#ttthd

           She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat when she saw her. Almost a carbon copy of Dimitri, from her little button nose to her long dark hair. She’d have questioned her being her daughter if it weren’t for her eyes. Those dark blue eyes that seemed to say that she’d seen more than she should for her age. “Maman?” It was a simple statement a claim that she had on her. “où avez-vous été?”

            Where have I been…no answer I could give her would make it seems right… for missing all those years. For leaving her, for leaving Dimitri. “Il n'a pas d'importance où j'ai été ... juste que je suis ici maintenant.” she pulled the girl into her arms. She looked around her childhood home and in the pit of her stomach sat this deep rooted fear of what would happen when she tried to leave. Her mother had always had a strange hold over her.  No matter how many times she’d hit her, or yelled at her or sent her away she still wanted her approval but something was different this time. Holding her daughter in her arms, she didn’t really seems to care too much about what her mother thought.

            She took a step towards the door, but the sound of heels clicking against marble made her pause. She looked over her shoulder and there stood her mother in all her glory. Never a hair out of place, no not with Maman she was always put together and perfect. “Juliette, where are you going?” she asked her in a tone that told her that she had no intention of letting her leave with Clarisse.

            “I’m taking her… she’s mine.” Her voice was shaky but she kept her grip on the child. “You… you don’t even want her Maman… you didn’t even… w-want me.”

            “What are you going to do with a child Juliette? Can you even take care of yourself? Do you have a job? A house?” she said beginning her vicious assault. “She doesn’t know you Juliette, she doesn’t know the first thing about you. Do you really think she wants to live with you?”

            Juliette looked at the ground and stepped away, “I’m taking her Maman. I’ll figure everything else out… but I’m taking her.” Maman looked at her and for a moment that was almost a mix of fear and sadness in her eyes. “You had no right Maman… you had no right to take her from him.”

            Maman laughed quietly… “You think I took him from her? Honestly Juliette… do you not know me at all? Dimitri est mort.” With three little words she broke something inside her. She didn’t even notice the tears falling from her eyes until Clarisse’s little hands whipped them away.

            “Ne pleure pas maman,” Juliette nodded trying to stop crying but the harder she tried the more her eyes refused to let her. Maman laughed and Juliette looked up at her cruel smile.

            Maman laughed and Juliette looked up at her cruel smile. “Leave Juliette, put her down and leave. You’re not wanted here.”

            Clarisse looked from her mother to her grandmother with a clear understanding of the exchange happening between the two of them, “That’s not true grand-mère. I want her here,”

            Maman looked at the small child in awe and defeat. She nodded her head, “Alright mon amour if you… if you want to go with her. Then… you can.” Juliette looked at Maman in complete astonishment. She’d never treated her that way, never thought she could think for herself, and never thought of her as a person. She was always just an accessory, something meant to be seen and not heard.

            Putting the little girl down she watched Clarisse walk to Maman and give her a hug before walking back to Juliette and taking her hand. “Should we go now Maman?” Juliette smiled at her and nodded casting a final glance at the pristine castle that she grew up in.