Incidents Around the House

“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.

“The closet doors slowly close and I don’t call out for Mommy or Daddo. Let them laugh, I say. Please, let them laugh, all the time, like this. Forever.”

Here Bela puts her parents’ happiness before her need for comfort. This moment highlights the dysfunctional dynamic in Bela’s household. Even though she is a small child, she has already learned to prioritize her parents’ needs over her own. The repetition of “let them laugh” emphasizes Bela’s deep emotional need for her parents to be happy.