Ava

by Christina Sng

And so she turned--

I kept her grunting and lost

In the guest bathroom

And soon the melody

Of her movements matched

The cacophony of the others

Shifting around outside.

How I longed

To open the door to see her.

But I knew she was no longer

The daughter I loved.

Yet a part of me wondered

If there was any bit of Ava left

In that shell.

If she was aware,

At some level,

Of what she had become.

Every night, I soothed her

With a song -- the same one

I sang to her when she was a baby,

Nestled in my arms.

She always stopped her shuffling

And listened. But tonight,

She quietened and cooed,

And for the first time,

She said, “Maa maa," slowly

And concisely as if she were

Struggling with vocal chords

Which were ripped beyond repair.

I could not help it.

I had to know.

Tears rolling down my face,

I placed my hand on the doorknob.

I took a deep breath and turned.