Incidents Around the House

Bela pretends to sleep while her parents confer in whispers. They decide they will kill Other Mommy, whom they refer to as “it.” Russ cries a little, but Ursula reassures him that they will be okay. They decide to use knives to attack Other Mommy when they next see her.

Ursula comes to speak to Bela and tells her she knows she is awake and that they are a team.

Her parents take her upstairs and take turns showering and getting dressed. Russ shaves and Ursula trims her hair and Bela’s. Bela thinks that they are getting dressed up like they are going out somewhere, but they tell her they are just taking care of themselves because it feels nice. Ursula looks in the mirror and says she almost feels like her old self. They escort Bela to her room and let her put on her party clothes. She walks down the hall in between them, and they both hold knives.

Russ and Ursula say to each other that this is their house, their child, and their fight.