Incidents Around the House

“Mommy and Daddo leave my room. I pull the covers up to my chin. Other Mommy comes out of the closet.”

The first appearance of Other Mommy highlights Bela’s perception of her as normal and friendly. However, readers understand the unsettling implications of an unknown entity coming out of a child’s bedroom closet at night. This initial image reveals that something is very wrong in Bela’s household, beginning on the novel’s first page.

“I don’t like to see her like this. Because I can see the backs of her arms and there is dark hair on the backs of her arms.”

Other Mommy’s appearance is revealed gradually through Bela’s first-person perspective. This description shows her to be inhuman and raises the question of why Bela perceives her as another “Mommy.” It also reveals that Bela is somewhat unsettled by Other Mommy’s presence.

“I love you, Urs, Daddo says. I know you do, Russ.”

Though Ursula is quick to chastise Bela for not saying “I love you” back to her, she does not respond in kind when her husband expresses affection. Though Bela does not comment on this exchange, readers quickly understand that something is amiss in Ursula and Russ’s marriage. This tension also contributes to Bela’s sense of unease.