Last Glimpse (Rewritten)

Chapter 1

Hope huddled under the covers of her bed, screwing her eyes shut tight and crushing the blue teddy bear against her chest. Mommy and her boyfriend were fighting again, and even though her mom said that everything was alright, even the six-year-old could tell that things were not okay. They fought constantly over things that her young mind did not yet comprehend, but she knew that it had something to do with the way he came home acting silly and smelling funny. She winced, letting out a small whimper when something shattered.

"I'm done with your shit, Katie!" Her boyfriends' booming voice seemed to shake the house. She heard her mommy's voice, shrill and piercing, so unlike what she was used to, yell at him to get out. There was stomping and the front door opened and slammed shut, followed by lighter stomping and the door opening and closing once more.

Hope peaked out of the sheets curiously, staring at the bottom of the closed door at the opposite side of the room. There was muffled yelling and the sound of a car starting and screeching away. The door opened and fell shut a final time, footsteps echoing through the house. After a few minutes, Hope slipped quietly out of her bed, silently making her way to the door. She knew she wasn't supposed to walk around when Mommy and her boyfriend were fighting, but she was worried, because sometimes Mommy got sad after they fought. She quietly made her way down the hallway and down the stairs, avoiding the creaky with care. Her teddy bear still held tight against her chest, she made her way into the living room. She paused when the sound of soft crying reached her ears.

"Mommy?" Her quiet voice cut through the silence like a knife. The crying suddenly stopped and she was worried she may have made her mommy angry. There were soft footsteps and her mommy turned the corner, a robe wrapped tight around her thin frame. Her usually bright blue eyes were rimmed in red, tear tracks carving lines down her blotchy face. Her brown hair framed her face, still wet from her shower, swinging slightly as she nodded her head to the side, motioning for Hope to join her in the living room. She waited until she was next to her before taking hold of the hand not holding her bear and leading her over to the couch.

They curled up next to each other, Hope with her head resting on her mommy's chest, and her mom began playing with her hair. Hope didn't say anything, picking invisible lint off her bear. They sat silently, like they often did on nights like this. But there was a certain tension to the air that wasn't usually present. As much as she wanted to ask, Hope kept her mouth shut, not wanting to make her mom hurt any more than she already did. This was the third boyfriend she had brought home, and he had been the longest one yet. There had been a certain finality to the argument that had happened with the previous partners, and Hope was afraid that it meant what she was afraid it would mean.

After a few minutes of silence, her mom sighed, dropping her hands into her lap. Hope looked up expectantly, hands stopping their movement. They had had nights like this often and Hope knew what to look for when her mom wanted to talk. She waited expectantly, though not impatiently, for her mom to start speaking, not letting it go unnoted that this time her mom wouldn't meet her eyes. After almost a full minute more of silence, her mom looked up, a look in her eyes that Hope couldn't quite place. She began to talk, "Look, honey, I know that I have had a lot of boyfriends recently, but I want you to understand that that one that just left...he's not coming back, like the others," Hope nodded in understanding, "And I'm not sure when – or if – I'm going to have anybody else anytime soon-"

"Mommy?" She felt bad for cutting her off, but there was something she needed to know. "Why are you trying to replace daddy?" Her mommy suddenly tensed, and Hope hurriedly wondered if she should have just kept her mouth shut. She looked up warily, taking notice to the closed off look that her mommy had gained. She swallowed thickly, hands clutching at her bear as the silence dragged on.