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Instead, she entered the bathroom, showered, even washed her matted curls. She exited the shower wrapped in afluffy white towel, her damp hair falling down her shoulders and back past the swell of her backside.
Maybelle turned to face the mirror as she took another towel and scrunched it in her sopping curls. Over the last week or so she did what she could to avoid the mirror, never taking time to study the reflection in front of her. That first day she had looked in the mirror she honestly was scared of what she saw.
The being before her had been small, pale, frail, and stale looking. Like the life had been sucked clean from her, down to the bones.
It had made her nauseous.
Now the figure that stared back smiled, cheeks pink, hair bouncy, body filling out in certain previously caved in areas. She felt pretty, and finally was able to recognize bits and pieces of the girl pictured in those three frames above her bed. The vibrancy, the life in the girl pictured was beginning to mirror her own reflection which made her heart grow with self-pride.
She was awake.
She was alive.
She dressed herself in a simple, cotton, heather grey, cap sleeve shirt, and straight leg whitewash jeans. After getting dressed Maybelle tossed her mass of curls around trying to decide what to do with it. A minute of contemplating passed before she chose to let the mane roam wild.
Maybelle exited the bathroom to find Trey leaning against the door frame. His eyes went wide as they fell on the curls that bounced and coiled around her.
“What?” She asked leaning against the opposite side of the door frame.
He was dressed in a black, plain, cotton shirt that hung tight to his chest and shoulders with well-fitting dark jeans. His brown hair was damp like he too just got done with a shower.
Trey finally pulled his gaze from her hair then gave her a full once over before landing right back on her curls.
His hand lifted to grab a long lock of her hair; he twirled the strands around his finger before holding it up between them for her to see.
“This.” He started, “This is my favorite thing in the whole world.”
Maybelle shot him a curious look, “My hair?” She asked disbelief marring her tone.
He simply nodded, not breaking eye contact.
Chelsea came around the corner of the hall wearing a darling modest light blue sundress, her hair in large waves and a cream-colored purse on her arm.
She abruptly stopped in front of Maybelle and Trey.
“Oh, hey you two!” She greeted enthusiastically.
Maybelle smiled broadly while Trey slowly untangled his finger from her hair. “Hi, Chelsea.” Maybelle said as she felt Trey then continue to pull and play with the curls at her back.
Chelsea grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear, “Trey, are you ready for our date? We need to leave in the next twenty minutes if we want to make it to our regular place by noon.”
Maybelle spun back to Trey whose smirk was smug as he winked at her, “Told you she was cute.”
Trey one, Maybelle zero.
He turned his attention back to his mom who watched confused, “Yeah mom, I’m all ready for our date.” Trey brushed by Maybelle, breezed a quick kiss against the side of Chelsea’s head and continued on to his room a couple doors down from Maybelle’s own room.
“Sorry Maybelle, I forgot to ask you, are you comfortable spending a couple hours alone? Trey and I always try to do aquick lunch date when he is in town, so we were going to go really quick. But I won’t if that makes you uncomfortable!”
Chelsea bridged the distance by placing a comforting hand on Maybelle’s upper arm.
“Of course!” Maybelle replied, “Do not stress about me. I started a book last night that I have been dying to finish. You two have fun.”
Chelsea smiled brightly, “Ok, thank you. And I put my number in your phone in case you need anything. Do not hesitate to call.”
Not long later, Chelsea and Trey left on their mother, son date leaving Maybelle to her own devices.
For the first time since waking up she was alone, no one in the next room, no one to hear if she called out. Maybelle shook away the eerie feeling the silence brought. She retreated to her room, retrieved the book she had started but instead of staying in her room Maybelle adventured into the backyard. The yard was small with beautiful plush grass but what she was looking for was in the far corner between two trees. A net hammock hung up, ready and waiting for her and her book.
