Newfound Hope

Mornings

"Hey Luna." Rose said, quietly. Luna looked up at Rose and shyly smiled.

"Hi Wose." Luna said. Rose giggled.

"It's Rose." Rose tried to pronunciate better.

"Rose." Luna said, carefully. Rose nodded and sat up with Luna.

"Do you want to go and find my mama while I get dressed?" Rose asked.

"Yea." Luna said, sitting up next to Rose. Rose climbed off the bed and helped Luna off the bed before skipping over to her room. Luna walked over to the stairs and slowly walked down them, she made it to the last step before running into the kitchen. Lizzie looked over when she heard light footsteps running across the hardwood floors. Lizzie was shocked when Luna came running into her legs.

"Good morning sweetheart, where's Rose?" Lizzie asked, the overly energetic toddler.

"Getting dwessed." Luna said. Lizzie nodded before bending down and picking Luna up, setting her on the kitchen counter.

"I was just about to make breakfast. What would you like to eat?" Lizzie asked. Luna's eyes lit up when Lizzie asked. She looked up in thought, trying to figure out what she wanted.

"Fwuit?" Luna suggested.

"We can do that but what else should we have?" Lizzie asked.

"Waf-waff-" Luna tried but was cut off by Lizzie saying.

"Waffles?" Lizzie asked. Luna nodded and laid on the counter.

"Are you still sleepy Luna?" Lizzie asked. Luna shook her head before entangling her fingers in her hair.

"Do you want your hair done?" Lizzie asked. Luna shyly nodded before sitting up and almost falling off the counter. Lizzie caught Luna as she fell forward, Luna burst into tears scared.

"Hey it's okay Luna, you're okay." Lizzie tried to calm down the small child. Lizzie rubbed light circles over Luna's back, Luna cries began to calm as her breathing became more even. Luna sniffled and hid her face in Lizzie's shirt, as to not show anyone she was crying. Rose came running into the kitchen with her hairbrush and a bow.

"Mama, can you please braid my hair for me?" Rose asked. Lizzie looked at Rose and smiled when she saw Rose was wearing an outfit that was identical to Lizzie's.

"Yeah baby, go sit at the counter." Lizzie said walking over to the counter with Luna still in her arms, Lizzie set Luna next to Rose on the counter and took the brush Rose gave her, Lizzie started at the ends of her hair slowly working her way up gently brushing it. Luna watched in curiosity as Lizzie intricately began to weave Rose's hair in one braid down her back, Lizzie tied the end of the braid with the bow Rose wanted. Rose looked over at Luna and smiled when she noticed the staring and waved. Rose saw how Luna's eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Luna, do you want her to braid your hair too?" Rose asked. Luna looked at Rose with a lit up expression and nodded.

"Okay come with me and pick a bow." Rose said, helping Luna down from the counter. Luna and Rose ran upstairs and to Rose's room. Rose led Luna over to her bows and showed her all the bows. Luna picked a black and white striped bow, and held it out to Rose.

"Did you find one bub?" Rose asked, not noticing the nickname.

"Yeah this one." Luna said, holding the bow to Rose. Rose giggled at the younger girl's excitement and led her back downstairs to where Lizzie was waiting by the sink.

"Rosie, can you grab one of the stools and bring it over here?" Lizzie asked. Rose nodded and dragged a stool to the sink.

"Okay come here Luna." Lizzie said, turning the tap on. Luna walked over to Lizzie and smiled when she was picked up and placed in the stool.

"Okay Luna I'm gonna wash your hair and then braid it, so we can get some of the knots out before brushing it. Okay?" Lizzie said, in a calm tone. Luna nodded and let Lizzie dunk her hair into the flow of water wetting the hair, Lizzie lathered Luna's hair with shampoo and made sure to scrub her scalp reasonably so as to not hurt the little girl. Luna giggled when the water tickled her neck. Lizzie rinsed her hair from shampoo and put conditioner in her hair before letting it set for about 5 minutes. Lizzie took a comb and lightly brushed through Luna's hair as she could now tell Luna had very curly hair. Lizzie rinsed the conditioner out of Luna's hair and wrapped a towel around her back, Lizzie sat Luna up in the stool and placed Rose on the counter in front of her to keep Luna entertained. Lizzie slowly began to brush through Luna's hand and was shocked at how easily she managed to brush the hair. Lizzie took the hair tie on her wrist and used it to tie off one half of Luna's hair, Lizzie braided half of Luna's hair only to the back of her neck before using another hair tie to tie it off. Lizzie did the same thing to the side before bringing both ponytails together and connected them with the bow. Rose traced small shapes on Luna's hand when she noticed Lizzie back away from Luna's hair.

"Mama are you done?" Rose asked.

"Yeah babe I am, do you wanna see it?" Lizzie asked. Rose nodded frantically. Lizzie picked Rose up and showed her Luna's hair. Luna giggled when she heard Rose squeal.

"It looks so cute mama, can I go pick something for her to wear and we go surprise mommy at work?" Rose asked. Lizzie nodded and set Rose down.

"Okay now Luna do you wanna help me make breakfast now?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, how help though?" Luna asked.

"You can mix the waffle batter and help me pour the batter onto the waffle maker." Lizzie explained as she danced around the kitchen gathering the supplies she needed. Luna nodded her head in understanding and stayed in her seat by the counter. Lizzie started to make the batter before lifting Luna out of the stool and placing her next to the bowl on the counter. Lizzie handed the bowl to Luna and handed her a spoon to mix with.

"You mix the batter with a spoon, you can mix that." Lizzie encouraged. Luna started to mix the batter and giggled when flour came out the bowl in a cloud and went on her clothes. Lizzie smiled and began cutting up fruit, placing the fruit into a bowl.

"Wizzie I done." Luna said, when she finished mixing.

"Okay sweetheart do you want to stay here or go find Rose and get dressed?" Lizzie asked, taking the bowl from Luna.

"Stay here." Luna said, hesitantly.

"Are you sure because if you want you can go find Rose you don't have to stay in the kitchen with me." Lizzie tried to explain a little more.

"I-i want Rose but I no like stairs." Luna revealed.