Chapter VII

Chapter VII
“Maria, Maria, wake up!” She felt a touch on her shoulder.
“Mother?” Maria’s eyes snapped open, her heart filling with happiness. She’s back.
“Maria, I’m scared.” Linnea would never say that. Neither did Linnea have such small hands or such a young voice. It wasn’t Linnea at all. It was Elaine. Maria sat up with a disappointed sigh. She’d been dreaming all night about her mother, and none of the dreams were very pleasant. Not wanting her mind to replay images of Linnea being torn apart by wolves, Maria stood up and walked outside with Elaine. It was still nighttime, and the moon had reached the highest point in the sky. Maria felt Elaine's small arms close around her waist, and returned the hug. The two sisters looked up at the stars, Maria finally feeling peace after her long night of fright.
“Look, Maria, that one looks like a tree!” Elaine’s youthful voice made Maria giggle.
“I don’t see a tree,” She replied jokingly. “Only white dots in a black sky.”
“Can’t you see it?” Elaine’s small finger traced the contours of the shape she saw in the stars.
“Find me another one. Maybe I’ll be able to see that one.”
“There’s one that looks like three people holding hands.”
“I see that one.” Maria’s heart plummeted as she said the words.
“It’s me, you, and Mathieu.” Maria couldn’t think of a reply. Even if she did, she didn’t trust her mouth to pronounce the words.
“Mama’s over there watching us.”
“I see her too.”
“She’s on the other side of the tree.”
“Elaine, I miss her too, but you know that now there is only us, we have to stay together even more than before. You will have to be grown-up now.”
“All right. “ A pause, then, “Does that mean I can’t cry because I miss her?”
“No, Elaine, cry as much as you want. I cried too, last night. You just have to be more careful with what you do because I can’t always watch you now. You’ll have to watch Mathieu, and do chores, but don’t ever, ever, be afraid to cry.”
The arms wrapped around Maria’s waist tightened. They stood there for a moment, like they would never let go, but then Maria broke Elaine's hold.
“It’s time to go in. If you’re afraid you can sleep with me, but we both need our rest.” She ushered Elaine back into Gertrude’s house –their house too, now, Maria supposed- but before entering herself, she paused and looked back up at the sky, to take one last look at the star-family. But in between mother and children, Maria could not find the elusive shape of the tree.