When she got to her house the following morning, though, her mother wasn't home. Well, that's not completely true. Her mother was home; but her mother wasn't...her mother.
"Lyla dear! What a lovely surprise!" Hannah said, pulling her daughter into a hug then held her at arm's length, with a smile plastered on her face, taking her appearance in. "I'm so glad you got rid of that blue hair" she tutted, turning back into the house to go fill the kettle with water "That would just be an added shock to your father."
"My...father?" Lyla asked, watching her mother helplessly as she flitted around the kitchen. There was a whole pie steaming on the windowsill, everything was spotless, a wizard's robes - her father's robes - were hanging on the door to the pantry while another pair were being pressed by the iron, a Madame Bletchly album cooing from the gramophone. "What are you talking about?" her mother simply hummed along with the song and continued her graceful waltz around the kitchen to pull yet another pie from the oven. "Mum!" Lyla yelled, walking over to her mother to shake her.
"Lyla!" Vanessa's voice came from the top of the stairs as she looked down at the scene between her sister and mother. "Lyla, what are you doing here?" she started to smile nervously at her as she quickly descended the stairs toward them "You really shouldn't be travelling this far along in your-" she stopped in her tracks and stood with her mouth wide open when Lyla turned around to face her.
Lyla looked away from her sister's face as she took in the image of her deflated stomach and haggard face. Vanessa's eyes brimmed with tears, "What...happened?" she asked, breathlessly; moving slowly closer to her sister to look more closely.
Lyla sniffed and avoided Vanessa's gaze, "Uh," sniff "placental abruption. Or, whatever" she chuckled hollowly and dismissively then shook her hair out of her face.
Vanessa sobbed and put her hand up to her mouth "Ohhh Ly-"
"Vanessa," Hannah interrupted, not having heard a word of her daughters' conversation with one another. "Did you get me that cologne your father likes? I want to make sure he has it for when he comes back."
"Mum!" Vanessa snapped, turning on her mother "Can't you see-?!"
"Do not take that tone with me, young lady" Hannah said, shaking a wooden spoon at her eldest daughter.
Vanessa sighed, tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes and her shoulders dropping, "Yes, mum. I got it."
"Thank you, my dear" Hannah said, softening up and turning back to the stovetop.
With their mother's back turned, Vanessa motioned silently to Lyla for her sister to follow her into the sitting room.
"WHAT is going on with her?" Lyla asked, incredulously
"Don't worry about her" Vanessa said, firmly, "How are you?"
"I'm fine." Lyla lied and crossed her arms over her chest, "What's wrong with mom? She thinks dad is coming home? Why haven't you called St. Mungo's yet? We said the last time she started hallucinating like this that the next time, we call St. Mungo's"
"I-she-I-" Vanessa sputtered before looking woefully into Lyla's eyes and sinking into the couch behind her "Sit down, Lyla" she sighed
"Why?" Lyla laughed, more coldly still, tightening her arms crossed over her chest
"Just do it!" Vanessa ordered, touching her quivering hand to her head. She raised her gaze to Lyla, "Please" she said more softly.
Lyla sat down in the armchair across from her sister and crossed her legs in addition to her arms, then sat patiently; waiting for her sister to speak.
After a year-long silence, Vanessa finally spoke, "Dad is back"
Lyla scoffed and rolled her eyes then made to get up from the chair in disgust.
"He is!" Vanessa said quickly, her voice pleading "He is! He came home last night. I saw him, Lyla. I swear!"
Lyla sunk back into the chair and continued looking at her sister, waiting for her to continue speaking.
"Mom popped her head in last night and told me to come by and that it was an emergency." Vanessa gulped and shifted nervously in her seat "So I did. And when I got here...there he was. Just, dripping wet and sitting in a chair in the kitchen." her eyes were wide "I couldn't believe it; all mom said to me was: 'So, you see him too, then?'" Vanessa scoffed and wiped her eyes "I couldn't believe it. So, I popped in on Uncle Ethan because I couldn't-I couldn't" she shrugged "I just couldn't think, or breathe. When Uncle Ethan showed up, he immediately drew his wand on dad; sent mum into hysterics." she chuckled sarcastically and rolled her eyes "So I took her up to her room while Uncle Ethan checked dad out, to make sure he was really him. Lyla…it was; is! It's dad" Vanessa couldn't help but smile; her eyes brimming with tears.
"You are mental" Lyla said in disbelief. Her throat and eyes felt zapped of all moisture. She got up slowly from the table, staring at her stupidly smiling sister. The song playing in the background became distorted in her head and she felt the heat of the oven concentrated on every inch of her body. "I'm calling" she croaked "I'm calling the Healers to take both of you away!"
"Lyla" Vanessa began softly
"NO!" Lyla screamed at her "You're wro-"
Lyla froze when she heard a hand on the doorknob outside and her breath caught in her chest. The world started moving in slow motion when the door opened and she first recognized the burled knuckles on the hand holding the knob. Then, she took in the glinting black arm hair the covered the muddy, bronze skin
"Hello, Lychee" the deep, warm voice of her father danced musically in the air as everything else in the room became muted and garbled.
Then, she fainted.
