Marius shied away from Joni, and Meriam frowned. "Marius, honey, what's the matter? Auntie Joni isn't going to hurt you." Marius shood his head, pushing it into Meriam's leg. "It's okay, honey, she's not going to hurt you, honest." Again, Marius shook his head.

With a frown, Joni took a step back towards the door, and Marius visibly relaxed. The further she walked back, the more at ease Marius looked. Finally, Joni left the room entirely.

Meriam looked down at her son, frowning. "What's the matter, Marius? Auntie Joni isn't going to hurt you. She loves you."

Marius shook his head. "She's scary. I don't like her."

Meriam sighed, and hugged her son. "It's okay, she's not that scary. She's my sister, and she loves you. She won't hurt you."

Suddenly, Marius burst into tears, clutching his monther's skirt tightly. Meriam sighed, and just held her son.

In the hallway, a few tears escaped Joni's eyes before she wiped them away, and left, her new nature slapping her hard as she walked away.