Patience

A New Life

"It's a girl!" A nurse exclaimed as small cries filled the busy hospital room.

Kelly stared up at the pale ceiling, tears blurring her vision. She cursed God quietly, knowing this precious girl wouldn't be given a perfect life. This wasn't supposed to happen, she wasn't ready to be a mother.
She turned her attention to the small figure being placed on her bare chest. She was overwhelmed with this feeling of never ending love as she stared at her baby. A small sob escaped her lips as she kissed her daughter's head. She quietly thanked God for her baby girl.

"What are you going to name her?" A nurse asked as Kelly continued to look at her daughter in awe.

"Patience, Patience Jean." She whispered.

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"Pati, baby, its time to get up." Kelly gentle shook her daughters shoulder.
Patience's bright blue eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few time before a smile spread a cross her pale pink lips.

"Morning mama." She said in a small voice. Patience brushed her long blonde hair out of her face as she sat up. Her flower patterned pajamas wrinkled from sleep.

"What should we have for breakfast?" Her mother asked, still crouched down beside her bed.

"Can we have pancakes?" Patience asked after thinking for a short time. Kelly smiled at her seven year old.

"Of course we can! Now let's get you dressed and then we can make those pancakes." Kelly stood up and went to turn on the bedroom light as Patience slipped out of bed.

The two met at Patience's tall dark wooden dresser. Kelly opened the very bottom drawer to reveal a multitude of pants in different colors, pattern's, and styles. It was cool outside today, even though it was almost summer and Kelly wanted to make sure her daughter was dressed appropriately.

"Whatchya thinking?" Kelly asked her daughter.

"These ones." Patience picked out a pair of navy blue leggings, they were thick enough to keep her warm so Kelly agreed to it.

Next Patience picked out a white long sleeved dress, that went down just above her knees and flared out at the end. It had a navy blue giraffe on it that started at her hip and stopped by her shoulder, with peach and pink flowers around the giraffe. Kelly was so glad that Patience knew how to dress herself.
After Patience was dressed, Kelly put her daughter's long hair into a side braid. She then made sure that she had put her pajamas in her hamper. Once Patience was ready and her bed was made, the two went to the small kitchen in their three bedroom, one bathroom apartment and began to make a small batch of pancakes.

Dishes cleaned, teeth brushed, backpacks and purses and coffee in hand, Kelly and Patience climbed into their 2002 dark green KIA Spectra. Patience's school was twenty minutes away from their apartment complex and traffic could be a pain so the two left bright and early every morning.

"Excited for school?" Kelly asked as she watched Patience buckle her seatbelt through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, Mrs. Elson is letting us have a movie day since tomorrow's the last day of school." The seven year old explained as she looked out the car window.

"What movie?" Kelly questioned as she pulled out of her parking spot.

"Treasure Planet." Was the response from the back seat.

"That's a good one, I think you'll like it."

The rest of the car ride was full of singing along to Disney songs and wishing that the cold weather would go away. It had started raining and Kelly wondered if Patience's windbreaker would be enough to keep her warm. It was too late to run home and grab a thicker jacket however, Jacksonville Elementary was in view and Patience had ten minutes to get to class.