Unseen Moments

Tiny But Mighty

POV: Dani

Timeline: From her childhood, before her mother died

"What does it look like Ella?" Momma crouches down to be on my level. "What do you see baby girl?" She repeats her question. I giggle like the little girl that I am. "Family momma." She nods her head. "Your right Ella. They are a family. This is the father. He loves his kids very much. And this one," She points to the woman, "She is the mother. She is the best cook you will ever know." Momma tickles me causing another wave of giggles to erupt.

She points to the little boy in the picture. "That was the girl's big brother. He was the best, and was the most crushed when she left." At the age of three I couldn't pick up on the sadness that laced her tone.

"Tell me about the little girl!" I cheer, excited to hear my favorite part of the story. "Well. The little girl's name is Emma. But she isn't so little anymore. When she was seventeen she met a guy. She fell in love with him and he loved her back. Neither of their families approved of this love and so they ran away. Emma loves him, but he has been mistreated and struggles to show her his love. But she knows and she still loves him.

Shortly after running away and moving in with each other Emma got pregnant. Nine months later and their daughter was born."

"ME!" I cheer. "Yes you," Momma smiles, "and I love you very much Ella."

We both shift our attention towards our house when we hear the sliding door open up. Momma smiles at the sight of Father. His lips twitch slightly upwards into a smile, but not all the way. At the time, I didn't know just how much that simple action meant between them. I didn't understand that the broken man in the story was Father. That Father didn't know how to love, and that the small lip twitch, was his way of showing it.

"How did it go?" Momma asks. Father sighs and looks down. "It's ok." Momma soothes. "We are your family, it is ok. We aren't the bad people." Father clenches his fist but walks forward and sits down next to us. Momma smiles.

She reaches over and grabs his hand. He doesn't let go. "Ella baby, tell your Father what you did today." I jump off of momma's lap and twirl around the yard. "I danced!" I cheer, showing him my twirls. As always he has no response. I was too young to notice the twinkle in his eye.

"Emma." He whispers. "If he comes for me. You have to leave and take her away." Momma shakes her head. "We are a couple, a team. Let me help you. I love you. You are not your father. I am proud of how you treat Ella considering how you were raised." Father lightly kisses momma's cheek.

"I can't change the way I was raised Emma. I try so hard for you to think differently. But, this was the way I was raised to think. Beaten to think."

Momma lightly runs her hands through Father's hair. "I love you." "You are the only reason why I'm sane." Was his response. "He would kill me if he found out about you. Especially if he knew about the child." "Don't worry about him." "Focus on us."

It was at that moment I decided to crash into my parents. Being only three, I was completely oblivious to the serious conversation they had while I was dancing.

Father chuckles slightly and I settle in-between them. We weren't like Tate and Wren's family, but there was love nonetheless.   

This is the last chapter before I update the real book again. Well I gave you the name of the kid Dani watched get murdered by a wolf. Wren. Tate's younger brother.

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