Chapter 5: Doing Better

Poppy sighed as she placed a picture she had made by the memorial for her mother. "Hi, Mom," she said softly, gazing at her mom's picture on the memorial. "Things are going better. Oxana and Boris are really nice."

She paused. "I think even if you had found out they were vampires, you would have liked them," she said. "Oxana is just like you, making sure Edgar and I, along with Vampirina are okay and she takes good care of us. She even told us that she doesn't want to replace you or force us to call her 'mom' if we don't want to."

She paused again. "Do you think you'd be okay with that?" She asked. "I mean...you'll always be my mom, but...can Edgar and I really have a second mom too?"

The wind blew and the flowers gently nodded in the wind, almost like Edna was responding to her daughter's question. "I'd never forget you, Mom, and I know Edgar won't either," she said.

She got up and nodded to the memorial before going back inside the house. Remy was in the kitchen making lunch and he smiled at Poppy. "How are you doing today, chere?" He asked.

"Good. I just went and saw Mom's memorial," the girl said before looking curious. "Remy, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he said, turning from his work to give her his attention.

Poppy took a deep breath. "Do you think Mom is happy for me and Edgar?" She asked. "That we're at least okay? And...what if I wanted to call Oxana 'Mom'?"

Remy was quiet for a bit. "Well, I do believe your mother is happy for you two and that you are together and safe and sound," he said. "You both could have ended up in the orphanage or foster care and separated."

"True," the girl said with a nod.

The skeleton then recalled the last question. "Poppy, do you want to call Oxana 'Mom'?" He asked her.

"Well...," the girl trailed off. "I...I think so, but...wouldn't that...be mean to my real mom?"

Remy gently smiled. "Chere, take a deep breath for me," he said.

She did so and he kneeled down to her height. "Poppy, I know you feel conflicted right now, so I'm not going to tell you to call Oxana your mother, but I can give you some advice," he said gently.

Poppy looked up at him to show him she was paying attention and he smiled. "Edna will always be your mother, even if someone else fills that role for you while she watches over you," he continued. "But...don't feel that you must call Oxana 'Mom'. Ask yourself if you feel it is alright to, like do you believe it would make you happy to do so." He gently brushed the backs of his fingers over the left side of her face. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Don't ever forget Mom, but at the same time, don't rush my decision about calling Oxana and Boris 'Mom' and 'Dad'?" She asked.

He nodded. "That's right," he said, smiling. "When the time is right to do so, you will know. But even if that time never comes, you know they won't change their minds about taking you and Edgar in."

While she didn't have a clear answer on whether she should call Oxana 'Mom', Remy's advice did help her feel a bit better and she nodded. "Should I talk to Edgar about it too?" She asked.

"I think that would be best," the skeleton said. "But like I said, don't rush any decisions you two make. Give them plenty of thought and think on them for a bit."

She nodded before suddenly hugging him. This was a huge step for her because she had never hugged him before. "Thanks, Remy," she said, her face buried into his shoulder.

He smiled. "Anytime, chere," he said. "Now, I know it is Saturday, but do you have any homework?"

She shook her head. "No, but Mr. Gore did advise that we all read a story a day," she said. "Is it okay if I read you a story while you make lunch?"

"Of course," he said, smiling. "I must admit, some of the stories you humans have are quite intriguing and fun to listen to."

Smiling, Poppy went and got her reading book, going into the kitchen and turning to a new story and beginning to read aloud as Remy listened and helped her with words she got stuck on.

Edgar was looking at the photo album of him, his mom, and his sister. He missed his mom and had noticed that Oxana and Boris gave him space when he was feeling sad, even telling him it was okay to still mourn for his mother. "Everyone moves on at their own pace," Oxana said gently.

"We're not going to rush you, Edgar," Boris had promised. "But do know that we are here for you if you ever want to talk."

That helped Edgar feel a bit better and he heard a knock on the door, looking up to see it was King Pepi, who smiled at him. "Hi, Edgar," he said. "May I come in?"

"Oh, hi, Pepi," the boy said. "Sure."

King Pepi smiled as he saw the pictures. "Your mother was a good mother for you and your sister," he said.

"Thanks," Edgar said before taking a deep breath. "Pepi, do you think I'll ever get over her death?"

The mummy was quiet for a moment before looking at him. "Death is something that isn't easy to move on from," he said gently. "The death of any family member can hit one hard, but it's especially hard when it's a parent."

He noticed Edgar looked sadder and he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "With time, the pain of her passing will ease, but it won't go completely away," he said.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"I mean, you'll still feel a bit of pain when you think about her after you've moved on and that's okay," Pepi said. "Because it means you'll never forget about her and you never do want to forget her, right?"

"No, I don't," Edgar said instantly. "I don't want to ever forget her."

King Pepi nodded. "As I said, it will get easier to bear overtime," he said.

The boy looked at him. "How do you guys move on when someone close to you dies?" He asked in a soft, curious voice.

"Well, it's different for everyone," the mummy replied gently. He then recalled when a family member of his died long ago. "I guess for us monsters, it's a little different, but I know when one of my own family members passed on to wherever they went, we put a pyramid up for them and filed it with their things. And we could visit the pyramid and go in to pay respects or just feel close to that person."

"Kind of like how Oxana helped Poppy and I put up the memorial for Mom in the garden?" The boy asked.

"Yes, very similar to that," Pepi said.

The boy was quiet. "Do you think it would hurt Mom if Poppy and I called someone else 'Mom'?" He asked suddenly.

The mummy blinked a little. "No, I don't think it would," he said after a bit. "She would want you two to be happy and she no doubt knows you both see Oxana as a mother figure."

Edgar nodded. "She does seem like a good mom to Vampirina," he said. "I just wonder...how she'd take it if Poppy and I called her 'Mom'."

Pepi gently placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can't answer for her, but I will say this," he said gently. "Don't think you have to call Oxana that just because you're living here, okay?"

"What do you mean?" The boy asked.

"In other words, don't rush the decision to call her 'Mom' just because you're worried she'll kick you out or something," the mummy told him. "Oxana and Boris would never kick you both out in the streets."

Edgar took a deep breath. "But...how would Mom feel?" He asked. "Wouldn't it be like...betraying her?"

"Not if it's done out of love," Pepi said gently. "I know Edna wouldn't want to see you be sad forever and I believe she'd understand that you and your sister see Oxana as a mom too. Plus, who says you can't have two moms who love you?"

The boy nodded, seeing as it made sense before he sighed. "I...I'll talk to Poppy about it," he said.

"I think that would be best," the mummy agreed. "That way you're both on the same page."

Edgar looked at him and suddenly hugged the king, who smiled and hugged him back. "You feeling a bit better now?" He asked.

The boy nodded. "Yeah, thanks," he said before biting his lip. "Um...are you good at math?"

"I do know a bit about it," Pepi said. "Do you need some help with your math?"

Edgar nodded and it wasn't long before Pepi was guiding him on how to solve the complex problems and if the boy made a mistake, the mummy would gently point to a part of the problem and encourage him to take a closer look at it. The gentle encouragement helped a lot and the boy was soon done his math homework before deciding to go see if Boris needed some help in the basement. "I just...feel like I should help out," he said to the king.

"Probably because you're a bit restless," Pepi said gently. "Go ahead, kiddo."

Vampirina had come into the kitchen and she and Poppy were taking turns reading another story to Remy, who smiled at them and Poppy began to feel like things were going to be okay.

Edgar was feeling the same thing as he helped out Boris, who appreciated the help. "Just be careful around the sharp objects and be sure to tell someone if you're coming down here by yourself," he cautioned. "I would hate to see you get hurt."

The boy nodded and the motions of picking things up and putting them away helped to expel some of the restless energy that had been bottled up in him for a while.

Maybe soon Poppy and I can call Oxana and Boris 'Mom' and 'Dad', he thought to himself.

He'd wait and see for now.


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GoldGuardian2418