mom, that it was too matronly, and it just doesn't work for Daphne.

Lucinda said a "hmm," and my attention was drawn once more to her. I thought she would correct her daughter's tone, maybe remark on how spoilt she sounded. That this was the last bedding I would ever have, and that she had spent her hard-earned money on it.

She didn't, however.

Lucinda said with a nod, "You might be right," and then she smiled at me once again. 'I can take you to pick out new bedding, Daphne,' she replied softly. "Or we can check out some websites and place an order."

Daisy's eyes became big and she nodded at me like I had done her a favor.

Instead, I shook my head and said, "No," as my fingers continued to trace the luxurious sheets. This is an ideal solution.

As in, "See, Daisy?" Lucinda's voice was upbeat, and her look was one of delighted surprise. "These are great, according to Daphne."

Lucinda said, "Now, Daphne," before either me or Daisy could say anything. You shouldn't be short on anything at this point. She indicated the restroom door off to the right. I stuffed it with hygiene essentials. An all-new set of dental hygiene tools, with some shampoo and paste. Towels and extra blankets are in there," she said, indicating a storage space.

She indicated the top of a huge dresser and said, "You can put all your clothing in here." But," she rolled her eyes, "I persuaded Paul to try to squeeze in the contractors to construct you a decent closet. "Men."

Rapidly responding, "That's okay," I responded. Insufficient; "That's more than enough."

When I stepped in, I set my tiny duffel bag down on the floor. "Here," she murmured, picking it up. As in, "I can put some of your clothes away..."

In other words, "Mom, don't put touch her stuff!" Daisy sighed heavily, showing her frustration. "She has no idea who you are."

As if she were going to abandon the old black bag, Lucinda sighed, "Okay," but then her expression shifted to bewilderment. Did... well, this is your act, Daphne, right? Did you pack your stuff in a bag and check it? Oh, my goodness, has the airport gone crazy? Honey, you should have explained.

To which she replied, "Nope," and I shook my head ever so slightly. In other words, "That's my stuff."

The expression on Lucinda's face gave me the creeps. She made an o-shaped expression with her lips, but it swiftly reverted to a grin. She fought the need to hide her emotions. Knowing it was easy since I was often in a similar position.

"Well then," she nodded once more, setting down my suitcase next to me.

She cast an uneasy glance back, and the quiet stretched. I paused to consider whether or not I could come up with anything to say, but it turned out that I didn't. The phrase "Daphne, I registered you for your courses..." With her grin restored, Lucinda began talking once again.

My eyebrows raised and I was completely befuddled. "Courses?"

"Oh," Lucinda turned back to Daisy, "you were supposed to tell her..."

You arrived to the airport maybe five minutes after we did. Daisy finally got out, "Mom, sue me for summer school not being the first thing I talked to with my sister I haven't known for fifteen years," while rolling her eyes once again to the ceiling.

When asked, "Summer school?" I repeated, glancing between the ladies and trying to ignore the twinge of anguish that Daisy's sobering words had caused.

Lucinda said to me, "Yes dear," while giving her daughter a stern look. "You were meant to hear it from Daisy. After I explained your situation to the school, they were more than happy to help you make up for the time you lost last year.

At her comments, I felt a grimace forming on my face. What did she want me to do, go to class when I didn't have time?

She beamed at me, "Which means you won't have to do another year of school," as though to encourage me to take this good news in. "We'll see what we can do, but you might need a gap year before college."

Expecting another snarky remark along the lines of "Mom, don't be stupid," I turned my attention back to Daisy. She is unable to attend college due to financial constraints.

Daisy, though, was also nodding in agreement with her mother.

Lucinda sighed and said, "Anyway." 'I won't hang around. I realize you ladies haven't had much time to do your makeup. As she turned away from me and headed towards the exit, she smiled at me briefly.

I was so taken aback by the whole thing that I didn't manage to utter a sound until she had already opened the door again.

Inquiringly, "Mrs. Pierce?" I addressed her by her last name since it was printed on the receipt for the plane ticket she had bought for me.

She paused, smiling at me again the whole while. "Lucinda, honey, kindly"

To myself I said, "Lucinda," then glanced down for a while before looking back up at her. And I'm like, "You, um, you didn't tell me how much the rent was."

It was the first thing I'd asked once she let me inside this amazing location. Hearing a numerical value terrified me. Well, what if I just didn't have the money? What was logical to them, I had no notion.

The atmosphere, though, has me wishing I had the money to buy it. Even if I had to work every available hour, I could earn enough money to cover it. When I had rent to pay, I couldn't afford to take time off for things like summer school.

Lucinda's eyebrows furrowed and she cocked her head in her direction. She stopped moving for a second as her gaze swept over me. And I paused, trying to figure out where I went wrong with my explanation.

Then, with a sigh, she started walking toward me again. When she reached the bed, she yanked Daisy's legs out from under the white sheets. She patted the bed next her as she sat down.

I sat alongside her and nodded, expecting the worst. I avoided looking at her face by focusing on my clasped fingers.

She spoke my name softly, "Daphne," and I looked at her. She was frowning at me for the first time since we'd met.

She whispered, "There's no rent," and I had no idea what she meant.

And I believe she read my expression, registering my bewilderment. She sighed once more after taking a deep breath.

When she began talking about "when we adopted Daisy," I felt the chill return to my stomach.

Throughout my life, I had often entertained this scenario in my mind. When I was three and Daisy was two, our parents were killed in a vehicle accident. The reason why Daisy and I were placed with separate households was something I had naturally pondered.

In my head, we were strays being rescued like dogs. Behind a glass partition, I could see Paul and Lucinda comparing Daisy and me. Ultimately, they decided to take Daisy, leaving me behind.

She spoke the words again, "When we adopted Daisy," as if she could sense my disinterest. You were already a part of a new family via adoption. We can't believe the adoption agency separated you. We just arrived a week after their first contact with us.

We warned them repeatedly that they should have waited. The two of you would have been perfect for us.

As she talked, I felt my gaze go downward. As if rolling my lips together might alleviate the burning pain, I did so.

There was obviously nothing we could do about it, however. It was a closed adoption, so nobody knew who you were or where you were, and she drifted off again with a sigh.

To paraphrase what she said, "So," she added, "as far as I'm concerned, Daphne, you are the part of our family that's always been missing. Paul and I had been waiting for the time when your DNA will match Daisy's. She flashed me another grin. It's here at last. Don't stress out about maintaining your health any more. We want to provide you with just that. Finally."

As I studied Lucinda, I saw tears rise up in her eyes. She seemed to be struggling to keep her emotions in check. Before she got back up, she stroked my leg softly. She turned and headed for the exit without a backwards glance.

I was left to attempt to make sense of what she had just said to me.

A cry for Daisy came from Lucinda before I could finish.

After hearing her mother's voice, Daisy sprang down from the bed and hurried to answer the door.

I took a long breath and looked about the lovely space, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Something was building up inside of me, but what it was, I wasn't sure.

It was mild, like a little rising in my stomach. Stop worrying about maintaining your own health. The words of Lucinda kept playing in my head, and I saw that my own eyes were more watery than normal.

Do you think I could? For a very long time, I had been looking after myself.

And then I started to understand that mysterious sensation. Had they hoped? That's how it felt, at least.

Because maybe... just maybe there was still a chance for me to metamorphose into a butterfly.

The way Daisy sang out my name, "Daphne," was beautiful. Are your shoes still on? Put them on again if you took them off.

Daisy returned to the pool house and showed me a plastic black rectangle as she entered.

You may expect to hear, "We're going shopping."