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Isabel

Isabel Parker had been homeless for five and a half months after accidentally burning down her house while celebrating the death of her abusive father. Now she was living with her brother-in-law, Kenneth Bloom, and helping maintain the house in trade for food and board.

Brother-in-law?

Was Ken still technically her brother-in-law?

Her sister, his wife, had died almost ten years ago…. That seemed like it would mean they weren’t in-laws, anymore….

Not that the semantics of it all mattered, really. Ken was the father of Isabel’s niece, Becky, and in her mind that meant that he would always be Barbra’s husband. Even if he had a new partner now; he was still the man Barbra had loved enough to give a child to. Which meant that he was family.

And probably some of the only family Isabel could bare to be around, now.

She let out a small chuckle as she watched herself brush her hair in the reflection of the old vanity mirror she’d found on the side of the road, and thought about how utterly fascinating life was.

For twenty years she and Ken had practically wanted each other dead. Isabel had actually stabbed him through the hand with a hat-pin when she’d heard about his engagement to her sister. And just less than a year ago, Ken had full-body tackled her in the street and started a public screaming match with her.

But now, somehow, their relationship had spun itself around on its heels and they’d turned Saturday night into “BFF night.”

BFF night was fun, Isabel thought. When Ken’s girlfriend, Isa’vanna, would go out on her weekly outing to the cinema, Ken and Isabel would go out drinking and causing trouble around town.

She could still remember the time that police officer, Jackie something (Jackson? No, that didn’t sound quite right), had pulled over to check on them as they’d danced down the road— And she still remembered the confused look on his face as he’d realised that Isabel was not Becky, but someone else entirely. And that she was actually of drinking age, unlike her niece— Because Jackie was, apparently, quite used to picking up a drunken Becky and taking her home.

Isabel hadn’t known Becky used to drink and so asked Ken about it; getting the explanation that Becky used to steal his wine, but hadn’t drunk anything since she’d been put on her antidepressants.

It had been a surprise. But then, a lot of things about her niece had been a surprise.

Though Isabel didn’t mind. She was just glad that she was finally allowed to be a part of the girl’s life! After her sister cut her off she’d been worried she’d never be allowed to meet Becky….

Nothing in Isabel’s life had ever been more wonderful or life-changing than that chance phone call she’d receive from her niece. That lucky opportunity Becky had given her to be a part of the family again.

Isabel regarded it as one of the best days of her entire life—

‘It’s the wedding!’ Becky’s voice cried from the other room, and Isabel heard the girl rush through the house and down to the family room. ‘Oh, my god!’

Isabel took a sharp intake of air as she listened to her niece’s panic.

Ah. That was today?

Ooh… she wasn’t sure how she felt about attending another wedding.

The last two weddings she’d been to were her mother’s; which said all anyone needed to know about them. And then, the one before them was….

Barbra and Ken’s wedding.

Isabel swallowed as she remembered her sister’s wedding. It had been such a beautiful one, and yet she’d been a miserable excuse for a guest. And an even worse excuse for a sister!

She’d taken the fact that she was even invited completely for granted— She should have realised that it was a show of trust, when she was the only one of their family Barbra had let come. But, instead, she’d spent the first hour of it trying to talk her sister into leaving Ken at the alter.

At the time she’d thought it was the right thing to do; their parents had threatened that Barbra wouldn’t be a part of the family anymore, if she went through with marrying an elf. And that had terrified Isabel….

In the end Barbra had made Isabel leave. And that was the last time they’d ever spoken to each other.

Isabel regretting hurting her sister like that more than she regretted anything else in her entire life…. And she regretted a lot of things.

‘It has to be perfect!’ Becky cried, and Isabel heard a concerned chirping from the other side of the hall. So she rose to her feet to check on her niece’s pet mimics.

She passed by Don as he ran for the stairs, and then slipped quietly into Becky’s bedroom.

She didn’t think Becky would mind her doing so. Not if she was just checking on Mimi and the babies…. She wouldn’t look at anything else!

‘Prrrp?’ Mimi gave a curious trill as Isabel made her way over to the corner of the room that had been fenced off into a pen. ‘Trprp!’

‘Hello, Mimi,’ Isabel greeted, bending down and offering a finger to the pillow-shaped creature. When Mimi licked at her hand instead of nipping her, Isabel knew it was okay to pat her.

She stroked her hand down Mimi’s back (did mimics have backs?) and felt her start to purr.

Then, the four little trinkets at her underside gave high-pitched chirps and wiggled out to try and play with Isabel’s hand.

‘Hello, cuties!’ Isabel cooed, wiggling her fingers for them to bite at with their toothless mouths. ‘Hello!’

There were four babies, in total.

Runt, Blue, Sock, and Hiccup.

All names that had, apparently, been chosen by Mimi and Don.

The reason Runt and Blue had their names was clear; Runt was the tiniest of all the brood, and Blue hadn’t yet figured out how to be any other colour besides… blue. And though Isabel wasn’t completely sure why Sock and Hiccup had their names, she could guess they were as descriptive as the other two.

‘Brrp!’ Mimi trilled as Isabel played with her babies. ‘Trrp!’

‘Brr!’ Isabel imitated; much to the glee of the brood. She had no idea what she’d said, but it seemed to entertain the mimics, so she continued. ‘Brrp! Brrp! Brr!’

‘Trr!’ Mimi rose to its feet, shaking itself down before skittering to the edge of the pen and leaping over into the main part of the bedroom.

The babies all let out cries and tried to follow their mother; though they were unable to make it over the knee-high barrier.

Mimi gave a comforting gurgle to her babies. Then, she looked up to Isabel and gave a happy trill before rushing out of the bedroom (presumably downstairs to see Becky).

‘Oh,’ Isabel watched as Mimi hurried away. ‘Ah. I’m babysitting, am I?’

The mimic didn’t reply, of course, as she was a mimic and couldn’t speak— Well… She could speak to Becky, but that was a little bit different. Becky was a druid and could speak to animals! And that magic was from her father’s side of the family, not her mother’s side….

The baby mimics all gave playful cries as Isabel very (very!) carefully stepped over the barrier and sat down. They began climbing on her and nipping at her and her clothes, and she found herself giggling as she made sure they didn’t slip or fall.

What beautiful little creatures these were! Becky was very lucky to have such wonderful pets to keep her company!

Hm… Isabel scratched Blue’s underbelly with a finger, and wondered if she should get a pet for herself when she was able to get her own house again. It would certainly help her feel less lonely….

Not a mimic, though! She would lose the poor thing. Perhaps a dog? Something she could cuddle with.

‘Becky— Becky!’ Ken’s voice called from his office, and Isabel heard as Becky came up the stairs and beelined for her bedroom again. ‘Becky, ma bébé! Come and talk with me!’

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