━━━━𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒏.

    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 house stood quiet, all except for the small footsteps making their way to the bathroom. Mason opened the door, closing it gently as she stood in the reflection of the mirror. Pulling open the medicine cabinet, the girl grabs her pill bottle of antidepressants prescribed to her by Jackson's doctor, as well as the pills meant for her anxiety that she had received a few days prior.

Downing the tablets with a handful of water from the tap, she wiped away the remaining water droplets around her mouth with her green sweatshirt's sleeve, reaching for her toothbrush.

Her toothpaste's mint taste reached her tongue, the bristles of her toothbrush cleaning her teeth while she gazed at her appearance. The gray circles beneath her eyes had grown more profound, the worse they had been in years. Ridding of the minty paste in her mouth, the little girl rinsed her tongue with water, stepping from the washroom. After quickly snatching her stuffed dog from her bed, Maisie padded downstairs, catching the familiar scent of brewing coffee from the kitchen.

"Mornin', kiddo." Joel greeted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Mason held her thin arms out to him, the man taking her into his arms. Though eleven, the girl weighed as much as a feather and looked similar to an eight-year-old.

Once the father had gotten his coffee, he carried his daughter to the back porch, sitting on the plastic chair with her laying upon his chest. The two sat in silence until Mason spoke quietly.

"Uncle Tommy?" She asked, playing with Bear's ear.

"He went on patrol, should be back mid-afternoon."

The young brunette's face dropped, slightly disappointed. Mason slumps against her father, closing her eyes as the cool spring breeze ruffles her hair.

━━━━━━

"You look tired, girly." Lily Cohen, Jackson's only psychiatrist, commented. Maisie continued to color the birds in her coloring book, Bear sitting beside her. The beautiful dark-skinned woman tilted her head while looking at the little girl, waiting patiently.

"Your daddy told me your anxiety has been acting up, could you talk to me about it?" When she receives no answer, Lily gently calls to the girl.

"Maisie? Babe, it's alright, you can talk to me." She reassures, but the small child only shakes her head. The remaining session continues this way, one-sided conversations until Joel arrives at the woman's home.

Maisie runs to her father, jumping into his arms. Her arms are tight around his neck, head buried in his shoulder. Joel looks to Lily, the woman giving him a sympathetic look. The man slowly sets his daughter on the ground, nodding towards the infirmary not too far.

"Yer uncle and aunt are in the infirmary. They're both fine, Tommy found a woman is all. He's getting her checked out."

With a nod, the little one sprints off towards the building, stuffed animal clutched in her hand as she runs through the doorway. The youngest Miller giggles, running towards her aunt and uncle, who stood before a blonde woman.

"Uncle Tommy!" Mason hugs his waist tightly, the man smiling down at her. As she feels an intense gaze boring into her head, the little girl looks towards the stranger standing in front of them, blue eyes widening: her breath hitches, the brunette's heartbeat echoing in her ears.

With fear and shock flooding her body, Maisie drops Bear to her feet as she unravels her arms from her uncle, slowly back away towards the door with her eyes strained on the woman. Tommy and Maria call out to their niece, looking down at her in worry.

"Mason?" The strange woman questions, taking a step forward. That was all it took to send the little girl running out the door. She rounds the corner, only to bump into Joel, who had been making his way to the infirmary. Seeing his little girl in a state of panic, the man grows concerned.

But as the man looks into her eyes, he doesn't see panic; he sees fear. Joel kneels, gently taking his daughter's face into his palms.

"Hey, Maisie, look at me. What is it? What happened, baby girl?"

Before Mason could answer, a broken sob slips past her lips, the Miller girl's breathing becoming irregular. Joel brings the little one to his chest as the people of Jackson begin to stare. While the father rocks his daughter, he hears her whisper.

"Mama."