Two doors down | 5SOS

One

"Mommy no! You can't!" The whine interrupts the small girls sobs, shiny, teary, light blue blue eyes staring pleadingly at the older woman. She huffs and sobs as her mother continues to flit about her room packing necessities.

"Hush, baby. I have to, you know mama doesn't want to leave you, especially not for so long, sweet pea." April sighs, pausing her frantic packing to look down at the pitiful heap of sobs that is her little girl. Her heart aches, of course, but really, she has no choice.

The twos life hasn't been easy, not by far.

As a teenager, a young girl, April had not been a good girl, to say the least. Not daughter material, certainly not mother material. She was too young, immature, irresponsible, impulsive, and that's just the beginning.

She hadn't had the best upbringing herself. She blamed that for her poor decisions. Regardless of the reason, she found out she was pregnant when she was only barely fourteen.

After a month of sobbing- on the streets, after her parents had found out- she decided that she'd be better for her child. She wouldn't let her child suffer for her mistakes.

And her child wouldn't turn out like her.

She's done her best to raise Delilah on her low income and keep her safe from the wicked world, keep her innocent. Delilah hasn't even barely met a man, other than in brief passing, let alone a boy her age.

But her mother has always told her exactly how her love should treat her one day.

Aprils done what she thinks is best. She just prays she made the right choices for her precious little girl.

Her boss, however, has been pressuring her to go to the other branch, far away, where she'd be paid more money. Ever since Delilah was three. If she refuses, her position is in danger.

April has always had the excuse "oh no, my little one, she needs her mum. She's much too little for me to leave her. When she's older. When we're ready."

Now that Delilah is fifteen, she has no more excuse. The girl can't take care of herself, although she should be able to. She's sheltered. So sheltered.

But April can stall no longer.

Her life will be too busy to bring the girl, she will so rarely be home with Delilah, she won't be able to care for her.

So the plan is for Delilah to stay with her grandparents.

April doesn't like it, but it's what must happen. It's for the best. She's only 28, she shouldn't have to deal with the stresses of raising a teenage girl.

"Li, baby, please quit crying. Mommy loves you, baby. I'll be back every month to visit. We'll talk on the phone every day. Your grandparents- I know it's not ideal, baby," she sighs in defeat. "but it's the best option we have left. Please understand, baby?"

"But- b-but m-m-mommy! I c-can't!" Aprils eyebrows draw together at the progression of her daughters fit.

"Delilah, calm down please, you're hyperventilating. You're gonna make yourself sick." April- with her own small frame- lifts Delilahs slightly smaller frame from the floor to the bed and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear before beginning to stroke her nose and forehead, as she has since Delilah was a baby to calm her.

Delilahs body-racking sobs decrease to hiccups and sniffles as she listens to her mums soothing coos.

"D-don't want yo-you to leave. Don-nt wanna li-live with them! Mommy pl-please don't-don't make me!" She clings to her mother, arms around her waist as she sobs into her sweater.

April sighs, admitting to herself that maybe she has babied the little girl too much, possibly hindering her ability to live in the real world, but she can't help but love that her babygirl still loves her so much, relies on her, and she absolutely adores the way her daughter acts like a child at times. She wants to savor and protect her little girls innocence, and really, who can blame her. No parent wants their child to grow up.

April hadn't been ready to have a child at 14. Wasn't ready to raise a little girl at 14, or even 15 or 16 or 17. She doesn't quite know if she is even ready now. She wasn't wise enough, to no fault of her own. But she loves her little girl and she worked with what she was given, what she had, she did her best, and she thought she did a pretty good job for a 14-year-old. She raised a nice, respect full young girl. What more could she do. It's too late to take away Delilah's childish qualities now, so she'll just have to deal with it. She doesn't mind too much, though she worries it could hurt her daughter in the future.

"You need to go to bed baby, long day ahead of us tomorrow, and mama needs to finish packing." April sighs.

"Ok. Pl-please cuddle? Just til I fall asleep? Mommy?" Delilah asks pitifully, bright blue eyes shining with hope and pink-lemonade colored lip jutted out just enough, knowing exactly how to pull her moms strings like a puppet.

"Of course, love." April answers as she leads Delilah into her own cotton candy colored room, filled with stuffies and books and makeup and jewelry and pretty dresses and skirts and whatever else April can manage to spoil her with. The majority of the money she earns is spent on her daughter, whether it be her health and safety, or keeping her happy and entertained. She only puts enough effort into her own body to make sure she is able to support and take care of her baby.

The two girls lay down in Delilahs bed with light pink blankets and light blue pillows and lavender sheets and April loyally lays and hums to the girl until she's sure she's out cold, before returning to her own room to finish packing.