My Little Shadow

Chapter Twenty-Two: Sparkles and Tears

(slight sexual content)

I watched as May easily sat down the small pink snow globe with gentle fingers, she treated it like it was the entire world in her hands. It was the last thing to place in the farmhouse before we were officially moved in.

Angelina's ballerina shined under the sparkles that fell down on it, as enchanting music filled the homey air of our newfound peace. The sun shined through the windows just the right way, causing the glitter to appear magical.

The birds chirped in tune with the music playing and May's eyes gazed upon it with adoration so deep I felt my breath hitch.

It was almost as if she loved Angelina, without even knowing her. Like she had her own reasoning for being so thoughtful with my little girl's things.

"What happened to her mother?" May glances over her small shoulder to gaze at me as I answer her.

"She was never a part of Angelina's life," I say with little emotion in my tone. "She didn't want to keep the baby but she was already too far along to have an abortion. So I took Angelina after she was born."

May tilts her head just slightly enough to make her hair fall over her shoulder and cascade down her slender back. "She just left?"

I wince at her accusatory tone, I never faulted Riley for leaving. How could I be mad? She wanted her own life, one where she could pursue any type of career. One she could go hang out with friends without having to find a babysitter.

I couldn't be mad at her for not choosing the lifestyle I did. I understand she wasn't responsible, just like I wasn't, hence an unplanned pregnancy, but I was thankful that she didn't push for adoption and simply let me take Angelina.

"She was thinking about adoption but I took on sole responsibility for Angelina. I don't fault her for her choices. She had big dreams, I didn't." I say with a shrug of my shoulders before walking up beside May, watching the glitter fall around the snow globe.

"My mother left me with my father, except he wasn't like you." She says in a soft voice and I study her quivering chin, this is the first time that she's offered up something from her past that I knew she would rather forget.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," I tell her because I already see the tears bunching up in the corner of her eyes and I should have known her distaste for me saying Riley left was coming from a personal place. May wasn't a naturally judgy person.

"She was an amazing mama, I guess that's what made her leaving so much harder to understand." She says her eyes glued to the snow globe as she was transported back in time.

"I was ten when she left, I guess my father finally hit her hard enough to scare her. He wouldn't let her take me. I still hear her pleas for me to forgive her as she backed out of our driveway." She bit her lip hard enough for it to hurt.

I felt my eyebrows pull together in sympathy and I tugged her to me, resting my chin on her head. Her hair smelled like strawberries and a hint of lilies. She sobbed into my chest until I could feel her tears through my shirt.

"Shhh." I soothed her and ran my hand up and down her back.

She finally stopped crying long enough to finish her story. "After she left my father started to hit me, since his personal punching bag wasn't there anymore. I normally just stood there and took it, I would rather him hit me, than come up with something else to punish me with." She turned to look at me while she spoke the next sentence. "When I finally had enough and decided if my mama could leave so could I, he sent his goons after me. They had been ordered to do what they wanted to me."