A/N: Just let me know what you think of this story. It's short, I know.
I remember the exact moment, what everything looked like and what was said.
My mother was in the kitchen, making us both tea and I was sitting at the kitchen table, babbling away about friends and school. The whole kitchen was painted in white and yellow back then, the wooden cabinets had little glass windows in it, as I used to call it, so you could admire my mother's yellow, green and blue plates, cups, beakers and wine glasses. Even the wooden kitchen table and matching chairs had been painted yellow. Everything was so cheerful and bright in there, that we kids used to call it 'The Sunny room'.
My mom was wearing a simple light blue dress and a white, simple appron. Her dark red hair was pulled back into a messy bun and I smiled at the sound her slippers made as she walked to the table, carrying a tray with two cups of tea.
I was about 9 years old. Red hair, like my mother, only a lighter shade, a freckled face and braces. Not nearly as cute as Lindsey is now.
My mom asked me how school was. I can't remember my exact words, but it was something along the lines of 'Maggie, Suse and me were invited to a party, I made drawings of my dolls and I helped Nancy with a difficult puzzle that day'.
My mother looked up from her cup and smiled. She reached out a hand and touched my cheek. I frowned in return.
"You're a bright young lady, Cath"
"Dad's always saying that I'm lazy"
My mother gently pulled her hand back and her green eyes saddened. "You don't love the Ranch like he does, Catherine. Horses are his life but you use them to take you away from here."
I wrinkled my nose, like I've seen Lindsey do so many times when she doesn't understand something.
"You're a dreamer, Catherine. You have such an avid imagination, such a creative and intelligent mind." She sighed softly and shifted her gaze from me to one of the kitchen windows. "One day, you'll leave us to discover what the world has to offer you and what you have to offer the world. And I think even Montana is too small and dull for you, my dear"
"No, I won't ever leave you, momma " I exclaimed, putting my own cup down. "That's a promise"
She merely nodded, avoiding my gaze.
Seven years later, I left to discover the world. To, supposedly, live the life of my dreams. And now 31 years later, I still think of her. We've never been as close as we were, after I left.
Sam Braun, my biological father, did the exact same thing to her. He made her a promise, claimed her heart and then broke it. And although, she may have expected me to leave her, I know she was disappointed. In everyone.
I tilt my head to the side and watch my little treasure, re-enacting Sleeping Beauty with her dolls on the kitchentable. With a small smile I set the brightly coloured Harry Potter glass down in front of her but she pays no attention to it. She's too caught up trying to 'wake up' the leading lady of her little doll-show.
I didn't give her a sunny kitchen, a ranch, sisters, a father to watch her grow up or a mother to be there for her, whenever, whereever.
But I did 'okay', I tell myself. She's a happy, strong little girl. Grissom tells me so all the time.
I try to meet her pale blue eyes and reach out my hand to cover hers. Linds looks up surprised, instantly dropping her dolls.
"Don't ever leave me, baby."
My heart nearly breaks when she smiles at me sweetly, leans in and plants a soft kiss on my hand.
"Don't be silly, mom. I'll never ever leave you." She blinks her beautiful eyes and ads, "Promise"
The End
I remember the exact moment, what everything looked like and what was said.
My mother was in the kitchen, making us both tea and I was sitting at the kitchen table, babbling away about friends and school. The whole kitchen was painted in white and yellow back then, the wooden cabinets had little glass windows in it, as I used to call it, so you could admire my mother's yellow, green and blue plates, cups, beakers and wine glasses. Even the wooden kitchen table and matching chairs had been painted yellow. Everything was so cheerful and bright in there, that we kids used to call it 'The Sunny room'.
My mom was wearing a simple light blue dress and a white, simple appron. Her dark red hair was pulled back into a messy bun and I smiled at the sound her slippers made as she walked to the table, carrying a tray with two cups of tea.
I was about 9 years old. Red hair, like my mother, only a lighter shade, a freckled face and braces. Not nearly as cute as Lindsey is now.
My mom asked me how school was. I can't remember my exact words, but it was something along the lines of 'Maggie, Suse and me were invited to a party, I made drawings of my dolls and I helped Nancy with a difficult puzzle that day'.
My mother looked up from her cup and smiled. She reached out a hand and touched my cheek. I frowned in return.
"You're a bright young lady, Cath"
"Dad's always saying that I'm lazy"
My mother gently pulled her hand back and her green eyes saddened. "You don't love the Ranch like he does, Catherine. Horses are his life but you use them to take you away from here."
I wrinkled my nose, like I've seen Lindsey do so many times when she doesn't understand something.
"You're a dreamer, Catherine. You have such an avid imagination, such a creative and intelligent mind." She sighed softly and shifted her gaze from me to one of the kitchen windows. "One day, you'll leave us to discover what the world has to offer you and what you have to offer the world. And I think even Montana is too small and dull for you, my dear"
"No, I won't ever leave you, momma " I exclaimed, putting my own cup down. "That's a promise"
She merely nodded, avoiding my gaze.
Seven years later, I left to discover the world. To, supposedly, live the life of my dreams. And now 31 years later, I still think of her. We've never been as close as we were, after I left.
Sam Braun, my biological father, did the exact same thing to her. He made her a promise, claimed her heart and then broke it. And although, she may have expected me to leave her, I know she was disappointed. In everyone.
I tilt my head to the side and watch my little treasure, re-enacting Sleeping Beauty with her dolls on the kitchentable. With a small smile I set the brightly coloured Harry Potter glass down in front of her but she pays no attention to it. She's too caught up trying to 'wake up' the leading lady of her little doll-show.
I didn't give her a sunny kitchen, a ranch, sisters, a father to watch her grow up or a mother to be there for her, whenever, whereever.
But I did 'okay', I tell myself. She's a happy, strong little girl. Grissom tells me so all the time.
I try to meet her pale blue eyes and reach out my hand to cover hers. Linds looks up surprised, instantly dropping her dolls.
"Don't ever leave me, baby."
My heart nearly breaks when she smiles at me sweetly, leans in and plants a soft kiss on my hand.
"Don't be silly, mom. I'll never ever leave you." She blinks her beautiful eyes and ads, "Promise"
The End