Beating hearts

Chapter 5

Aunt Morgan's house
11 years ago

What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Aras's mother says approaching her sad little girl on the swing set.

Ara huffs wiping a tear off of her cheek and looking up at her mother. "I like this boy in my class, and today I told him."

"And?"

"He said, "Ewe." My whole third-grade class laughed at me," Ara said sniffling back her tears.

Her mother exhaled a sad puff of air. "Okay little girl, I need you to listen and remember what I am about to tell you. Can you do that?"

"I guess."

"Alright. First life lesson, boys can be really mean, and sometimes they hide their true feelings deep within, for all sorts of unknown reasons to women, but also sometimes, not everyone you like is going to like you the same way back, and you just got to be okay with that, it's going to suck at first, but someday you are going to meet a guy who is going to love you with all he has, and that love is going to have, sacrifice, selflessness, purity and the truest form of unconditional love, and when you find it you will know with all your heart. You just haft to be patient. Until then," she said squeezing Ara with a sideways hug.

"You are going to haft to deal with a lot of mean boys and false advertising love."

Ara paused, "Is that the kind of love you have?" she asked getting up out of her swing.

"Absolutely. I have it with your father, and I have it with my two beautiful daughters," she said booping her finger at the tip of Ara's nose.

Ara laughs. "Thanks, mom," she says taking her mother's hand and walking back toward the house.

~

She thought of her meaningful talk that occurred so many moons ago as she rode in the back of the cab heading to her Aunt Morgans's house. Morgan was their mother's younger sister. She offered to let Ara and Lilly live with her for as long as they needed, she stressed that it could only be the girls that stayed with her, she made it clear that their father was not allowed nor welcome in her home. She told him in a very harsh manner to never make contact with them again after she had learned what had really been happening behind closed doors. Ara and Lilly knew it was for the best, but they were still heartbroken that he agreed, and didn't try to fight for them.

Morgan was also a little angry at the girls for not contacting her sooner, but deep down they assumed the reason they didn't call, was because they really did blame themselves for their mother's death and felt they deserved the punishment, or they didn't want to break up their already broken family.

Ara arrived at the house excited to see her aunt.
Morgan was in the kitchen cooking dinner, it made the house smell wonderful, and Ara's stomach ached with hunger. All she had consumed for the past couple of days was very tasteless hospital food.

She entered the kitchen, her mouthwatering instantly as she made her way to the marbled countertop, and took a seat in the middle.

"Oh, Ara. I was going to come pick you up from the hospital after I got done with this," Morgan said while getting a spatula out of one of the drawers and heading back to the stove.

"I wanted to have a nice meal ready for you. I'm making your favorite, chicken fried steak."

Ara smiled. "Actually, that's Lilly's favorite, mines lasagna,"