You Were Gone

Flashback~ Sophia's First Steps

(Jenna's POV)

I've been struggling at some points in my first year of being a single mom, but seeing Sophia everyday is worth it. I went back to Dancing with the Stars and Sophia comes with me every single day, usually Brittany or Emma are willing to watch her while I dance. Today is like any other normal day, Sophia is a happy, giggly nine month old baby. "Ma Ma." Sophia giggles as she waves her arms in the baby carrier. "What's up baby girl?" I ask, smiling to myself as I hand her a toy. I enter the troupe studio and Brittany bolts towards me.

"Give me baby Sophie." Brittany states, holding out her arms for her little niece and I lift Sophia from the baby carrier and hand her to Brittany. "Whose an adorable baby?" Brittany asks in baby voice, "You are. Yes you are. Baby Sophie." I stare at her with a weird stare as she glances at me, "What too far?" she questions.

"Just a little." I reply, taking Sophia from her again and carry her over to the corner of the room where everyone's bags are. I set my dance bag down and Sophia's diaper bag beside it. I take out her pink blanket and set Sophia on it with a few toys before heading over to Sasha and Alan so that we could start practice. A few minutes into a dance, out of the corner of my eye, I see Sophia balancing herself against the mirror on her feet. She's attempted to stand before, but that hasn't always worked out for her.

I stopped in the middle of the dance to watch her. Sophia is staring her reflection in the mirror as she toddles to the middle of mirror with the support of the wall of course. "Baby girl, come to to Momma." I say, kneeling down and holding my arms open for her. She grins at me and takes one hand off the mirror. "Ma Ma." she says, reaching out for me.

"Come here baby girl." I repeat and she takes her other hand off the mirror then almost falls completely down. "Come on you can do." Brittany encourages from behind me.

"Yea Sophia!" Sasha and Alan add in for support. With her aunt and uncles giving her encouragement, Sophia got back up and toddled her way, slowly over to me. She stumbled into my arms and says, "Ma Ma." in my ear.

"Yes you did baby girl, you took you first steps." I whisper as tear form in my eyes. This is one of the happiest moments in being mother I've ever had.