Two doors down | 5SOS

Ten

Small arms wrap around a small waist and a little face buries itself in a soft, pale neck.

"Please, no." Comes A whimper from the pouty, pink lemonade lips.

"Baby, you know-"

"I know! I know, you have w-work and you have to g-go and you'll call everyday and b-be back in a m-month for another w-weekend. But it's not f-fair! I don't want you to leave! You're my m-mum, I'm supposed to h-have you!"

It's breaks April's heart to hear her little girl trying to reason with her through her tears and cries, and the worst part is, she's right. Delilah is supposed to have her mother.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. I love you so much, baby. And I wish I didn't have to leave." She assures, kissing the brown roots that fade prettily into light pink hair.

A house away, the four Aussie boys exit and head to their car, but they ear the little girls sobs and they all stop and look in the direction the sounds are coming from.

"P-please, mum-mummy! It's n-not f-fair! I lo-love you! It hurts when you l-leave me! Tell your boss to d-die!" April sighs and bends down a bit to be eye level with Delilah, tilting her head up from her chin.  The men listen and watch the way the more experienced woman tries to deal with one of the little girls fits.

"Delilah baby, it hurts me too. I love you so much, my little girl, I hate leaving you here. But you know better than to say such awful things, even when you're upset. That's not how I raised you. You're my good, kind, loving little one. Hm?" Ah, the familiar technique of a compliment sandwich.

Delilah feels a little bit ashamed at her mother's words at first, knows better, but that feeling only makes her more upset, and she whines, pushing away from her mother and stomping on the wood porch of her grandparents house.

"No! I hate him! He m-makes you leave me with these a-awful people, and- and- you can't tell me to like him! He's b-bad! You can't t-tell me not to be a-angry!" Delilah shouts, and her mother gives her the sternest look she's able to master upon her beautiful, soft, kind, face.

"Delilah, you're a smart girl. You know I love you, but you also know the world doesn't always work in our favor, okay? If I had it my way I'd stay, too. But I do not appreciate hearing my sweet little girl speak so awfully, and disrespect me so. You know how to treat people Delilah. You know how to act like a good little girl. So I expect you to fix your rotten attitude and quit acting like a spoiled little brat. Cmon, baby, you don't want our last few minutes before the taxi takes me away to be bad, huh? We wanna end on a good note so we remember and focus on all the fun stuff we did this weekend." The mother's tone goes from sweet to stern to sweet again along with her words

What an interesting way of calming the girl, and it seems to be working, as Delilah is no longer shouting, just standing with poured lips and crossed arms. She huffs and turns her back, facing away from her mother.

April sighs and pulls the little girl to her, kissing her cheeks and all over her face, warming her up with comforting sweet words and kisses and cuddles.

Delilah returns to sobbing when the taxi pulls up, clinging to her mother tightly.

"No! Please! D-don't leave m-me!"

The four men approach and take April's waiting bags to her taxi, putting them in the trunk. April smiles and absentmindedly thanks them before turning her attention back to the distraught child.

"I've gotta, baby. You know that. I love you, be good for your grandparents and those lovely boys, okay? Gotta let go of mummy, now, Lilah." April coaxes softly, prying the small pale arms away from her waist and kissing the babies head. Delilah continues to attempt to cling to her mother, and Ashton reaches for the little girls arms, pulling her back.