The way we were

Chapter 2

I stared at him blankly, my body felt mummified, but my mind was moving miles a minute trying to understand, trying to guess who could've gotten hurt.

"ma'am?" the cop muttered thickly "is there anyone else I can talk to?" his voice trailed off

"no-" I stammered "come in officer"

He took off his cap and stepped into the house. Once I closed the door I rushed over to Olivia and picked her up. Her crying stopped immediately and turned to whining hiccups.

"okay baby girl" I murmured bouncing her gently.

I glanced back up at the cop, he couldn't be more than 25, yet his face had worn lines all over it, his lips seemed tight and distraught, his eyes weary with sleepless nights.

"ma'am" he pulled me away from my thoughts "there's been an accid-"

"you've told me" I cut him off sharply. "who is it" I took in a deep breath letting it flow through my body. Calming my heart beat which threatened to jump out of my chest. He stared at me seemingly alarmed at my state.

" it was your mother, Mrs. Cordelia Rodriguez"

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I sat silently on my couch, bleary eyed and red nosed. It seemed to be all I was capable of doing these days. My mind seemed to move like clock work, but only so that I could see to it that Olivia was taken care of it.

I answered countless telephone calls, each voice dripping with exaggerated sympathy, apologizing for my Mother's death. Wishing Olivia and me goodluck, offering help that never arrived.

I seemed to be in a daze, my mind was turned off until Olivia's cries roused me. Then it seemed like I had something to live for, I had something to be strong for. She had all my Mother's features, from her sandy red hair and emerald green eyes, to her stubby toes, she was my Mother's prodigy.

But all that seemed to be faded, torn, shattered. My mother was gone, I spent hours waiting for a phone call, telling me that it was all going to be okay, just a mistake, maybe a mix up of ID's, she would be arriving home any minute. Giving me a warm hug, then look off far away, as she told me about her long day, and her dreams.

"just a little a day" she would say throwing loose change into a jar "were gonna go somewhere, and leave this old apartment" she would kiss the top and shuffle down the old; creaky hallway back into her room.

I waited for that phone call, that never came.

They deemed my mother's death a simple drive by accident, a tragedy, wrong place at the wrong time type deal. But I knew in my hearts of hearts that her death was no accident.

I couldn't help but feel hatred toward my brother, he put us in the middle of his drugs and partying, the deals with the money he couldn't come up with. Leaving my mother no choice but to give up Olivia's savings. Eventually my mother had to put him out. I knew, because of this, her death wasn't a tragic coincidence it was murder.

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My alarm clock blared loudly, announcing it was time to get up and grudge through another day.

I rolled out of bed making sure not to rouse Olivia. She was sound asleep nestled in the blanket she managed to pull off me last night. I smiled gently at her, then shuffled to the bathroom.

I was in and out of the shower within 10 minutes, I covered the black circles under my mind with an acceptable amount of concealer. And grabbed the black dress hanging on the back of the door. I shimmied until it fell into place around my body.

Today was the funeral, which meant I had to put on my best smile, and watch my mother go 6 feet under. My hero.

I broke away from thought as I felt tears beginning to come into my eyes. I blinked them away, hoping wouldn't smudge the makeup, I caked onto my face. I normally didn't wear so much, but the tear stains and sleepless nights were beginning to take a toll on me.

I shuffled back down the hall to get Olivia up. I picked her up gently and rocked her as she began to cry with sleepiness. I sang to her gently as I ran the bath water. She gurgled hungrily.

"okay livi, after your bath"

I set her into the warm water, she squirmed happily and splashed the water with her fists. I rubbed shampoo through her soft hair, then rubbed soap over her. She cooed and laughed, enjoying the sunlight streaming through the window. She tried to sit up and get out of her seat.

"you're gonna be a swimmer, huh Liv" she grinned a toothless smile and splashed harder.

"yeah just like mama" I murmured.

She gazed up at me, her eyes wide and bright. I scooped her up and wrapped a towel around her.

I rubbed her dry and out lotion on her. Then pulled her black onsie on with a tutu-like skirt over it. I smiled, she was so cute.

I warmed up a bottle then placed her into her car seat. She plopped the bottle into her mouth and began to drift back to sleep. The car started up with a hum. I pulled out of the drive way and started toward the cathedral.

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The hard pews were beginning to drain the feeling out of my butt. The priest seemed to drone on and on, speaking of how my mother was a hard working woman, and how she was now seated in the hands of God. But All of that didn't seem to register. It just seemed to tell me that this was real, she was gone.

The funeral seemed to drone on and on. But her burial seemed to fly so fast. Everything in my heart screamed at me to stop this madness, to hold on for a few seconds, because she would come back, and everything would return to normal. All the looks of sympathy, and the shake of heads. No more old ladies with strong perfume suffocating me with a big hug, and showering Olivia with kisses, covering her in red lipstick.

It all seemed to flash past, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.

I sat alone with Olivia at my mother's grave. She grabbed locks of my hair and cooed softly. I heard soft footsteps come up behind me then kneel into the grass. I turned around swiftly to come face to face with the priest.

"hello father" I murmured

"Amelia" he smiled "and baby Olivia" he paused "how are you holding up?"

I nodded absentmindedly "I'm fine, father. "

He nodded, I could see he didn't really believe me. "okay, well if you ever need anything..." he trailed off

"yes father" I nodded.

"Amelia, what are you going to do? You need to cope." he said sternly

I bit my lip, biting back tears. "yes, father I know exactly what I will do"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "and what is that?"

I sniffled then looked him straight in the eye "find the sonofabitch that murdered my mother"

~~~~~~~~~chapter two is up! Enjoy(:~~~~~~~~~