Paralyzed In Happiness

Part The Second

Summary
In which Sera goes to work, an artist is met, and the police arrive.

Part The Second

When she made it to work, Ivy Silver was standing behind the counter, holding out Sera's smock with her name tag already attached.

"Thanks Ivy. Have you been busy?" Sera asked.

"Oh, about the usual. Regulars coming to restock on paint, pencils, canvas, et cetera." Ivy replied in her British accent, throwing her long brown ponytail over her shoulder.

"Okay, how are Noah and Gael?"

"They're just fine, Gael actually got today off, so he's at home with Noah, trying to keep him from burning down the house."

"I see your son is still as much a rascal as I remember."

"If not more."

Sera hadn't been there five minutes before the door chimed and someone walked in. To Sera, she was stunning, her skin was pure white, and her eyes seemed to be just the slightest bit red. Her hair was a shock of white curls, dyed pink at the tips. She was wearing a thin, black, long sleeve shirt, blue skinny jeans, and lavender, low top Converse.

"Hi! How are you?" Sera asked, standing upright from her position leaning on the counter

"I'm... Doing well..." She replied in a wispy sort of voice as though she were off on another world

"Can I help you find anything today?"
"Um... Yes... Acrylic paint."

"No problem follow me."

Sera led her to the paint aisle and started showing her the different brands they carried when her phone started buzzing. The first one she ignored, but then a second came, and a third, and it was on the third that the artist girl asked if Sera was going to check it.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, give me just a second."
When she looked down at her phone, Sera was met with three frantic texts from her mother.

"Fuck." Sera muttered, not quite quietly enough to keep the artist girl from hearing

"Everything alright?" She asked

"Um... No, honestly. I'm sorry, I really have to go, but it was nice to meet you. My name's Sera."

"Zoie."

Zoie held out her hand, but Sera was already at the counter, and with a word to Ivy, she was out the door, throwing her smock on a hook next to the door
Sera sped home and arrived just as the police were leaving. With barely a look at the police cruiser, Sera rushed to her mother who was standing in the doorway.

"Why? Why are they taking him away?" She asked, trying to understand

"You know why, mom. You have to." Sera replied

"I don't."

One of Sera's hands formed a tight fist, but she forced herself to let it relax, and took her mother's hand, sliding the sleeve up to her elbow

"Because of this, mom." Sera said, pointing at the black bruises up her mom's arm "and because of these." She continued, pulling off Karen's scarf, throwing it on the ground, and softly touching the handprints on her neck. For a moment, Karen stayed completely silent, and then, with a shudder, she fell into her daughter's arms.

"I couldn't let him take you from me. I couldn't stand if I lost you because of something he did." Sera whispered

Karen continued to cry into her daughter's shoulder, and for a few minutes, they stood in the doorway, until Sera led them to her bedroom, laid her mother on her bed, and sat next to her. They fell asleep there.