Lithium

Jail. Oh, excuse me, temporary vacation.

I watched my mother fill out the paper work, lines forming around her mouth. I knew this would take some time so I sat in a nearby chair and decided to not be focused on reality for a while. I toyed absent-mindedly with the handmade bracelet around my wrist, tugging it gently. I remembered when me and my father had made it, well this one and the other matching on that as far as I know, he trashed.

It was the night my mother had to work late and we were home alone to eat and do whatever. My dad had tried to cheer me up by taking me to his studio, upstairs.

"Hey, kiddo. Check this out." I watched as he puller back a curtain to reveal a painting of Mommy. I stared in awe at her perfect figure. My eyes zoned in on a piece of jewelry around her wrist.

"What's that, Daddy." I pointed it out, not daring to touch it.

"It's a bracelet, Little Bug."  He smiled, "Do you want one?"

I nodded, a responding smile lighting up my face.

We worked all night on making them. Daddy got out little, flat, round beads for us to paint and ran stings to each side in order to secure them around out wrists. 

I happily displayed my green one with little pink polka dots. He clapped, "Good job, Ivy."

He tied it around his wrist and tightened the one he made around mine. It had 'Ivy' inscribed with leaves, it was beautiful.

"Ivy! Ivy!"

I jolted up right in the chair. looking around for the disturbance. To my displeasure it was my mother. She was standing in front of me tapping her foot.

"Come on!" She jerked me out of the chair and pulled me to the big double doors. "Now, all your friends and teachers will think that you went on a vacation with you Aunt Mira. So you hush up and don't utter a word. Besides, I don't think you can use the phone here anyways."

"Don't you mean jail?"

"Temporary. Va-ca-tion." She pronounced every syllable slowly, like I was dumb.

"Whatever." I yanked out of her grasp and pushed through the doors, not even bothering to look back at my scowling mother's face. Cheers, to penatentary.