A Voice in Her Room

Chapter: Seven

"Good morning Maebe, how did you sleep?" Mary asked carefully of her daughter. She hadn't heard any cries from her daughter's room, and she didn't come into their room last night...

"Good."

She almost dropped the bowl of cereal she was carrying to the table. "Oh? No nightmares?" Mary asked setting down the bowl as the young girl sat at the kitchen table, hoping for at least a 'yes', and not just a shrug.

"I had a small one, but it wasn't as bad as they usually are."

A full sentence. "Well, that's good..."

Maebe shrugged as she focused on eating her cereal. Mary watched as she did so, practically speechless. When the girl was finished, she left the table for the counter to take her vitamins. Her mother marveled at her left over bowl. She ate half of it. Half. That's the most she's eaten for breakfast in two months.

"Umm..." Mary tore her attention away from the half empty bowl to look at her daughter as she swallowed her last vitamin. "Want me to put your hair up?"

Maebe shook her head while exiting the kitchen, and scratching the back of her neck. "No. Not today."

"Oh... okay..." Mary half mumbled to herself, and following to the font door where her daughter was putting her backpack on.

"Bye mom." Maebe called, adjusting her glasses, and flashing a quick smile before disappearing out the door.

Mary stood, baffled long after the door had closed. She smiled. She actually smiled. She ate half her cereal, spoke a sentence, and smiled. Maebe hadn't smiled since that day. At all. She hadn't even talked as much as she just did since that day. At least not that Mary knew. Her counselor said that Maebe had spoken little, but had at least spoken to her.

This was... sudden. Just... good. But sudden.

Mary didn't know why it surprised her so, it was what she had been hoping for. But it was still so... sudden.

Still elatedly baffled Mary decided she needed some fresh air. Turning around in a daze she found herself sitting on the back step of the house. It was another beautiful day, just like the day of the shooting. As she looked beside her she noticed that a few of the Asters were beginning to bloom again. Many miraculous things were happening today. Mary was soon surprised to find herself genuinely smiling for the first time in a long while too.

All that day Mary's thoughts were on her daughter, but not in their usual worried way. They were hopeful, and optimistic. Something she hadn't been able to remain for quite some time. Things were changing, there was a new feeling throughout the house that afternoon.

When Maebe came home from school she went to her room instead of outside, but only after she said hello to her mother.

"Hey mom."

Startled Mary looked up from her book. Maebe had spoken to her first? "Oh, hey sweetheart! How was school?"

"Good." She called, rushing up the stairs.

Good. Usually it's a shrug. Mary smiled again. Things definitely seemed to be getting better. This she couldn't wait to share with her husband when he came home that night.

Maebe felt her heart beat full of excitement in her chest. She took the stairs two at a time. Well, tried to, anyway. She kept tripping, but eventually made it to the top without becoming injured. She didn't notice that she was smiling slightly as she reached the second floor.

Once at her door she threw it open, her smile now almost grin. But as she stood in the doorway her face fell into disappointment, and a little worry. She closed the door behind her, and ventured further into her purple themed room, searching. Then she got an idea.

She pounced at her closet, and yanked the doors open with a yelp of triumph. But she was thoroughly disappointed again.

But then she noticed something. Something moving out of the corner of her eye.

She turned towards the movement, a new smile stretching across her face.

"There you are!"

"Hey honey." Don Wattkins said as he made his way into the living room, and pecked his wife on the cheek.

"Don, I need to talk to you about Maebe."

"What? What is it? Is she alright?" He asked, worry etched across his face.

"She's great!"

Confused, he crossed his arms. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's doing better today for some reason." Mary explained, getting more excited. "She ate half her breakfast this morning, she actually talked to me, she even said a full sentence, and she smiled! She smiled!"

"She smiled?" Don's eyes widened, taking his wife's hands. "This is wonderful! What got her in such a great mood?"

"I don't know. But she didn't have that bad of nightmares last night." Mary said, not being able to stop smiling.

"Maybe she's getting better."

"Maybe. Lets just hope it stays like this."

"Have you talked to her much?"

"No, I don't want to freak her out."

Don almost laughed. "You're not going to freak her out."

Mary waved his comment away. "Why don't you talk to her?"

"You know, I think I will." Don rested his forehead against his wife's, dropping his voice down to a soft whisper. "Maybe things are finally looking up." With that he pecked her on the lips, then turned to go up stairs.

The mood in the house was most definitely lighter. There was just something about the way the morning went that changed everything. What had happened to Maebe to change her mood? Had it just been the lack of nightmares the night before? But what kept the nightmares at bay?

Mary decided it was best not to question it, and just bathe in the glory. She had an odd feeling blossoming throughout her chest. A feeling that everything was going to be alright. And it made her... happy. That's how she would put it. Simply happy.

Don made his way up the steps, hoping what his wife had said was true, and not just her imagination. Crisis like these could really mess with your head. As he approached his daughter's door, he could faintly hear her soft voice on the other side.

He knocked three times on the drawing covered door. "Maebe?"

"Come in."

Opening the door he could see Maebe sitting on the bed, her music box in her hands.

"Hey sweetheart." Don said cheerfully, making his way over to sit on the bed next to her.

"Hi dad." She said back, glancing quickly at her closet.

"How was school?"

"Good."

"Really? What'd you do?"

Maebe shrugged. "Stuff."

"Stuff?" Don nudged her playfully. "Did you learn anything?"

She shrugged again.

"Hm. Mom told me you seem to be feeling a little better today." He probed lightly.

"Yeah."

"How come?"

She shrugged. "I slept better."

"Really? That's good!"

Maebe nodded, a faint smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

"Be sure to tell that to Mrs. McCullen tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you have any homework?"

Don was simply amazed. Maebe was actually talking. He had yet to hear her say a complete sentence howev-

"Just some math, but it's not that hard."

"Oh... well, that's good."

She nodded, twiddling with the music box in her hands.

"What're you up to?" Don asked, pointing to the box.

Maebe shrugged again. "Nothing."

"Okay, well... what would you like for dinner?"

Another shrug.

Apparently Don had exhausted all her conversation ability today. He laughed silently, and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Okay sweetheart. I'll call you down when it's time to eat."

"Okay."

Don then got up from the bed, and made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

He stood there for a moment, smiling at the sudden change of pace in his daughter's recovery. Perhaps she really was getting better. He paused as he heard her muffled voice on the other side of the door.

"Anyway, this is my music box. It plays the tune from the mockingbird lullaby. That's my favorite lullaby. Do you wan't to hear it?"

Silence.

"Okay!"

There was the sound of the music box being wound up by it's key, then the faint tune singing sweetly from behind the closed door.

Don blinked a few times. She must be playing with her dolls, how sweet! He left her door to join his wife downstairs, chuckling as he heard her continue to play.

Inside the room the music chimed happily, and two shadows stood facing each other, listening to it's song.