Chapter 5: A Day of Mourning

"I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time."

-Charlie Brown



By seven that night Maria was certain that God was giving her a break for once. Kate had woken up shortly after they had arrived at the hotel. Totally calm. She had fallen back asleep an hour later. Maria hadn't been able to sleep at all but the girls were snoring away. The ordeal had exhausted Kate and she slept like she did after every night terror. After they had all fallen asleep Maria had called her step-father. Adam was a licensed child psychologist, he had treated Paige and Zoe after their brother died. He had been treating Kate ever since her father had snatched her. Kate never talked about the time during her ordeal, but the night terrors had started right after she had been returned to Maria. The police had told Maria that no charges would come against Joe for the kidnaping stunt he had pulled, Kate was his biological daughter and her mother was dead. Maria and Joe hadn't been officially divorced yet.



Maria's mind wondered as she sat on the bed next to Kate. Adam had told her to watch the child for sings of a seizure. She usually had them following the night terrors. She had talked to the twins for a while, but since they were on their way to bed she couldn't talk long. Adam and the twins had to be at the airport at four the next morning so they could make the funeral the next afternoon.



Maria laid her head against the headboard and closed her eyes for a second. The next thing she knew it was light inside the hotel room. Maria looked at the clock. 6:00 a.m. She could tell Kate had woken during the night. She was conked out again on a pile of pillows and blankets on the floor in front of the turned on T.V. Maria looked over at the crib where Alexis was. She was standing up by the railing watching her mother. Maria smiled at her then she frowned, Alexis was almost two by the time the other girls were two they had been climbing out of their cribs. That was how she had known that they were ready for regular beds. But Alexis was-for lack of a better term-A scaredey cat. She was cautious and calm. She was also deliberate. She was also known to throw full blown tantrums when she didn't get her way. These were all traits that reminded Maria of Alexis' father. The fact that she could see Joe so clearly in Alexis scared the beejeezes out of Maria.

"Mama, Out." Alexis said but when Maria, who was still daydreaming, didn't move fast enough to suit her she started yelling.

"OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT!" Maria came to the side of the crib and looked down at her daughter. Adams words entered her mind just as she would have picked her up. "If you give into her when she makes demands shell just keep doing it. It's not going to hurt anybody if she yells and throws a tantrum just let her finish." So Maria looked at her daughter and made sure she was looking in her eyes before she spoke.



"Mommy doesn't listen when Lexi yells. If you want out you can sit quietly until mommy gets out of the shower then you can come out." Alexis' bottom lip began to quiver as Maria walked away. She hated this part. The tears were so hard to ignore. But Maria held herself together and got into the shower. She let the shower spray onto her stinging eyes. She couldn't cry. She could never cry anymore. The tears wouldn't come. So she finished washing and got out of the shower. Refreshed and dressed in the jeans and yellow t-shirt she would wear until the funeral Maria walked back into the room. Alexis was sitting in her crib playing with her dolls. When she saw Maria come out of the shower she looked up and smiled,



"Mommy out Peas" Alexis said. Maria smiled and picked up her daughter and cuddled her against her chest. She smelled the baby shampoo smell of her and smiled. This is what she lived for. Her babies were all that mattered. It was almost seven so Maria woke paige and Kate up. She put Kate in the tub and dressed the others who had been bathed the night before. Paige, Kate, and Zoe wore matching black lacy dresses. Maria wore a Black skirt and a black lacy top. She put Alexis in a navy blue sailor dress that Amy had picked out for her to wear at her funeral.

Just as she was about to get them out of the hotel room for a quick breakfast before the service, there was a nock on the door. She opened it to see her step-dad and her brother and sister. She ushered them inside for a minute and them with all the kids ready the left for breakfast.

_______________________________________________________ Disclamer: I do not own Roswell or any of its characters.

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