I could not believe it. I blinked a couple of more times and pinched my cheeks. It was real. It wasn't a dream!
I had gotten into Prince Jason's 2015 Selection!
Speechless and still in awe, my mother wraps her arms around my shoulders and laughs with her naturally tiny voice. "I'm so happy for you, honey."
I let out a tiny breath and pat my mother's tiny hands, which were covered in dust.
"Thank you, mama... but..."
She shakes her head, knowing exactly what I was thinking. "No, child. You must go. This is a once in a lifetime chance. You must take it."
"But then there won't be anybody here to help you sew," I take her hand and pull her down next to me on the table. The tiny wooden table was beginning to chip and bits of wood were starting to splinter out. The once golden brown color had started to fade into a mellow yellow, but it still kept our food still while we ate our meals for as long as I could remember. My father had passed away just six years ago, and ever since then, we've been working day and night just to keep the family together. Mother had eventually gotten a job as a seamstress for some wealthy Fours, and so my family and I moved into their small apartment complex, which housed all of their servants.
"I'll be ok. Don't worry about me at all," she pats my hands. "Besides, I hear the Selected get weekly paychecks. That'll help keep us full for quite a while, huh?"
I frown at her. Knowing her too well, I was certain that she was going to save every penny she could and still work everyday. "Mama, I don't want you working while I'm gone. Is that clear?"
"Does that mean you're going?"
I sigh, thinking about the good the paycheck will do for us. "If you promise me."
"Don't worry, Elliot and Damon will still be here to help me."
I shake my head. "But Elliot has a family now. He won't be around everyday to look after you. And I know that Damon wants to travel and see the world, as any adult does."
A sudden thought struck me. "Mama, I don't want Richard growing up like us. Please, use half of the money to get him education, alright? At least one class a day, as long as he gets to go to school."
Mother slowly looks down at the table and nods. I could tell she had tears in her eyes. She was always a strong woman, but for some reason, after receiving this letter, she seemed to have completely shut down. I pat her back and lean my head on her shoulder. I know she's only hoping the best for me. I don't know what I'm going to do, but even if I win or not, I'm going to make her proud.
• ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ •
The next week went by rapidly... and hectic. Just as soon as mother had gotten done crying and the boys came home from work, Palace servants came knocking on our door to get me ready. It was a whole week of measuring and scrubbing. When I told the Palace maids that the only nice outfit I had was my maroon, knee high work dress (which our boss, Mrs. Lolita, had given to me only because she didn't want a bum-looking girl to ruin her store's image), they ran off back to the Capitol to order me new ones. Mrs. Lolita even offered to move my family to a nicer suite, which my mother flat-out declined.
The townspeople were buzzing left and right everyday to congratulate Mama, and I'm glad that she didn't boast about me all over town. She merely said "thank you" and "good bye" with a nod.
On the final night, I watched her comb my hair in the mirror. Something she hasn't done in a long, long time. Richard was giving me advice on how to win a Prince's heart and told me that if I lost I should sneak back some candy, while Mama was humming and singing her favorite tune, I think something written by my father, and tried not to notice the servants and guards surrounding our premises. Mama was only about forty, but the six years of hard work without a husband had drawn age-over-age of lines onto her face. I slept next to her that night, although I didn't do much sleeping. And it had seemed as though as soon as my eyes closed, I was already boosted onto the plane, and headed for the Capitol.
