UNDER EXTREME EDITING

Chapter 12- Reliving Memories

"Mom?"

A woman stood a few feet away from me, looking as young and alive as ever. Her black hair framed her face, and cascaded down her back like a waterfall. She didn't seem to hear me, but rather focused on something in front of her.

"Mommy? Are you ready?" A small voice asked excitedly. A young girl who resembled the woman bounded up to her.

"Yes, dear!" The woman crouched down and scooped her off the ground, swinging her around, both of them laughing as they did so.

"Mom? Is that me?" I asked, incredulously as I watched my mom play with the younger me. None of them paid any attention to me at all as they sat on a bed I hadn't noticed was there before.

In fact, I hadn't notice that I was standing in a bedroom, much like the one in my house back in Florida.

Mom placed mini-me in her lap and smiled as... I? She? Okay, I'm just going to refer to mini-me as "she". She snuggle closer to Mom as she stroked her short black hair.

"Momma, what am I going to do?"

The young woman furrowed her brow as she tried to comprehend what her daughter was implying. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

The girl huffed in impatience. "What am I going to do when I grow up, Momma? Am I going to work with music like you? Or clean people's teeth like daddy?" She frowned at the last part, sticking her tongue out.

Mom laughed lightly at her expression, while patting her back gently. "Don't worry, my dear. You can be whoever you want to be."

The young girl's eyes widened. "Whoever I want? But won't daddy be mad?"

"You're daddy will understand, sweetie. Trust me." The little girl beamed, clearly pleased with her answer.

"Daddy will understand what?" A younger version of my dad strutted into the scene, grinning like a teenage boy.

"Daddy!" The girl ran into his arms, and he swung her around, just like Mom did previously.

"Hello, baby girl! What were you and Mommy talking about?" He asked, directing the question more-so towards Mom.

"She's worried you'll be upset if she doesn't become a Doctor." Mom explained, with a ghost of a smile.

Dad gazed down at the mini-me fondly. "Oh, don't worry honey! Your mom and I will always love you, no matter what decision you make."

The black haired girl gazed up at Dad. "Promise?"

"Promise."

A year slipped down my cheek as I realized that it was a memory- not a dream.

The scene before me blurred, then refocused, but this time, we were in the family room.

"Daddy, where is the piano?" The 9

year old version of me asked.

"I got rid of it." Dad said simply, hardly glancing up from behind his newspaper.

"Dad! Why? How am I supposed to practice when-" Mini-Georgia started, when he cut her off.

"Georgia! You don't need a piano to survive. By studying hard, you can work your way to a job, just like me." He snapped.

"But I want to become a singer!" She interjected. "I want to work with music!"

Dad finally looked up from his paper, glaring at his daughter through his glasses. "Who said you could become a singer?"

The young girl gaped at him. "You promised! You promised I could be whoever and whatever I want to be!"

He returned to his paper. "I don't remember such a thing."

"Well I do!" Younger Me said in a sassy tone.

"Georgia! What I say is final! You will study to be a doctor- nothing less." He yelled, causing the younger girl to recoil with tears building up in her eyes.

"If mom was still here, she'd let me!" She shouted. "I hate you!"

Suddenly, everything stopped, like a movie on pause. By now, I had tears streaming down my face. He promised. He promised he would love me, no matter what. And he broke that promise after my mom died from a heart failure.

He stopped loving me after she was gone. He took a step back, and forgot about his daughter, his princess, to fight her battles alone.

But the princess refused to be defeated without a fight. So she built her castle walls up around her, and sealed her heart away, so no one could ever break it again.

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Emotional chapter, wasn't it? Poor Katie :( she's all alone.

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<3 KatieKat