A little child plucks a dandelion from the grass and hands it to her mother. The mother smiles kindly yet disgust still clearly shows behind a joyful façade. The child runs back off, smiling cheerfully as she climbs up onto the playground's slide. The mother tosses the dandelion far out of her sight, then calls for her sweet angel.
"Come on sweetie, it's getting late."
"B-but mommy, can I play a little longer? Please?"
"No. I said come. Now."
The little child sighs heavily and pouts. Stomp stomp stomp.
There's silence in the car as it smoothly drives over the pavement. The child looks out the window, and she seems to be pondering about something, more intense than a child should normally ponder.
"What's wrong hun?"
The child stays quiet for a minute, but it feels like an eternity.
"Uh- Mommy?"
"Yes dear?"
"What happened to that flower I gave you? I haven't seen it since we got in the car."
The mother's face immediately darkens as the child now looks at her.
"Er- Well-" The mother is not quite sure how to respond, but attempts to continue, "Dear, that flower you picked was a weed. Weeds are unsanitary and a pest."
The child's eyes widen, and soon glisten with tears.
"Why? It was so beautiful though, and I don't get it."
"Dear- That's just how things work. Dandelions kill other healthier flowers, and they're everywhere."
The child tilts her head, confusion clearly present in her bright brown eyes.
"But-"The child carefully thinks about her words. "They're so beautiful. Why would anyone not like such a pretty flower?"
"Because it is a weed, and weeds are invasive."
The child still doesn't quite grasp the concept, because all she sees is the beauty in the precious dandelion, not how it is seen as a pest.
The car slowly pulls into the driveway of the modern house. The mother gets out, and calls for her child to follow, but the child stays quiet. She's outside, staring at the weeds near the road. Slowly, she crawls down towards the ditch, and starts picking them.
"Delilah? Are yo-"The mother rapidly looks around. "Delilah?"
She's too far away to hear. Across the road there are more dandelions, so she happily starts to cross.
Little Delilah is no more.
The truck came fast, too quickly to slow down.
Delilah's life ended for the beauty of a flower.
