Lena Adams is in an abusive marriage to a man as she tries to raise young Callie (6) and Mariana (5). She is terrified to leave until a cop comes along giving her the love and strength she needs. But what will it take for her to really leave and wi...
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"Ok girls we don't have much time. We will get some ice cream but then we need to do things for daddy ok?" The slim woman said to her two little girls as she drove up to the ice cream shop. It was Saturday afternoon and she had gotten up late and would now have to rush to finish Kevin's errands. She had less then two hours to finish them, get home and cook dinner, give her daughters a bath, put them to bed and make herself look presentable. She also needed to finish the laundry that had been piling up among other things and try to get the gum out of 6 year old Callie's hair.
"Can I get chocolate mama?" She heard five year old Mariana ask in the back as she could see she had ripped out the hair tie from her pigtails once again as Lena looked through the rear view mirror.
"Yes honey. Yes. Sweetie did you pull your hair out again?"
"By accident mama!" Mariana lied.
"I want strawberry." Callie yelled.
"Ok strawberry and chocolate. But you guys need to hurry and no crying if they don't have your flavors ok?"
"Ok!" they yelled in unison as Lena let out a sigh glancing to the clock. "I still need to go to the market and get chicken for dinner and a pack of rice."
"Mama I don't like chicken." Mariana wined.
"Honey, just eat a little. Please it's good for you."
"Animals mama. Animals hurt."
"Ok then just eat the rice and some beans."
"I don't like beans. Yuck." Callie said now making a face as Lena shook her head pulling up to the ice cream shop. It was true both her daughter's were picky when it came to food and one day they liked something and the next they hated it. It was hard to keep up with as she was frazzled most days herself and exhausted from fighting off her husband. Jumping out the car her ribs were still in a good amount of pain as was her back which she had tried to bandage herself keeping it straight. But she tried her best to ignore it same with the bruise under her eye she covered with concealer and sunglasses. She knew if her two daughter's saw it the questions would be endless. Usually she said she fell on the floor or hit it by accident which they seemed to believe. But Callie was growing smarter by the day.
"Ok sweethearts lets go." Unbuckling Mariana out her booster seat, Callie unbuckled herself as the young Latin girl grabbed onto her mother's neck holding on for dear life. Out of the two Callie was the more independent while Mariana was the more clingy Lena soon learned right from the beginning when her and Kevin brought them home. After finding out she couldn't have her own children the two had decided on adoption and brought home Callie first when she was just three years old. A year later they brought home Mariana and the two girls instantly clicked which Lena was grateful for, for the two girls were her life and she wondered what she had done before them. With no living parents, no brothers and sisters, they were her only family and an escape from her husband.
"Callie don't go out the door until I come get you. Or come to this side."
"No I can do it. I am big."
"Callie this is a crowded parking lot. Over here."
'"I can watch for cars. I am 6."
It was no secret that since Callie was the more independent she was also the more stubborn and hardheaded one which drove Lena crazy some days for she just didn't always have the patience to deal with her.
"Callie if you don't get over here there is no ice cream for you." she said sternly as the girl looked to her mother thinking about her best choice. Letting out a sigh she grabbed her stuffed polar bear and walked across the back seat to her mother
"Ok mama."
"Good." Taking her hand and helping her jump down she closed the door with Mariana glued to her painful ribs and Callie's hand wrapped tight in hers. From the outside it looked ok for the most part. Maybe just a typical exhausted mother but deep inside there was so much more going on that no one could even imagine.
As they approached the ice cream shop both girls faces lit up as Callie now pulled away suddenly running.
"Callie!" Lena yelled as she had told the girl numerous times not to run from her but she managed to always forget. Putting Mariana down or trying as she remained glued to her mother she sped after the young girl who she still fortunately could still see.
"Callie Adams!" Running faster now after her she could see the young girl now look back at her mother while still running and she had banged right into someone.
Callie Adams looked up realizing she had ran right into a woman's leg and became nervous. Lucky for Lena the girls manners had not escaped her.
"Sorry." her eyes were wide as the woman bent down to her level.
"Hey that's ok." She said softly now looking straight ahead seeing a brown skin frantic woman running over as she saw the polar bear on the floor and picked it up.
"Is that your mom?" she smiled.
"Uh huh."
"Ok let's bring you back to her sweetheart." Standing up she grabbed Callie's hand who had taken it which was extremely usual for her.
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry Officer. I've told her a million times not to run off like that." Lena said as she had made it over in a complete panic as Callie now took her hand. Out of all people Callie had to bump into it was the police.
"I'm sorry mama."
"Callie you can't do that. I told you it's dangerous. Please."
"Sorry." the young girl said putting her head down as the woman could only smile at the three noticing the over stressed mother.
"I'm sorry she ran into you."
"It's ok. Don't worry it was just an accident. No harm done." she said realizing she still held the bear in her hand and knelt down once again to the young girls level.
"I think you dropped this love." Callie let out a wide smile forgetting about her bear and hugged it.
"What do you say Callie?" Lena urged as Mariana now peeked her head up to see what was going on as she held onto her own brown bear.
"Thank you Officer."
"You're so welcome sweetheart. Now promise me something."
"Ok."
"Don't run from your mama again ok? She just wants to keep you safe. I know ice cream is pretty exciting but remember to listen to her. Ok?"
The young girl nodded her head as the cop let out another smile. Now standing up to see the other little girl the woman was holding she could see her peeking at her from underneath her wild hair. Smiling at her innocent face Mariana turned her head to face the other way swiftly almost knocking Lena's glasses off revealing part of the bruise which the cop instantly saw. Lena quickly adjusted them to cover her eyes as the cop grew concerned.
"Um are you ok?" she asked.
"Yes. Just thank you. Come guys we gotta go." Lena said fully realizing the cop most likely saw her face as she could see how concerned she looked. But there was no way she could say anything. "Say goodbye."
"Bye!" Callie said loudly as the cop let out a wide smile.
"Bye Callie enjoy your ice cream sweetheart."
The young girl nodded as the cop watched the three walk off quickly. But everything about that had red flags all over it as the panic that radiated off the curly haired woman was one she had seen on the job more times then she could count.
