𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 // 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬¹ (ON HOLD)

.𝟎𝟏𝟗; 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃-𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒.

.019; HEAD-LIGHTS.
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"I was miserable Ro, you have to understand that." The woman sat, sharpening her knives, looking up at the teenage girl every so often. Rowen refused to talk to Devin, she hadn't seen the woman since her tenth birthday, since the woman gave her the purple Converse that still resided on her feet to this day. Rowen remembered that day so clearly, after all, it was the worst day of her life

As Rowen stepped into the kitchen to find her mother curled over a box as she wrapped it. "Where's daddy?" The small girl spoke, causing her mother to jump, scrambling to cover the box that sat behind her on the counter.

The woman let out a long breath before speaking, "He's out with his friends, but he said he'll be back before your party." She smiled down at the girl, "So while we wait for him to come home, I have a surprise." She turned, grabbing the box off the counter, and crouching down so her eyes were level with her daughter as she handed her the box.

Devin nodded towards the box and the girl didn't miss a beat before tearing into the pink wrapping paper. Ripping open the brown box underneath, the item she pulled out was one she had wanted for years.

She looked at her mother with wide eyes, "I thought they were too expensive?"

"Don't worry about that, go try them on." As the ten-year-old Rowen dashed off to her room to try on the purple Converse she had been waiting forever for, while her mother rushed to complete the plan she had been working on for years.

When Rowen finally exited her room, skipping down the hallway with the fresh shoes on her feet and a large smile on her face she searched for her mother.

The girl rounded the corner to the living room, but the sight that met her eyes wasn't one she ever thought she would see. "Mom?" As the girl spoke, her mother looked over her shoulder, the same shoulder that held a duffel bag stuffed to the brim with god knows what.

The woman flashed a tight-lipped smile at Rowen before shutting the front door behind her, the young girl ran outside as fast as she could, but as Devin entered her car without another word to the small girl, Rowen knew she would never see her mother again.

"I understand that you left me there without a second thought." Rowen stood, walking away from the woman while ignoring her pleas for a conversation. When Rowen sat down next to the boy in the cowboy hat her eyes immediately fell to the baby he was holding. It was nearly pitch black outside, the only light the group gained was from the small fire they all surrounded and the moon.

Before Rowen could speak to the boy next to her, a package of, undoubtedly stale crackers was dropped into her lap. She looked up at the man towering above her, "Eat." the only word that left his mouth before he walked away.

"I'm glad she's alive," Rowen said, as she discarded the unopened package of crackers in the dirt next to her.

"Me too." the boy spoke, as he eyed the crackers that lay between them. "You should eat," he said, planting the crackers onto her lap once more.

"I'm not hungry right now, I'll eat them later." Judith grabbed a hold of the girl's finger, Rowen smiled at the small baby again.

"You haven't eaten in days."

"I'll be fine."

"You need to eat." He tossed the package of crackers into the girl's lap for the final time.

"Why do you care so much, Cowboy?" She asked, turning her head towards the boy, her eyes squinting to get a better look at him through the darkness.

"Stop calling me that," He turned his head away from the girl, opting to look at the other members of the group. Most everyone was sleeping, a few were still awake, either on watch or waiting to go on watch.