Hidden Lavender

Chapter 16 | Sacrifice

Darkness, pitch black darkness was all Lorelei could see. No noise, no touch, not even a smell of any kind. It was a silence that would irk even the most wicked of villains.

"Lorelei, Lorelei, where are you?" a woman shouted. Calm with a hint of concern.

"Come out dear."

A faint warm light seeped in through a narrow slit that opened. It was sudden yet somehow so comforting to her. It was so familiar.

"Oh, here you are! My, you do love hiding don't you?"

Delilah Everly...Mother... Mother?..

Her mother was more beautiful than in the painting, hair pulled up in a high ponytail highlighting her almond eyes the color of sage. She wore a beige long dress soiled by flour that decorated her from head to toe.

"Come out now darling, you are in charge of the frosting, remember?"

She gently grabbed Lorelei's dainty hand and led her out of the cabinet. A smile never leaving from the sight of her only daughter.

She set down a small wooden stool in front of the little girl's feet. "Stand on here, so you can easily frost the cake."

Lori immediately listened to her mother's orders and grabbed onto the bowl of buttercream frosting her mother finished making. As Delilah turned the rotating cake stand as she gleefully smeared the frosting all over it. Enjoying the satisfying view of the cream evening out perfectly.

Then just as the two topped the cake with cut up strawberries, the door opened.

"Where are my two precious girls?"

Felix Everly...

"Welcome back dear, how was work?"

He hung up his coat and exhaled, "The studio was less crowded than usual, so I was able to finish two paintings I was working on."

"That's wonderful dear. Come, Lorelei and I just finished our cake."

A glint of adoration appeared in her father's eyes as he raced to his daughter and lifted her up into his arms.

"My little girl helped her mother bake a cake?"

She responded with a quick and eager nod.

"My Lorelei is growing up too fast!" he pulled her to him tighter and feigned a cry. "Don't ever grow up, stay like this forever."

Delilah rolled her eyes and whacked his shoulder with the spoon. "Don't be so dramatic dear, now let's enjoy this dessert."

Together, they sat on the dining table and enjoyed the delectable cake. The frosting complimented the vanilla batter with a spongy tendency. Everyone enjoyed the dessert with a mixture of jokes, tales and laughter.

The sun sank below the horizon before they could even notice. The stars and moon began to make their debut; a truly brilliant sight.

As their banter began to die down, Lorelei let out a faint yawn.

"It's your bedtime Lorelei, let's get you ready shall we?"

Another nod, though slower than before.

Delilah held her hand out to Lorelei and kissed her husband on the cheek before walking to the bedroom with her daughter.

The room was the same except with the excessive amount of porcelain dolls placed on top of the bed. The room was lit only by the handheld candle in her mother's palm, guiding her to the dresser.