6.

~ "New York? How barbaric!" Sadie proclaimed over lunch. She, Ariadne, Sarah and Edwina were out at a small cafe and enjoying the change of seasons. The rush of interesting tourists flooding the city provided a perfect chance to people watch. She broke the news of Arthur's company to them hesitantly.
"Why would you want to go back to the States? You haven't lived there since you were fifteen." The leggy, spider woman said.
"It's not forever." Ariadne told her. We can call, and you guys can come and visit." Ariadne offered lamely. Although a part of her knew that was doubtful. "Arthur says it will be a year or two at most."

"Well, I shall tell you what will happen." Sadie said lighting a foul smelling cigarette. Her smoke puffing out like a dragon. "You will arrive in New York and forget your friends here. You shall become one of those crazy socialite people, and your children will turn into psychopaths. You need to stay in France. People care about their children in this county."
"American parents care about their children." Sarah said patiently. "Cobb and I will come to visit you, and I'm sure the kids will love living in the city for a few years. It will give them something to brag about later."

"Well what about the baby?" Sadie huffed. "You want to have your baby in a filthy American hospital?"

Sarah rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure was can find a decent enough hospital to have him in." Ariadne told them.

Ariadne's head was hurting just from the idea of leaving the city she loved. It was the city she had gone to school in, fallen in love in and had her child in. The best parts of her life were here.

"I wish we didn't have to go." She whispered.

She saw him before the others did. Those worn jeans, the working man's shirt. The soiled and well used ball cap. She almost choked on her water as she spotted the woman with him.

"I gotta go." Ariadne said as she abandoned her friends and went to her parents. Their was a large crowd of people that swallowed them up and hopefully, her friends didn't see her talking to these strange people.

Her estranged mother didn't recognize her at first when she approached them. It had been so many years and Ariadne knew she had changed drastically.

"What are you doing here?" She breathed keeping well away from her less then well groomed mother.
"Oh, Chuck!" The bedraggled woman cried. "Look at her!"

Her mother made to hug her, but Ariadne stepped away and put up her hands. A repulsion gripping her at being touched by this woman.

"You don't want me to hug you?" Her mother asked. Showing an overly hurt face. A face Darcy would make when she didn't get her way and she wanted to guilt her Mama or Papa into something. A tacit that didn't work on Architect.

Ariadne looked over the woman she had been born to. A far cry from being dead like she had told Arthur, she was fat and no longer worked at her appearance. Her dark hair was riddled with gray and pulled up in a sloppy braid. She was short like Ariadne but looked much older then her 57 years. Ariadne saw very little of the woman she used to know. She saw even less of herself in this person. How could she even be related to them? Much less have them for parents. She looked nothing like them.

"They let you out?" Ariadne barked at the woman. A tragic sense of injustice filling her. "Why did they let you out?"

"It's been almost 20 years." Her mother said. "Ariadne, you look so beautiful. Chuck says your married now and your doing really good. That you went to college and everything. I'm so proud of you." She said walking zombie like pace to hug her daughter.

Ariadne stepped away from the woman and looked worried over to the cafe. Sadie, Sarah and Edwina were all staring at them. Sarah and Edwina looking worried.

Sadie looking intrigued.

"Lets not talk here." Ariadne hissed.

~ Her parents had chosen a nice restaurant and made Ariadne order for them in French like it was some kind of parlor trick. Her mother even clapping like Ariadne had done some kind of stage performance.

"Why are you here?" Ariadne asked once they were alone.
"Well, Chuck said you were married to a good man. A man who's well off." Her mother said in her child like voice.
"If your here for more money, I have none. My husband's company is in trouble. I can't afford to shell out another 40 grand." Ariadne snapped angrily at the woman.

"She gave you 40 thousand dollars?" Her mother hissed to her father. The disheveled woman's personality changing from fairy tale sweetness to enraged witch. Chuck had the decency to look ashamed of himself.

Her mother shook her head and went back to her daughter.

"You should have known you can't give your Dad money. From now on, you give the money to me, bumble bee." Her mother said.

"Don't call me that!" Ariadne shouted.

"She's ashamed of us Miranda." Her father said as the couple's dress and manners were drawing looks from the people in the restaurant. "Doesn't want us to meet her husband. Lying to the old man about her kids. Doesn't want us to see our own grand kids." He told he diverting blame.

"I want to see my grand kids." Miranda said in a child like, demanding voice. "I have a right..." She slammed her hand on the table. "To see them." The old woman looked at the Architect in a dangerous way. Like she was capable of anything.

Ariadne knew she was capable of terrible things.

"You take one step near my children, and you will be arrested." Ariadne warned.

Meeting her mother's crazed looking eyes without flinching.

"I won't let you hurt you hurt them like you did Sammy." She told her.

12 years ago...

~ Hugo and Victoria Lewis did adopt Ariadne. They were a much older couple who had had a grown son. The young man had died ten years ago while on a rock climbing trip in South America.

It had been some kind of fever that took their only child. Since his death, the couple had felt depressed and a friend suggested adoption. They were hesitant at first. They were not young anymore and older kids were sure to have all kinds of problems, but Ariadne had been different. She was smart and quite. She didn't run around or need much looking after. The child had an independent streak about her.

Ariadne came to their home a few weeks after meeting them and found she had a beautiful, little room ready for her. It was decorated with toys she was slightly too old for. But she told them she loved it and delighted in the warmth and safety they provided.

Their home was big and located in a very exclusive part of upstate New York. Her new parents took her to their country club and on cruises.

She went to a privet school where she excelled. Learning French and computers. Loving the art classes that her adoptive parents insist she take.

Soon enough, she wholly forgot that little girl in the snow. The dark playground with a little boy in the swings.

But Ariadne kept a strange distance from the couple. She was theirs, but she never truly belonged to them. She wouldn't allow Victoria to baby her or care for her like a real mother. Every morning, Ariadne dressed herself, made her bed, fixed her own breakfast and packed her lunch. She never had to be roused for school like other children.

In the afternoons, she would come home, do her homework and defrost whatever chicken or beef they would have for dinner. It was more like having a pleasant house guest then a child.

~ "You will love Paris." Victoria was saying as they announced plans to move abroad a few years later. "France is such a warm country. Excellent climate."

~ She did love France. Her adoptive father wanting her to attend the best schools and even have a social season like it was done in his day.

A rebellious, independent teenager by then, Ariadne put her foot down.

"No one does that anymore!" She cried as Victoria looked heart broken.

If she had know how quickly that world would end, she would have dressed in the puffy dress. She would have danced with some ugly son of a Duke or Earl and done what ever her loving adoptive parents asked.