Chapter Text
Five months ago, her father died. Rosemary was too young to know why her mother was crying, or who the large man in black was. She was eight months old, and none of these memories would last. Not the sight of the large man embracing her mother, nor the strange crib that wasn’t hers but they still used to put her to bed.
She wouldn’t remember the man that entered her room, taller than her father but with the same soft blonde hair. He had stood above her crib, listening as her cries petered out. They both watched each other with a dull fascination. Then he put something in her crib, patted her head, and vanished.
The next morning when Mia checked on her, a plush snake was hugged to the child’s chest.
* * * * *
Last month, Rosemary turned one. She didn’t know what a party was, but she was big enough to walk and babble and pull on the tablecloths. Her mom was there, and so was Uncle Chris and Uncle Leon and Aunt Jill and Aunt Claire. There were other people too -A big man who came with Aunt Jill, a dark haired woman that just stopped by for cake- but she didn’t recognize them. With her snake clutched in a hand, she toddled around the baby-proofed living room while the adults spoke.
The door to her room was open. Inside she could see a man, tall and blonde and familiar. “Bah.” She said, waving her snake at him. He wasn’t with the other adults. Maybe that meant she was allowed to play with him? With a hurried gait, she shuffled into the room and pitched herself against his leg.
A sound of fast breath left the man before she found herself picked up. Something dark was on his face, and she wasted no time in grabbing it with her free hand. The dark thing moved away, and she could see his eyes. They looked like her snake plush, pointy and red. “Snay? Snay?” She asked, shaking both the plush and the dark thing.
He shook his head, something she was coming to recognize as ‘no.’ But he didn’t say anything to correct her, the way that Mommy did. Instead, he took the dark thing back and put it over his eyes again. A hand stroked her cheek, colder than Mommy and Uncle Chris’ touch. “You are remarkable, Rosemary.” He commented. The words meant nothing to her, but his voice was level and deep and smooth and she wanted to hear it again.
“Rosie, are you in your bedroom?” Mommy’s voice echoed from the kitchen. Before Rose even knew what had happened, she was standing by herself at the foot of her crib. “Are you playing without us, sweetheart?” Mommy asked as she entered the room.
Frowning, Rose shook her plush. “Snay?” She pouted. Where did he go? She hadn’t gotten to show him her presents…
“Your snake’s right here.” Mommy said, but she pointed to the plush. That wasn’t the right one! “Come on, it’s time for cake.”
Ooh, cake! Snake forgotten, Rose waddled after her mother and back to the kitchen. Both she and Mia were oblivious to the shadow over Rose’s window. When a new pair of overalls appeared in Rose’s dresser, decorated with tiny sewn flowers, Mia thought nothing of it. Perhaps Chris had gotten her another birthday gift.
* * * * *
Things went downhill after that. When Rosemary began exhibiting the same abilities as Eveline, the thread that was holding Mia’s life together came loose. Almost overnight, Chris found himself in charge of Rosemary’s everyday care. Sure, he had been at Mia’s house almost every day since the Village, but it wasn’t the same. Now the crib was in his house, Leon and Claire were helping him put away all weapons, and Jill was keeping Mia company because Rose’s rightful parent had struck her in a moment of panic and fear.
I can’t do this, he thought, even as Rose familiarized herself with her new bedroom. A plush snake was clutched in her off hand, something that Chris had seen her with ever since they rescued her and Mia. It wasn’t very noteworthy, just a black snake with red glass eyes. Of all her toys, that was her favorite.
Even at this distance, he could see the lump welling up on the back of her head. He hadn’t seen the accident. He and Jill had been preparing lunch when they heard a clatter upstairs, followed by both Mia and Rose crying. Mia had raced down the stairs, shoved Rose into Chris’ arms, and then bolted. It took Jill thirty seconds to catch up to her, and another five minutes to get the story. To learn that Rose had caused mold growth across the upstairs carpet, and Mia had gone back to the Baker home.
The doctor said the wound wasn’t worrisome, that little kids often took falls and wound up with bumps and bruises. Rosemary was old enough that brain damage from a short tumble wasn’t a possibility. Hell, Rose might have had Ethan’s regenerative abilities. That wasn’t something he could ask the local pediatric doctor about. This kid is a mold creature, can she heal herself or should I turn on the humidifier?
“Bah! Bah!” Rose called out to him, stirring Chris from his stupor. Her snake was still held in a pudgy hand, but her free one reached out towards the window, grasping like she wanted something. A frown crossed Chris’ face as he stepped away from the wall, moved over and peered outside the curtains.
Nothing. Just the same view as always, a couple of trees and a backyard with a plastic playset that his parents had bought fifty years ago and he’d never had the heart to throw it out. From Rose’s angle, all she could see was the sky. What did ‘bah’ stand for again? Did it mean something? Or was it just baby babble? “Do you want to go for a walk?” Chris asked. She had been cooped up at the doctor’s office, after all. Did babies need walks like dogs?
“Bah!” Rose nodded, the gesture so emphatic that she toppled backwards onto her butt. Chris allowed himself a chuckle as those tiny lips pursed, pure concentration evident in her face as she focused on standing up again without having to put down her plush. Once she set her sights on something, she didn’t give up. She was a Winters, just like her dad.
The grief only caught for a moment before it was smoothed over by the same numbness that had helped him survive the last three decades. He couldn’t fix the past, but he could do better. He always had to do better. “Alright, let’s walk. I think Leon put your shoes by the door.” He said. Mia was always saying that talking to Rosemary like she was an adult would help further her mental development.
Finally upright, Rose toddled out of the room. Chris followed her to the door, where Claire was installing a babyproof handle over the doorknob. “We’re gonna head out for a bit.” He said.
“Gotcha. Have fun out there, Rosie-Wosie!” Claire cooed, taking a moment to help Rose put on her shoes. Really, they were more like leather bags than shoes, but he supposed it was better than letting her go barefoot. “Leon and I will finish up here.”
“Thanks.” Chris nodded and crouched down before lifting Rose up, settling the baby on his hip. He thought he had finally gotten comfortable carrying her, and now it was awkward again. Because I’m not just her uncle now, I’m her father. I can’t do this. I have to do this. For Ethan. For Mia.
The front yard was mostly cement, a large custom driveway meant to hold military vehicles taking up the land that other people planted grass in. Did he need to get more plants? It wasn’t like grass was essential for babies, and she could always play in the backyard if needed.
He got precisely halfway through setting her down before he realized what a bad idea this was. She already had a head injury, what if she tripped over her own fat feet and busted her forehead? No, they could play in the backyard, where there was at least soil underfoot instead of concrete.
Rose didn’t seem to mind the change in destination, mostly chewing on her free hand as she looked around. A downy mohawk ran down the length of her head, her hair still growing in. Her eyes, though, had finally changed from the infant grey to a piercing blue. She was every inch Ethan’s daughter. Maybe that was why Mia was struggling so much.
Setting her down in a patch of grass, Chris sat down and watched her walk off. She was so little… he would have to give up smoking. Even he knew that nicotine wasn’t good for babies. Sighing, he dragged a hand over his face. Maybe Leon could give him some tips on quitting. Granted, the man had given up alcohol, not cigarettes, but the advice was probably the same. Right?
Rosemary wandered over to a tree by the back of the house, her hand patting the bark. It was rough and gritty, nothing like the smooth trees back home. She looked back over her shoulder at Uncle Chris, but he was covering his face like Mommy sometimes did. Maybe he was sleeping now.
A shadow fell over her, and when Rose looked up, she saw the same man she had seen from her window not five minutes earlier. “Snay!” She beamed, reaching up with a chubby hand.
He didn’t pick her up, though he did rub a gloved hand through her hair. “Is that my name now?” He mused, so quietly that she almost missed it. Some of his hair fell into his face as he looked at Uncle Chris. His mouth didn’t move, but Rose thought he looked sad. Like Uncle Leon did when the nice lady left her birthday.
“Snay?” She asked, reaching up to grab his arm. The moment before she made contact, he had disappeared, leaving her standing by the tree alone.
Uncle Chris lifted his head. “You have your snake, it’s in your hand.” He said. He sounded tired. Standing up, he approached her and picked her up. “Let’s go back home now, okay?” He offered.
“Ma? Ma?” Rose asked, her head thunking against Uncle Chris’ shoulder as she got comfortable. Where was Mommy? She remembered seeing her at some point, but it felt like a long time ago. They would see her if she was going home!
Uncle Chris didn’t say anything, but he didn’t take her home either. Instead, they went back into the house they had been in before.
When Chris shut the screen door, she could see her snake standing in the yard, watching them through it. At least that hadn’t changed. Rosemary yawned and offered him a wave goodnight with her free hand.
After a moment of hesitation, her snake waved back.