"and in the middle of my chaos,
there was you. it's always been you."{betty's pov}
As always, I'm at home. Sitting at my large mahogany dining room table, going through stacks and stacks of house and medical bills. I scroll through my spreadsheet on my MacBook, trying to figure out what I'm gonna do to make these red numbers and lines go away. A few minutes later, after stressing to no end, I heard faint footsteps coming from the dimly lit hallway. I take off my reading glasses and look away from my computer, the sound that's getting slightly louder.
"Mommy?" a sweet, soft voice says and they soon come into view.
I saw my little Amelia walk down the hallway in her Carebear pajamas, and her stuffed teddy bear close to her chest. Her curly blonde hair a huge mess, with some curls falling in front of her face.
"Millie sweetheart, it's nearly midnight. Why are you awake?" I ask as I close my laptop and look down at her with a tired smile.
"I was thinking, and I wanted to ask you forst." she says sweetly up at me, looking really tired, just like me.
I get up from my chair, and crouch in front of her to meet her at eye level."What is it?" I asks softly, stroking her thick, silky blonde hair.
"I wanna be a ballerina, mommy Can I please be a ballerina?" she asks with a faint smile up at me.
And that's when my stomach dropped.
"I wanna wear too-toos, and pretty pink slippers with wibbons, and dance on a huge stage just like big girl ballerinas!" she says with a brighter smile and a small giggle.
I hate feeling like this. I can't do this to her. I just can't. But I have to do it because it's the right thing.
"Amelia, baby?" I ask, looking at her softly.
She looks up at me, holding her bear tighter.
"Yes, Mommy?" she asks in the sweetest voice you could ever hear from a beautiful little girl.
I stroke her hair more, and look into her striking blue eyes.
"You can't be a ballerina right now, sweetheart. Mommy is working and will try, ok? It's just..you can't be a ballerina just yet.." I sniffle after I tell her.
"Mommy, I'm not upset. You can tell me antything."
She sounds just like him.
I pick her up and sit her on my lap, then gently push a soft blonde curl behind her ear.
"Mommy doesn't have the money, Amelia. Mommy has to start working more and work harder to help you become a ballerina." I say, looking at her sadly.
Tears rolls down my cheek, and I feel devestated. I hate that I have to tell her this. I'm actually the worst mom ever that could ever exist.
"I can help, Mommy." she says looking at me with her sea blue eyes.
"Baby, how will you help?" I ask, curious of what she has to say.
"I can sell some of my toys! I can even give away my stuffed bear." She says and smiles a little at me.
"No, you can't give away your teddy bear. I won't let you. You remember who gave you that bear, right?"
"Yes of course. Daddy gave me Mr. Pickle." She says squeezing it tighter.
"And you don't want to give up Mr. Pickle do you?" I ask smiling a little at my daughter.
"No, I guess not..." she says a little sadly.
"And do you remember what your Daddy told me, Millie bear?" I say smiling softly at her, a tear rolling down my cheek.
"Daddy said to tell me to never give up Mr. Pickles. Never ever. Because Daddy will come back one day with a new outfit for Mr. Pickles." She says giggling when she says her teddy bear's name.
"Yes and what else?" I ask with a small smile on my face, trying to hold bacl the tears that were about to fall.
"He said to hold Mr. Pickles tight every night. And that when I squeeze my teddy tight, Daddy will be there beside me. Every single night." she says smiling at me, giggling once again.
Tears roll down my cheeks as she says that. Her sweet, soft voice. Her voice that could light up this world of it's horrible society. But I hate having her say that to me. Especially when she talks like that.
"So, go back to sleep, ok? And promise that you'll squeeze Mr. Pickles extra tight tonight." I say with a small smile.
"I promise, Mommy." she says then kisses my cheek with a "mwah" and hops off my lap.
I smile at her then slip my glasses back on and turn back to my laptop with a sigh again. Once again, reality is back to slap me in the face.
Then I hear a knock at the door. That knock instantly snaps my head from my computer, to the mahogany door.
Then I see Amelia going over to the couch, and sitting down, still sipping her apple juice box.
"Millie, stay right there, okay?" I say slowly getting up.
"Okay, mommy." she says then goes back to slurping her juice box.
I look at her before going over to the door and gently placing my hand on the doorknob.
But little did I know, one turn of a doorknob can change things forever.
I turned the doorknob, and opened the door slowly.
Then, all of a sudden, I feel the tears that I've been holding in, stream down my cheeks like a waterfall. I put my hands over my mouth, in complete and utter surprise.
"J-jug?"