"My little girl"

Chapter 2

"Brandon, eat your breakfast, we have to go in 5 minutes."

"Kiera is not eating either." He complained and I stopped preparing their lunch bags for a second to see Kiera with her eyes glued to her new phone screen.

"Kiera, put it away and finish your food."

She grabbed her fork and went back to eating, but she didn't put her phone down.

I wasn't going to say anything more and I didn't have the time. I had things to do after dropping the kids off and I needed to make sure to be on time for them.

Nothing new happened when I pulled up in front of the school. Brandon waited for me to walk him inside the gates, but Kiera acted as if she didn't even know me. I kissed my son goodbye and went back to the car. My mind was already on the appointment I had in half an hour.

I was actually getting a little impatient because the cars clogging the street were making it hard for me to drive away. Then I distractedly looked in my rearview mirror and saw my daughter looking excited. I got out of the car when I got a better look of her with her friends and walked up to her.

"Kiera, give me that!" I said over the excited comments and giggles and my daughter jumped.

"Mom." She looked at me surprised. "Uh. Daddy said I could leave it in my bag."

"I don't care what your father said. Now give me that." I took the iPhone from her and her eyes filled up immediately.

"Why can't you let me do ANYTHING?"

"Uh. Kiera, we're going to get inside now..." One of her friends said looking at me sideways and they all started walking.

"Is that what you wanted? Embarrass me in front of my friends?"

"Keep taking that tone with me and I'll do more than just embarrass you."

"I HATE YOU!" She said after spotting a few kids looking at her then ran away before I could say anything.

Some people honked horns at my car, because it was on the way and I walked back to it to leave. I dropped the damn phone in my purse and drove off.

***

When I got out of the car, I tried to look as calm and composed as possible. This was already something that made me nervous. I didn't want to let the added stress convince me to go back home.

To hear my daughter saying those words to me hurt, even if I knew that she said that out of anger. And It's crazy because now I know how my mother felt whenever I said that to her.

Since the day I found out that I was expecting my daughter, I was scared that I wouldn't be a good mother.

It was hard in the beginning, I never knew what I was doing right or wrong, but after the years went by and seeing her grow up smart and healthy, I started to feel like I did a good job. Now, hearing her say those words to me, I can't stop thinking I failed as a mother.

Maybe the fact that I was only 23 years old when I got her didn't help either. I was too young and not mature enough to be a mother. Back then, I thought that we could be friends when she was old enough, but 12 years later, she's rolling her eyes as soon as she hears my voice. I really hope that this is just a phase because I miss having my daughter, the sweet and lovely one.