Eva didn’t like him. The way he moved and spoke was dipping into the uncanny. Based on her low and constant growl, Arachne wasn’t very fond of him either.
“Miladies dallied far too much. The show will be starting soon. You in particular,” he gestured straight at Genoa, “won’t want to miss it.”
“Reunion,” Genoa whispered. “Juliana?”
There was an almost imperceptible nod from Willie. As slight as it was, he hadn’t even finished it before Genoa took off in a half-run half-blink mad dash towards the theater.
Eva hesitated for just a moment. “You haven’t hurt Juliana, have you?”
“Milady,” one of his hands swung up to grasp his chest. “You wound me. I am a gentledemon. I would never harm my fair guests.”
“Good. Then we won’t have a problem.” Without any further delay, Eva stepped after Genoa, chasing her up the short path to the theater.
Given her head start and general haste, Genoa beat her there by a good deal.
Eva pushed open the theater doors and walked inside with Arachne hot on her heels. Inside the seating hall was nothing but empty seats. So, essentially nothing.
Only one seat contained an occupant. The theater-demon, Willie, sat up at the front. Upon Eva entering, he turned in his seat and pressed a finger across the wide smile on his mask.
Blinking, Eva glanced up towards the stage.
Juliana stood off-set to one side with her back towards the entrance. She wore a relatively simple period dress in a shade of green that matched Willie’s tuxedo.
Genoa stood off-set to the opposite side. Slowly, she stepped forwards and reached out with a hesitant hand. After a moment’s pause, her hand lowered to Juliana’s shoulder.
The younger blond spun around. “Mother,” she said.
“Juli.”
They stared at one another. Both of their eyes watered up.
As their arms wrapped around each other, both equally pulling the other into a tight hug, the theater demon started up a soft applause.
It went completely ignored by the to Rivas women.
“I missed you.”
“I am so happy you are alright.”
Mother and daughter kept pressed against one another. Both of their words started to get somewhat drowned out by the tears.
“…lost and alone…”
“…drove myself insane worrying…”
“Boring.”
Eva glanced over at Arachne who was in the midst of an extremely exaggerated yawn.
“Hush, this is a touching moment for them.”
And it was.
“But,” Juliana said loudly. She turned around and moved just out of reach of Genoa’s arms. With her back facing Genoa, Juliana shook her head. “You shouldn’t have come for me.”
“Why not? Of course I am going to come for you.”
“Shalise and I… we,” Juliana paused and brought both hands to her chest. She turned back to face her mother. “There is something I need to tell you, mother.”
“Anything, Juli.”
“I’m pregnant.”
A heavy silence dammed any further discussion. It stuck around until Genoa broke the dam.
“What.”
“What,” repeated Eva.
“What,” Arachne said, “is the big deal?”
The theater-demon turned. “Quiet!”
“It’s true, mother,” Juliana turned her back on her mother once again. “We wanted to hide it from you. We knew you and father wouldn’t approve of our relationship.”
Genoa stepped forwards and gripped Juliana’s shoulders. Juliana flinched away as if struck.
For a moment, they stood at arm’s length. Genoa then pulled her daughter in for another hug.
“Of course I would accept your relationship. Though, Juli, I might have done a poor job explaining some things. Maybe we’ll get your father to talk to you when we get home.”
After a brief session of tears,
Eva’s eyes zoned in on a faint glimmer of light a short way above Juliana’s head. It took some concentration and focus before she realized what it was.
“Arachne,” Eva ordered. “Strings.”
The demon didn’t nod, she simply charged.
“Shalise. She has cancer. It started as a cough. Then blood started coming up. Now she–”
Arachne jumped. All of her spare legs swept through the air above Juliana. The shorter blond crumpled to the floor in a heap of her own limbs.
Stepping forwards, Eva placed herself between Arachne and an angry Genoa. Infighting now could be problematic with Willie standing off to the side.
At least, she expected Genoa to be angry. Eva half expected to be trampled in Genoa’s mad rush to Arachne because of some perceived threat to her daughter.
By the time Eva was on stage, Genoa had her daughter cradled in her arms.
“M-mom?”
“Juli,” Genoa said, squeezing her daughter to her chest.
“I’m not pregnant.”
“I–That’s good, sweetie. And did–”
“No, no, no, no, no!” Willie marched up onto the stage. His mask was shoved off to one side. Age lines cracked on his face as it twisted into a scowl. “It was going so well!”
His arms swept out in a wide gesture towards the two Rivas women.
