“Yes, Deidre?”
“Did you get your happy ever after?”
Her mam was one of the most beautiful people she knew, with hair as red as fire and eyes so green they matched the grass and always shone with happiness when she looked at Deidre. So she didn’t understand the sad light that entered them.
“In a way I suppose I did, Dee. I have you, and that’s happy enough for me.” Her smile was stunning and brought a tug to Deidre’s lips to match.
“Maureen!” The anger in her da’s voice had her cringing as he yelled for her mother. Even at her young age, she knew he’d been at the bottle again.
“Off to bed with you, a stór,” she told her, cov
ering her with her blankets and turning on her fairy light, so it looked as if they flew along her roof.
Together they said their own silly goodnight. “Leprechauns, castles, good luck, and laughter. Lullabies, dreams, and love ever after. Poems and songs with pipes and drums. A thousand welcomes when your dreams come.”
“G’night, Mam,” she whispered sleepily.
A kiss on her head was the only response before sleep took her to her dreams.
*****
When Deidre awoke the following morning, she knew almost immediately that something was wrong. Her mam normally had her fairy curtains open as soon as the sun rose; today they were still closed. Quietly rising from bed, she tiptoed to her door. Pressing her ear to it, she listened closely for movement.
Not hearing anything, she slowly opened the door, and peeking out saw the hallway empty. Walking on eggshells so as not to wake her da, she crept down the stairs towards the kitchen to see if her mother was making breakfast. The day before, they’d watched a cooking show about American southern foods, and her ma had decided that today they’d try making biscuits and sausage gravy. Dee was so excited to try something new and thought they’d be doing it together. But once she arrived in the kitchen, her ma wasn’t there. Deciding, perhaps, she was tired from fighting with her father last night, Deidre thought she would get things prepared for when she came down.
Moving to the small fridge in the corner, she started pulling out the ingredients they’d bought the day before. She removed the fresh rolls that just had to go in the oven, and the sausage roll that would need to be cooked. Next, she grabbed some fruit because Ma always liked to make sure she ate healthily. Even though Deidre would have preferred to slather sweet icing on her biscuits, she knew the fruit would make her happy.
Sitting on the stool that was just a tad too high for her to reach the floor, she crossed her hands and laid her head on them looking at all the food she’d placed on the counter to cook with. Excitement buzzed through her veins as she patiently waited…
And waited…
And waited…
Jumping up with a huff, she looked to the stairs asking no one in particular, “Where is me Mam?”
Having lost her short will to wait, she started going back upstairs calling, “Mam? Are you up?” Still no response. “Mam, I have everything ready!” She sing-songed hoping to rouse her.
When she heard rustling coming from the direction of her parent’s room, she started to feel excited again. Hoping her ma had only overslept, she rushed to the door and waited for it to open. Quietly knocking she whispered, “Mam, are you up?”
Hearing a low moan, she began to worry. Opening the door slowly and trying not to make any noise, she peeked inside. The room was a mess! Holy cow, her ma was never that messy. She often joked she had OCD; whatever that was. The fact Deidre could see spilt makeup across her vanity worried her.
Stepping further into the room, she was shocked to see her mam lying in bed with her face full of bruises, blood caked on the side of her mouth, and a black eye.
“Mam!” she cried, rushing over quickly, careful not to touch her.
Running her fingers gently across her hair, her eyes started to sluggishly flutter open. “Oh a stór, what are ye doing in here?” her Ma asked as her voice cracked painfully.
“What happened, Mam?” She begged to know, tears coursing down her cheeks.
“Nothing, my sweet. Back to bed with ya.”
“But Mam, ‘tis morning.” She was confused now. Surely her mother knew it was the morning. That the sun was high in the sky now.
“Oh dear,” she whispered sounding scared. Deidre watched as an emotion she couldn’t identify entered her mother’s eyes. It worried her in a way she didn’t fully understand, and a horrifying idea occurred to her.
“Mam? Did Da smack you?”
“Nah dear, let’s get you some food.” As she started to sit up, Deidre watched her with what her dad called an eagle eye. She watched every wince and sharp inhale of breath.