My dear mother looks around the manor, distaste evident on her pinched face. She grew up in this gothic house, and the darkness of the interior must’ve influenced the insides of her heart. “You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep looking at the house like that,” I deadpan, shutting the door and brushing past her. She huffs at me, her heels clicking against the checkered tiles as she makes her way to the couch. The fire is roaring, and the lights are dim, creating a cozy atmosphere. It'll start raining soon, and I really hope she leaves by then so I can enjoy my night in with a book and the sound of thunder in peace. Mom sits daintily on the couch, her butt perched on the very edge. If I poke her, she’! fall off. “Always a pleasure, Adeline,” she sighs, her tone high and mighty, as if it’s just another day of her being the bigger person. That sigh. The backdrop to my entire childhood. It’s filled with disappointment and met expectations all at once. I never disappoint in disappointing her, I guess. “Why are you here?” I ask, getting straight to the point. “Can’t I come visit my daughter?” she asks with an edge of bitterness in her tone. Mom and I were never close. She was bitter because Nana and I were, resulting in me choosing her over Mom often. In arguments and where I spent most of my time growing up. In return, I harbored resentment because I was made to feel like I couldnt choose her. Because if I did, I would only be rewarded with another underhanded comment about eating another cookie I can’t afford. She’d complain my ass would get too fat, but little did she know, that’s exactly what I wanted. To this day, the woman still doesn’t understand why I don’t particularly like her. “Are you here to try and convince me that I’m wasting my life away in an old house?” I query, throwing myself into the rocking chair by the window and propping my feet up on the stool. The same one my great-grandmother and I tend to get stalked in. Sitting in this chair forces my thoughts back to last night, the creepy note and answering all of two questions from the police officer before he said he’d hold on to it for evidence and make a report. Waste of time, but at least the police will know that it was foul play if I end up dead in a ditch somewhere. “T have an open house today in town. I figured I’d stop by and see you beforehand.”