“Babe, can you go pick Lizzy up from school?” Lisha asked.

“Why can’t you do it?“ Beatrice asked, not looking up from scrolling through her phone.

“Because I picked her up four days in a row.” she rationalized. “And you haven’t even picked her up once.”

“I’ll…” Beatrice was going to make an excuse or divert the subject, but she was too tired. “Fine. I’ll go get ready and pick her up.”

“Remember she gets out at 3:15.”

“Gotcha, babe.”

Beatrice changed into something presentable. Or at least as presentable as you have to be to teenagers still in high school.

She stood near the school and looked at the playground, where Lizzy and her classmates were playing. At least, they were supposed to be playing. A few kids had confronted Lizzy, and Beatrice was right there to catch them.

“Looks like the shrimpy alley cat’s trying to play with the big kids!” laughed some pudgy snot-nosed brat. At least, that’s how Beatrice saw him. Lizzy balled her fists.

“Alley cat wants to scratch?” another kid taunted.

Lizzy bowed her head at the kid’s insults and Bea made a face of disgust. This kid didn’t know how to do anything on her own. Beatrice paraded over, yanked her arm, and pulled her aside. The bullies were scared, but mostly by the huge snake wrapped around her mother. Lizzy was surprised that Beatrice was even there. 

“When did you-”

“Did anyone teach you how to do anything?” Bea spat. “About how to fight back against these pieces of garbage?”

“N-no ma’am-”

“You’re still thinking and acting like that scared little alley cat they think you are.” Beatrice said, tapping Lizzy’s forehead.

“What do I do then? They don’t give me a choice when they just start insulting me out of nowhere! How do I defend myself?”

“You don’t need to defend yourself.” Beatrice said coldly. “A viper doesn’t defend. It strikes first, and strikes deadly.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Here’s what you’re going to do…” Bea whispered into Lizzy’s ear for several minutes before Lizzy nodded and went back to the playground, and Beatrice watched it unfold. The same group of bullies eventually reapproached Lizzy again. This time though, she wasn’t afraid of them.

“Hey, stray cat!” a bully spat. “You found-”

“You found a way to lose weight yet, Marcus?” Lizzy interjected, pointing at the boy’s pudgy shape. “Or did you finally just find a way to gain it slower?”

“What?” Marcus said, snapping backwards in surprise. His friends around him chuckled and whispered to each other.

“Stop bothering me anyway.” Lizzy said, turning her nose up. “I’m not exactly interested. And if I was, it wouldn’t be in you. It’s not like any other girl is.”

Marcus balled his fists and looked pissed, but suddenly broke out into tears and ran away, his friends following him. Lizzy smiled and watched them run, feeling a newfound power. Beatrice laughed and Fluffy gave her a look.

“What?” she asked. “Lisha said I should bond with her. This is bonding.”

Fluffy rolled his eyes and went back to lounging around her neck.

“Let’s go, Lizzy.” Beatrice said, walking over and grabbing Lizzy’s hand while hiding the proud smirk. “Today’s lesson is over.”

When the two of them got home, Lisha was nowhere to be seen. Beatrice saw a found on the kitchen counter, which read “Out to lunch with Iris. Be back soon.”

“Where’s mama?” 

“She’s just visiting your aunt.” Beatrice said.

“I have an aunt?” Lizzy asked, excited.

“You’ve got a few.” she said, thinking about all her siblings. “You can see them all eventually.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Hm… maybe.” Beatrice said, reconsidering some choice people in the family tree.

“Can we go to the piano again?” Lizzy asked quietly. Beatrice could think of a few other things she’d rather do, but sighed and remembered what Lisha would want.

“Yeah, go on ahead. I’ll meet you there.”

Lisha was eating with Iris in her little house, glad that she could have some time with her sister every once in a while. Plus, Lisha had a lot to catch Iris up on.

“Do you want to say something?” Iris laughed, biting into an odd colored fruit. Lisha had spent their entire lunchtime smiling and giggling.

“There’s just one teensy thing I’ve been waiting to tell ya.” Lisha said, barely able to contain herself.

“Do tell.”

“Well… recently there’s someone new in both Bea and I’s life.” she said, nearly bursting with excitement to tell her.

“Um…” Iris looked rather uncomfortable. “Is Beatrice… not the only wife then?”

“Huh?” Lisha asked, tilting her head before she realized what Iris was asking. “Wait no no no, I’m talking about a kid in our life! I got a kid!”

“YOU WHAT?!” Iris shouted, standing up so quickly that her chair fell over. She looked on the edge of a panic attack. “You didn’t think to tell me earlier?! You’re my only sister, and I-”

“She’s adopted!” Lisha forcefully interrupted. “Bea and I adopted her.”

“Oh.” she said with a great sigh of relief, clutching her heart. “I didn’t know there were orphanages in Hell.” she said with a raised eyebrow. Lisha looked away and scratched the back of her neck.

“Well, um… There aren’t.” The room stayed incredibly silent.

“So where did the kid come from?”

“Well…” Lisha wasn’t looking forward to explaining anymore. “I was in the human world getting stuff for Bea…”

“Oh goodness…” Iris said, covering her mouth. “Lisha, you didn’t…”

“I did.” she admitted. “But it’s alright! We can take care of her and-”

“Do you even know how many rules that violates?” Iris asked.

“But she’s a part of the family now!” Lisha insisted. “Even Bea likes her now.”

“Lisha,” Iris said, concerned. “You can’t keep collecting people like they’re pets.”

“This one’s not like when I found Bea, sis.” Lisha rationalized. “You don’t know-”

“No, I do know, and I’m worried.” she said sternly. “You’re wife’s dead, but that child is still alive. You’ll have to watch her grow old and die, and you’ll have to let her go one day, maybe forever. Are you ready to do that?”

“I-” Lisha didn’t know what to say. Iris pulled her into a hug.

“You know we’re sisters, and I love you, so that’s why I’m telling you this. Beatrice was right to want to put her back. Hell is no place to raise a girl.”

“W-what do you m-mean?” Lisha asked, shaking.

“What happens when she wants to invite a boy over?” she asked. “Or if she wants to have friends for a birthday? What are they going to think when she lives in Hell?”

“I don’t care!” Lisha blurted out. “She’s ours and I won’t let her go back to that awful place again!” 

Lisha ran to the door, pursued closely behind by Iris. She yanked open the door and took flight, leaving the crippled carvation leaning on the railing for support while she caught her breath and looked at her sister fly away.

“Come on Lisha, I’m trying to save you…” Iris whispered.