A/N: This was supposed to be a second entry in my Song Book Collection, but I'm not sure how long will this be, and I am already thinking of two other songs to connect to this story... this was inspired (and well, dedicated to) by becauseimsunny's work on Tumblr. I know this is not what you requested, but I was touched by how strongly you felt about Amy being an underappreciated character. Anyway, I hope you like it.
Song: Unsteady
Performed by: X Ambassadors
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Mama, Come here
Approach, appear
Daddy, I'm alone
'Cause this house don't feel like home
If you love me don't let go
If you love me don't let go
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Mother, I know
That you're tired of being alone
Dad, I know you're trying
To fight when you feel like flying
But if you love me don't let go
If you love me don't let go
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Hold, hold on, hold onto me
'Cause I'm a little unsteady
A little unsteady
Amy woke up to the sound of glass breaking. She was scared. For a four-year old girl, her deduction was already like that of a young adult's. She knows her parents were having another fight. Things at home has been like that for a while now.
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Her father lost his job about half a year ago when after he was confined for almost a month due to his heart condition. He was refused a clearance that proves he can go back to the Power Plant where he worked as a chemist. The company had to let him go. He tried looking for another job for almost two months. Sadly, not one of the companies that he tried, wanted him. His wife suggested for him to just stay with their daughter for now, while he was still recovering. He knew that she was right, but his ego was his problem. Even though it pained him to let his wife take over their finances, he didn't have much of a choice. He stayed at home, and tried to focus on taking care of their daughter. Amy's always been closer to her father, so she enjoyed having him at home almost everyday. Together, they would read books and perform little experiments in their backyard. At a young age, her parents already knew that there was so much potential in her, academically. By the age of two, she already knows the alphabet and the numbers. They taught her to read, and the couple was delighted when she started learning words that no toddler in their area could even recognize. They were so proud of their daughter, and for a while, that was enough to keep Anthony from thinking of not being able to put the food on their table.
Everything changed, when one night, Amy's mother came home from work to find the house out of order and messy. After a long day, dealing with high school students, the last things she wanted to see was a disorganized living room. Her husband and daughter came running out of their kitchen, covered in what appears to be flour and chocolate.
"Oh, look Amy, mommy's home!" Anthony called and Amy ran towards her mother. She wrapped her little arms around her mother's legs and smiled up at her.
"Hi momma!" she squeaked.
Sandra just patted her daughter's head while looking at her husband under her glasses. He gave her a questioning look, but she just shook her head.
"Now, now Amy, let mother wash up first. I just got back from being outside the house all day," she tells her daughter without moving her eyes away from her husband. "Although if you asked me, I don't see how being here is different from staying outdoors," she added.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anthony asked.
"Do you really have to ask?"
Amy was looking back and forth between her parents. She could tell something was wrong, but wasn't sure what it was. Her father gently pulled her away from her mother and started making her walk to her bed room.
"You go brush your teeth and wash your hands. And change into your pajamas okay? Mommy and I will just have a talk," her father said.
"Okay," she answered, going up the stairs. Not long after she got inside her room, she started hearing shouting from downstairs. The sound sent chills down her spine and she got scared. She's never heard her parents like that before. She knows that it happens based on what she hears from some of the kids in the kindergarten, but this was her first time to experience it.
"I work my butt off all day Anthony! The least you can do is to clean this place up, but no! I go home to a, a dump!" Sandra yelled.
"Oh, so now you're going to throw that in my face? Need I remind you that you're the one who told me to take a break from looking for a job?" Anthony shot back.
"Only because no one wants to hire you anymore! You we're just wasting gas for the car by driving all over town, begging for any establishment to employ you!"
That was more than Amy could take; she looked around her room and saw what to a four-year old child, was a safe place. She opened her closet and went inside. She closed the door and stuck her index fingers on either ears to block out the sound coming from downstairs. She can still hear some of the words that her parents were spouting at each other and she couldn't help but cry.
She wasn't sure how long it's been; she fell asleep in her closet and was awoken by the sound of her bedroom door opening, followed by her mother calling her name.
"Amy? Where are you, honey?"
"Here, mommy" she answered, opening the closet.
Her mother didn't speak, but just held her tightly.
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The noise coming from outside her room didn't stop, so she dragged herself from her bed and went inside her closet again. Hugging her stuffed monkey that her father won for her at a local fair, she covered her ears and hoped they would stop soon. Eventually, the yelling subsided and she went out the closet to see if her brain was just playing tricks on her. When she was sure that the fight was over, she tried to get out of her room. No one was in the hall so she continued until she reached the stairs. From where she was, she saw her mother on the couch. Her face was buried in her hands and she could tell that she was crying. Her father was not around. As intelligent as she may be, despite her young age, there were things that even she couldn't explain. She decided to just go back to her room and try to go back to sleep.
The following morning, her father was still not around. She tried asking her mother, but she wouldn't answer her and kept telling her to hurry up with her breakfast. Her mother was going to taking her to school. The whole drive was quiet and she didn't like it. She was used to her father playing games with her on the way to school.
Amy's day felt longer and she was quiet the whole time; something that her teachers noticed since she was always so participative. Mrs. Jenkins asked her if she wasn't feeling well and she said she was okay. When school ended, she waited for one of her parents to take her home. Every single one of her classmates got picked up by their parents or guardians, but neither of hers showed up. Her teacher was in a bit of a hurry so she made a phone call when she realized that Amy was still at school.
A few minutes after the phone call, Amy was thrilled to see her father walking down across the street. When he got closer, Amy started running, and tripped on a rock protruding on the ground. She just brushed off her skirt and threw her arms around her father's neck. Anthony hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.
"Hey kiddo. Didn't I tell you to always look where you're going? Look at your knees. Your knees got scratched," he told her, wiping her knees with his handkerchief. "Sorry to keep you waiting, by the way" he told his daughter.
"S'okay daddy. I was actually having fun looking at the bugs that were flying around the bushes," she answered, beaming at her father.
"I see. Did you know the species or were you just looking at the pretty colors?"
"I didn't know some of them, but some looked familiar,"
"That's my daughter! Okay, now, are you hungry?" he asked, picking her off the ground and started walking towards the wooden gate. He tipped his hat off to Mrs. Jenkins who was looking out from her office window and she just smiled at him.
Amy wanted to ask her father where he had been, but she chose not to. He was back, and that's what's more important to her.
