Picture Perfect

Chapter 22

The sun shines hotly down on Maria's clothed back, heating her skin to an unpleasant degree as she raises her hand to ring the doorbell. Although she has only been standing on the doorstep for a few minutes, the heat is enough to make her incredibly uncomfortable; the weight of her commencing third trimester weighs heavily upon her, a downside of pregnancy that she has yet to grow accustomed to. She will be entirely grateful for the gestation period to conclude; although she vehemently anticipates having Andrew's child, she can't well appreciate the lengthy incubation period as she had expected. Perspiration collects on the back of her neck as she waits, trickling down her blouse. Sighing impatiently, Maria silently debates whether to ring again. The door swings open before her just as she poises her finger over the button.

Cora smiles brightly, her overwhelming light enough to rival that of the sun. The mere sight of her makes Maria feel queasy, her stomach threatening to toss the entirety of its contents, but she quickly stuffs down the urge to gag and retch; she's here for a purpose and will not be deterred by something as trivial as an upset stomach. Especially not when she's already begun setting her plan into motion. "Good afternoon, Maria," Cora greets, her tone matching in cheerfulness with her outward appearance. "Look at you; you're glowing! Pregnancy looks incredible on you," she gushes happily, lovingly placing a hand on her own bloated belly. "How can I help you?"

Forcing her lips to curl up in feigned happiness, Maria replies, "Mr. Dalton gave me the day off today. I was hoping we could get lunch together? Maybe get to know each other?" Suppressing the reflex to vomit once more, Maria pushes past the utter disgust she feels for the words that just passed her lips. She's obstinately repulsed by the sheer thought of befriending Cora, her hatred for the woman angrily rumbling within her. As much as she detests this part of her scheme, it's a necessary step in accomplishing her goal. Doing her best to appear friendly toward the woman she wholeheartedly despises, she quickly adds, "This pregnancy has caused some difficulty in maintaining friendships; I thought we could possibly remedy that by spending time together."

The possibility that Maria could have ulterior motives is entirely lost on Cora, her kind and empathetic personality eager to appease the other woman's blatant need for companionship. Entirely unsuspicious of Maria's ill intentions, Cora can't stop herself from seizing the opportunity to befriend the woman on her doorstep. Stepping out of the doorway, she ushers Maria into her home, welcoming her warmly with open arms. Maria cringes slightly in the embrace but loosely returns the hug, however reluctantly.

As the two separate, Cora swiftly shuts the door and invites her visitor into the kitchen, where an expansive spread of delicious food is stretched across the countertop. Cora giggles as her guest gapes at the vast array of delicacies before rhetorically asking, "Aren't pregnancy cravings just the worst?"

The two women settle onto a pair of barstools before greedily digging into their lunch. Conversation flows freely between them, lighthearted laughter filling the space as they gorge themselves on Cora's delicious home cooking. Much to her dismay, Maria can't help but find both the food and the atmosphere of the situation surprisingly tolerable. If she wasn't so resolute on ridding herself of Cora, she might even say the woman was... somewhat pleasant. Likable, even. Shaking her head, Maria wordlessly reminds herself of the sole aim of her visit to the Daltons' home. It certainly wasn't to learn the positive side of knowing this woman that she never intended to know; that would likely completely obliterate her plans.

"Thank you, Maria," Cora says sweetly, breaking the other's train of thought.

Lifting her gaze to her nemesis's face, Maria isn't surprised by the upturn of her lips. 'This woman is always disgustingly delighted. Perhaps she's a bit delusional,' she thinks to herself. Not that it matters; she'll soon be nothing more than a distant memory, anyway.

"I've had a lot of fun today," continues Cora, her joyfulness sincere and sparkling in her blue eyes.

It isn't wholly a lie when Maria agrees with the sentiment; however, the realization threatens to upturn the lunch she's just consumed. Swallowing her true feelings, she replaces her harmless demeanor. "We should do this more often," Maria forces out, ignoring the way her stomach turns at the prospect. She has to repetitively remind herself that this is all a part of her plan, that there's a greater purpose she's working toward. If she can simply persevere for a short while longer, all this trouble should prove worthwhile.

With an excited and high-pitched squeal, Cora pulls her guest into another awkward hug. Their protruding bellies bump into each other, eliciting a laugh from the bubbly woman. Now feeling even more uncomfortable, Maria makes haste to politely excuse herself from Cora's company, promising to return and make their visits a regular occurrence.

As she sits in her car outside the Dalton home, Maria's fingers select her father's name from her phone's contact list. As her call is directed to voicemail, she groans into the receiver, fuming that her own father is avoiding her calls. "Step one appears to be a success," Maria states after the tone, irritation evident in her voice. "I loathed every moment of it, but things seem to be working in my favor. I hope you took my advice and didn't cause any trouble; just let me handle this, Dad. I'm capable, and I've got everything under control." After a short pause, she adds, "Cora is too naïve to understand my true intentions, anyway. This will be a walk in the park."

After disconnecting the call, she carelessly tosses her phone onto the passenger seat and begins the drive back to her home, a smug smile contorting her features. Feeling wholly content with herself and the imminent success of her wicked plan, Maria is confident she's never been happier.