A few hours past, spent catching up with Mother, guiding Lapis time and time again to the bathroom, and replaying the conversation I had with Amethyst over and over again in my mind. It had been a fairly simple exchange of words, but there was something more to them, something deeper.

Soon, the sun set, leaving the moon to illuminate the fresh coat of snow that was laying on the ground. I watched the street lamps begin to light up from the hallway window on the second floor, my hand pressed against the cold glass windowpane. I stood there, in complete solitude, for a few seconds before Canary approached me.

I saw her reflection before I heard her, and spun around to face my mother's servant. As a child, Canary had always given me a very unsettling feeling, like she was always watching me.

"Your mother has arranged tonight's dinner." She said in her haughty, high pitched voice. "She wishes for you to join her downstairs."

"O-ok." I said, stepping to the side and away from Canary. I didn't want to disappoint my mother (she could get rather temperamental), so I made my way downstairs.

Despite being almost completely decorated in various shades of yellow, the house gave off a cold, empty feel, like it was supposed to be full of many, many more people than it was. Mother never took the effort to personalize the place with the likes of family photos or my old drawings, so it always seemed like I wasn't supposed to be there.

The dining hall was by far the most magnificent room in the house. To call it a dining hall would be stripping it of it's true glory, it was more like a ballroom. Marble floors sparked, reflecting my very out of place appearance. Massive floor to ceiling windows showcased my mother's rose gardens, now covered in snow. A golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, giving the room an almost fairytale like atmosphere.

In the center of the room was a long table, made of the finest mahogany wood. The table was covered with a champagne colored tablecloth, complete with white lace accents. Though massive, the table was only set for four people, and only one sat at it- my mother, who was wearing a golden evening gown.

"Peridot." She said stiffly, standing up. "You're dressed rather causally."

"Sorry..." I muttered. "I didn't really pack any formal wear...."

"It's fine." Mother responded with no emotion in her words or expression. "Please, sit down." She said, sitting down herself.

I sat down next to Mother and stared into the ceramic plate before me, afraid to make eye contact.

After what was moments but felt like hours, Lapis and Amethyst walked into the room, both as casually dressed as I was. After marveling at the room for a while, the two made their way to the table and sat down. Amethyst sat down next to me.

After another long moment of awkwardness, my mother spoke up. "So, Lapis, Amethyst, I assume you go to Delmarva University with Peridot?"

"Yeah" and "yup" were their responses, both said in hushed, nervous tones.

"What are you studying?" Mother inquired.

"Uh... art." Amethyst said nervously, then coughed.

"Art. Very... ambitious." Mother turned to Lapis.

"Art as well." Was her response.

Mother nodded, keeping her neutral expression. Within seconds, Canary walked in, pushing a cart full of food from the kitchen.

After being served our minestrone and garlic bread, the room grew silent. One thing I missed about my childhood was the excellent cooking.

The silence lasted the entire dinner. After finishing on some delicious creme brûlée, the small group dispersed, each heading to our separate rooms.

As Amethyst and I walked side by side, I felt myself tense. "I'm sorry about her." I whispered, referring to my mother.

"It's ok." Amethyst responded. "It's not like you can control her..."

We reached my bedroom door.

"You wanna take the first shower?" Amethyst asked.

"Sure. I said, walking in the room, grabbing my clothes, and walking off.

The bathroom was as glamorous and golden as the rest of the house, and I decided to take advantage of my mother's amenities and draw a bath.

The water was warm and steamy, enveloping me like a blanket. The tub was pretty deep, so I filled it up so much the water almost came to my nose. The water stayed still as long as I did, but moved in ripples as soon as I moved even a finger. It felt like my life, one simple event kickstarting a chain of things.

I held my legs to my chest for a few moments before getting out into the cold air. After drying off and getting changed into neon green flannel pajamas, I made my way back to my room, where Amethyst was standing, holding her own supplies.

"You can shower now." I said, gesturing to the bathroom. Amethyst walked past me, leaving me in the doorway. After a moment of contemplation, I walked into my room, climbed onto my king sized bed, and buried myself under six inches of blankets.

I was falling alseep when the door opened and Amethyst walked in. She came over to the bed. "Hey. I'm sleeping here, right?"

Most of my brain was half alseep at this point, so I wearily responded with, "yea, sure" and buried my face in some pillows.

Amethyst climbed into the bed, beside me. After flipping through her phone a bit, she turned it off and set it off. She buried herself in the covers and turned to face me.

Cautiously, I turned to face her. Amethyst's eyes were closed, her skin and hair illuminated by the moonlight.

I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her. She was warm, and smelled like lavender.