Kitten

one

I watched as my mother applied her makeup at her vanity. The soft lights around the mirror made her face glow flawlessly. Her long black hair was up with a few loose strands framing her face. The fancy black dress clung to her body in all the right places, showing off the womanly curve of her waist. I watched in awe as she applied a deep maroon lipstick to her lips without messing up. She put the tube of lipstick down and looked at me through the mirror, a smile etched on her face.

"Come here, sweetie." She said as she stood from the small seat in front of her vanity.

I walked over to her and sat on the seat. I looked up at her expectantly, unsure of why she wanted me to sit.

"Would you like to wear lipstick, just for tonight?"

The question surprised me; I had never been able to wear makeup. Nonetheless, I nodded vigorously with a grin. My mother chuckled softly and picked up another tube of lipstick, different from the one she had worn. She showed me how to put my lips and did a funny face while doing so. I giggled at the face but did the same. She swiped the lipstick over my lips and I rubbed them together. She then got a glittery lip gloss and applied some to my lips.

I looked in the mirror of the vanity and smiled at my lips, which were a glittery soft pink.

"You look beautiful, Katherine."

My long brown hair was in two french braids, which were tied with pink ribbons, and my bangs rested straight on my forehead. They made me dress in my best; a long-sleeve baby pink dress that had a collar and cuffs trimmed with ruffle lace and a pink ribbon, white tights and maryjane shoes. My glasses rested on the bridge of my nose loosely so I pushed them up.

I felt beautiful.

"Hurry, girls! We're going to be late!" My father called from downstairs.

"Woops," My mother giggled. "We better hurry before your father comes up here."

I nodded and followed my mother out of the room. I hopped down the stairs behind her as I heard my father sigh of relief.

"Finally! There you two are. Girls, you look beautiful, as always," He exclaimed and held the front door open. "But, please, hurry!"

"We are, dear!" My mother giggled as she pecked his cheek before walking out with me behind her. 

My father locked up the door before hurrying to open the passenger side door for my mother. I pulled open the door of the backseat and hopped in the car. I buckled my seat belt as my father closed my mother's door and rounded the car to get in the driver's seat. The engine started with a purr. then we were off.

                                                                      _________________________

I had sat at the round table sipping the glasses of water with lemon as I fiddled with the ends of my dress.  A candle sat in the middle of the table as a centerpiece along with a small vase of red roses. I watched as my parents danced gracefully to the classical music that played throughout the ballroom among the other couples at the party for the business my parents worked for. They had told me to stay put while they danced so I did.  My parents were looking at one another with smiles and sparkles in their eyes. One hand was their fingers were intertwined while the other was on my mother's waist and my father's shoulder. My mother grinned and threw her head back as she laughed at something my father had said to her. It was obvious to everyone that my parents loved each other very much and I yearned to find a love like that when I grew up.