She leans in to kiss him goodnight, and hears a sweet, small voice.
"Mommy? You won't leave me like Daddy did, will you?"
A fresh batch of tears swam down her face like the Nile in a rainstorm. She touched his cheek, wiping away the accumulated water from under his eyes, halfheartedly hoping it was from his wet hair. She finally willed herself to look at her baby's face, and on sight of his innocent, gleaming eyes, she broke downsobbing into her sleave. Once she calmed herself, she sniffled snd looked back to her son.
"No, baby. I won't ever leave you. I'll never...never leave...never..."
Trailing off, she stroked his hair like only a mother can.
"Don't take me wrong, baby. Daddy's not a bad guy. He just couldn't stand...stand it." She said in between sniffles.
"I know, Mommy, I know." He leaned in to comfort her, wrapping his little arms partially around his mother, and she gladly accepted his embrace. "I love you Mommy."
She smiled, and quietly laid her 4-year-old down to sleep.
Stepping out out of his room, she softly whispered, "I love you too, kiddo. Love you too."
"Mommy? You won't leave me like Daddy did, will you?"
A fresh batch of tears swam down her face like the Nile in a rainstorm. She touched his cheek, wiping away the accumulated water from under his eyes, halfheartedly hoping it was from his wet hair. She finally willed herself to look at her baby's face, and on sight of his innocent, gleaming eyes, she broke downsobbing into her sleave. Once she calmed herself, she sniffled snd looked back to her son.
"No, baby. I won't ever leave you. I'll never...never leave...never..."
Trailing off, she stroked his hair like only a mother can.
"Don't take me wrong, baby. Daddy's not a bad guy. He just couldn't stand...stand it." She said in between sniffles.
"I know, Mommy, I know." He leaned in to comfort her, wrapping his little arms partially around his mother, and she gladly accepted his embrace. "I love you Mommy."
She smiled, and quietly laid her 4-year-old down to sleep.
Stepping out out of his room, she softly whispered, "I love you too, kiddo. Love you too."
It all felt like too much to handle. The guys, the girls, her mom's so-called 'boyfriends', even the teachers at her school were horrible to her. It wasn't her fault! She felt under her mattress, searching for the silver, cool to the touch. She searched her arm for a spot that wasn't red, puffy, or scabbing. She held the knife to herself, about midway up her forearm. But was it really worth it? That girl, that new girl, she was nice to her today. But she probably hadn't heard the stories. That new girl would be looking down on her, like ther rest of the school, by next week. She looked back to the knife, watched the smooth surface glint in the light. She briefly prayed that her mother would barge through her door and find her scars, her knife, tears. Sure she'd be sent to some shrink, but she'd be safe. But no. She glanced at the door halfheartedly, then turned back to her arm. As she brought the knife to her forearm, she thought, Will I ever be safe?
She smiled; no, she beamed as she held his hands, looking into his eyes, his deep, beautiful, brown eyes. Is this really what it's like, being in love? Well, even if it isn't, it's still wonderful. This feeling...it's amazing.
'But love is a rose,' her mom always said. 'It's astonishingly beautiful, but when you don't handle it carefully, it'll hurt you bad, and it'll stay with you for longer than you'd wish.'
But he isn't like that, no. She thought to herself. At least, I hope not...
