Katherine was usually pretty good at keeping her cool, she'd had five years of practice with the Newsies after all. So she surprised herself when she broke a plate in sheer frustration with her son. The young five year old boy had been sick for well over a week and needed constant attention. Peter was currently complaining about his throat hurting and hugging her waist hindering her attempt at trying to do the dishes."Mommy make it stop hurting!" He complained rubbing his face in to her leg.
"I just gave you medicine, you'll be fine." She said her patience growing thin. She tried to ignore him as he tugged on her skirt but it was getting difficult, she picked up a dirty plate and began to scrub the dirty dish.
"But I don't feel good!"
"I know you don't feel good."
"My throat hurts!"
"I know-"
"Make it stop!" Peter groaned his messy black hair matted with sweat. Tears of frustration sprang into her eyes and she felt her self snap like a twig.
"Shut up Peter! I can't!" She yelled.
She gripped the plate so hard it cracked in her hands and she threw it in the sink where it shattered into a million pieces. Peter looked up at her suprised by her outbreak, he let go of her skirt and backed up.
"Can't you see that I'm trying to do the dishes?!? I know your sick, I know your throat hurts, I know you don't feel good! But could you just give me one freaking minute to do the dishes?!?" She shouted at him.
Peters expression turned sad and he backed up to the table, his blue eyes were red and puffy and Katherine felt slightly guilty for yelling. What could she say? She was at her wits end, dealing with a kid all by yourself was hard enough but when they got sick? And they wouldn't leave you alone? And you didn't have anyone else in the house to take care of the sick child while you try to get things done? Well, it was a little hard being a single mother.
Peter sniffed and wiped at his nose and turned to leave the kitchen, Katherine let him go feeling her fingers curl around another plate in annoyance. She felt herself close to a break down, it was moments like these that she wished Jack was with her.
'No' her conscience told her 'don't think about him, he won't help you. He never has, and he never will.'
Against her will she felt tears spring into her eyes as she ignored her conscience and thought about Jack. She thought about the first time she'd met him, then the first time she'd kissed him. She thought about all the little moments they'd shared before he'd left her. Katherine felt her heart shatter and she slowly sunk to her knees and curled up in a ball on the floor, her chest hurt like someone had just ripped her heart out. She should be used to the feeling by now but she wasn't, it was just to much pain to get used to.
"Katherine" a voice in her head called to her, it wasn't her conscience and it wasn't herself either. "Do you remember nothing I've taught you?"
She realized with a jolt that the voice was her mother. She felt tears come harder and she pressed her cheek against the cold floor trying to make them stop.
She closed her eyes and got pulled into a flash back.
**********FLASH BACK*************
"Katherine? Katherine? I know your in there, you can't hide forever. Someday your gonna have to face bigger challenges than going to school." Lucile Pulitzer said knocking on a closet door that Katherine was hidden in.
"No Moma! I don't want to go!" The eight-year-old Katherine called back wiping tears from her face. "Daddy said he might not let me come back home if I leave!"
"Oh hush child, he was just upset that you tore his important business papers. I will personally make sure you come back home to me." Her voice was surprisingly soft and it made Katherine unlock the door. Lucile smiled down at her daughter huddled in the corner and reached out her hand to her daughter, Katherine took it and instantly and wrapped her arms around her mothers waist.
"So your not gonna make me go to school?" Katherine asked hopeful. Lucile closed her eyes no doubt trying to keep her cool, somehow she managed.
"No Kitty, you must go to school. You need to learn how to read and write so when one day a young suitor comes your way he will want to marry you." She said brushing away Katherine's dark curls from her face.
"But I don't want to get married, I want to be a famous reporter." Katherine said looking up into her mothers green eyes.
"Look Katherine, I can not tell you what to do but you must always remember the things I have taught you. Do you understand?" Lucile asked. Katherine's eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean child, is that I won't always be around to keep you in line. Someday your goona have to make your own choices and decide what to do with your life. All I ask is that you remember what I have taught you." Lucile said.
"What have you taught me?" Katherine asked even more confused.
Lucile closed her eyes for the second time and she watched her lips purse into a tight line. Katherine could tell she was being as patient as possible, she could tell today hadn't been easy for her either.
"That you must always be patient. Patience is a quality most suitors look for, and no doubt it will help you when your a mother someday too. Because when your patient with yourself and others... you will learn to love them, and they will love you." Lucile said running a hand through Katherine's hair.
******END OF FLASH BACK*****
Katherine sniffed and sat up off the floor, she was a complete wreck. She struggled to her feet and wiped away her tears, her mother had been right, she needed to be more patient. She wished she had kept her cool with Peter, she felt bad for shouting at her son. Perhaps he'd forgive her, she could use a second chance. She wiped her hands on her skirt and made her way to apologize to her son.
She was grateful for the lesson her mother had taught all those years ago.
AUTHORS NOTE: Sorry ruff1258 this took WAY to long to make. Hopefully it's still ok. Anyway, I need more inspiration guys so give me some new requests and I will hopefully update faster!!! Thx
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The Last Nine Years: A Collection of One-Shots
FanficThough the hard times and the sad times, the easy and the happy. Here's a collection of one-shots about my book "The Last Nine Years" it will be in no chronological order. Requests will be the only thing that keeps this book alive. So REQUEST!