That house was never clean enough

his dinner never warm enough.

Nothing I did was ever good enough to make him happy.

So, I guess, he gave me what he thought I deserved,

But it would kill me if he ever raised his hand to her.

"And do you Bianca Christine Montgomery take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The reverent asked the slender brunette.

Bianca beamed up at her husband. She remembered the butterflies in her stomach; she thought was marrying her soul mate. "I do." She whispered staring into Michael's eyes.

"You were such a fucking fool Bianca." She said to herself still staring at the seen on the TV. She quickly ejected the tape; grabbing it she threw it across the room. "God damn you Michael!" She screamed. A cry began coming from a room down the hall. Quickly Bianca walked into her daughter's room. "Hey sweetie, its okay. Did momma wake you?"

Emily nodded. "Heard yelling." She whimpered nuzzling her face into her mother's neck.

Bianca bit down on her lip from the pain of Emily's face pressing into her bruised neck.

A few minutes later Emily pulled back to look at her mothers face, she gently traced the bruises left by her father with her little fingers. "Daddy hurt you again?" Emily whispered.

Bianca tried to hold back her tears. "Yeah sweetie. But, it's going to be okay. Why don't you go back to sleep? I promise I won't make anymore noise."

Emily nodded. She kissed her mother's cheek. "Love you mommy."

Bianca made sure she was tucked in before heading out into the living room. She made sure the whole house was in perfect order. She quickly cleaned up the mess the tape made when it hit the wall.

An hour later Emily was up and quietly watching afternoon cartoons like any three and a half year old would do as Bianca began to get dinner ready. She sighed. She didn't know why she tried so hard when in the end she would just end up black and blue anyway. She thought back to when her daughter was born. Bianca conceived the night of her honeymoon.

She had never been with a man before. She knew nothing about sex, no idea what was supposed to happen. She didn't understand why it hurt so much, or why it was awkward. She had screamed out in pain, when she wouldn't be quiet Michael had hit her for the first time.

A month after the honeymoon Bianca knew she was in trouble when she didn't have her period. A trip to the doctor's office confirmed it. She was pregnant. When she told Michael he wasn't excited like most to be fathers are, he just smiled and when down Casey's bar. Two months after Emily's birth he expressed he true feelings about Bianca having a child. As if it was all her fault. It was the first time Bianca had been beaten. Ever since then it was a weekly occurrence.

Bianca was jarred out of her memories by the slamming of the back door. Bianca put on her best smile. "Hi sweetheart."

"Eh." He mumbled walking into the bedroom.

Bianca was washing dishes after she tucked Emily in. "Bianca!" Michael bellowed from the bedroom. Bianca took a deep breath and walked into their shared room.

"Yes?" She asked entering the dim room.

"My red tie. You took it. What the fuck did you do with it!" He screamed.

"I didn't do anything with it, if it's not in the closet try the top drawer of your dresser."

"God damnit! How many times do I have to tell you I want my ties hung in the closet were they belong!" Consumed in anger he grabbed the top drawer out of the dresser and flung it across the room.

Bianca ducked to miss the flying piece of wood. "Michael please, Emily is trying to sleep." She said in a calm voice even though she was shaking.

"You stupid bitch!" He said as he lunged for Bianca. "You just had to go and get knocked up didn't you!"

"You're the one who knocked me up Michael!" Bianca screamed. "God! I just turned sixteen!"

"You wanted it!" He yelled back. Slapping her hard across the face. "Its all that brats fault. You are always taking care of her you're my wife! You're supposed to take care of me!"

"Oh grow up Michael!"

"Do you tell me what to do!" He yelled kicking her in the stomach.

Bianca fell to the floor gasping for air. She watched as Michael walked by her and into Emily's room. Ignoring the pain she stood and stumbled into her daughters room. "Leave her alone Michael!"

He just laughed trying to move past Bianca to get to his daughter. "I don't think so, she is my daughter I'll do what I want with her."

"No you won't."

"Don't you tell me what to do!" He said pushing her out of the way.

Emily had been awake since she heard the loud bang of the drawer hitting the wall. She remained quiet waiting for her mother to come and sleep in her room like she most every night.

"Please Michael!" Bianca cried from the floor.

He looked down at his daughter who was huddled into one corners of her crib. He scoffed and walked out of the room and out of the house.

Bianca slowly picked herself up and looked over the railing at her daughter. "Are you okay honey?"

Emily nodded and held her arms out for Bianca to pick her up. She held her daughter close as she walked into her own bedroom. She looked around at the mess. How could she keep living in this? Tonight was the first time Michael had went after Emily, but what would stop him from doing it again. What if Bianca was unconscious and couldn't stop him. She began to shake as tears fell down her face.

"Why are you crying mommy?" A little voice asked.

"I'm just scared honey."

"Does daddy scare you?"

"Just a little." She whispered. She couldn't do this anymore; there was no way she could have her daughter grow up in this mess. "Emily? How would you like to go on a road trip?"

Emily's eyes lit up. "To see Grandma Erica and Uncle Yack?"

Bianca smiled Emily still couldn't quiet pronounce Jack's name. "No sweetie, I was thinking about just us. We could go to the beach." Bianca had thought about going it her mothers, but she would send her back just like she had in the past. She believed any marriage was fixable. Once you vowed under God you took the good with the bad.

Will it break her heart?

Will she understand,

That I had to leave?

That's what was best for me an' Emily.

"Yeah!" Emily smiled.

"Okay, if you want to go you have to do exactly what I say, okay?"

"Okay mom."

"Now I want you to stay in bed and be real quiet while mommy packs okay?"

"I promise, I won't say anything." Emily said beaming from ear to ear. "Mom? When we get back can I get a big kids bed?"

Bianca smiled, she had been trying to get Michael to let her get Emily a real bed for a long time but he just kept saying that money was too tight. "Sure honey. In fact when we go on the trip you can have a real bed."

"Really!"

"Yep, but you have to be quiet right now, I'm going to go pack. Remember quiet."

"Okay." Emily whispered.

Two hours later Bianca had pretty much gotten her entire life into three suitcases in the trunk of her car. She put Emily's bags in the back seat and when in to retrieve her daughter.

"Are we yeddy mom?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yep the back seat is full of all your animals."

"Except Bob." Emily said holding up a slightly worn black dog.

Bianca smiled. "Except Bob. Come on, you ready?"

Emily nodded. Bianca picked her and Bob up and walked threw the house for the last time. Making sure Emily was buckled into her safety seat Bianca climbed into the car. She took one last look at the house before pulling out of the driveway.

Floorboard's filled with baby toys,

An' empty coke bottles an' coffee cups.

Drivin' through the rain with no radio,

Tryin' not to wake her up.

Cell 'phone says "low battery",

God, what if I break down?

I'm just lookin' for an exit with a lotta lights,

A safe little interstate town.

Bianca finished her third coke of the night; she placed the can next to the others on the floor of the car. Looking in the rear view window she could see Emily was sound asleep clutching Bob. She smiled. They had been on the road for two days straight and it was getting to both of them. Bianca was now in central Pennsylvania trying to find a town to stay in. She took a wrong exit and was now in the outskirts of Pine Valley and was completely lost the long country road seemed to go on forever she was beginning to wonder if she missed the town. A few miles back her car began making a weird clunking noise and the sky had decided to open up, it was now pouring. Bianca sighed she was beginning to wonder if she made the right decision in leaving. Her bruises were starting to fade but you could still see them clearly. Bianca gently touched them in a few days she hoped they would be invisible. A loud cough came from ahead of her, giving one last grunt the car died.

"NOOO!" She cried trying to restart it. "Come on, come on." She whispered. No response. "Oh this is just great." Bianca checked again to make sure Emily was still sleeping. She smiled; her daughter could sleep through anything. She glanced at her phone, which had no signal and no battery. "Damn." She whispered. Bianca popped the hood and got out of the car. The rain was freezing cold. Bianca looked at the steaming car's engine. She had no idea what she was looking for.

Giving up she when back in the car and turned on her flashers. After about fifteen minutes a truck came by. Bianca jumped out of the car and began widely waving her arms. The truck just kept on going. An hour passed and three vehicles refused to stop. Bianca finally slumped down along side the car and let her tears come she didn't' know what she was going to do. It was almost four in the morning. The road was lined with thick pine trees. Every crack or creek made Bianca jump. She could here the sound of a truck in the distance. She was too tired to stand up. She felt the wind as the truck past, slashing dirty rainwater all over her. "Oh great." She whispered and began sobbing harder a few minutes later sleep over took her.

The next thing Bianca felt was a warm blanket being draped around her. She looked up into warm hazel eyes. Startled she quickly stood.

"Whoa, its okay." The stranger said softly. "I saw the car, do you need some help?"

Bianca mutely nodded. She realized for the first time that it was a little brighter out. The rain was now just a light mist. "Umm…do y-you mind if I ask for the time?" She whispered in a shaky voice.

The young woman looked at her watch. "Almost five thirty."

"Oh my god!" Bianca exclaimed quickly springing to her feet. She looked in the back seat to see her daughter still peacefully sleeping. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god." She whispered.

"Umm Ma'am?"

"Yeah?" Bianca turned back to her.

"Why don't you grab your daughter and go wait in my car, you have to be freezing."

"Oh…" It hit her how soaking wet she was the temperature had dropped considerably. "I guess it is cold out."

The woman smiled. "I'm Maggie Stone." She smiled holding out her hand.

Bianca smiled. "Bianca Cam…Montgomery."

Maggie felt how cold Bianca's hands were. She picked the blanket up where it had fell when she had gotten up to check on Emily. "Your going to catch your death from cold." She said wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.

Bianca smiled at the kindness. "Thank you." She whispered. She opened the car door unbuckling Emily.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah sweetie?" Bianca asked grabbing her stuffed dog.

"What's going on?"

"It okay Emily. The car got sick and this nice lady is going to give us a lift into town okay?"

Emily eyed Maggie from her mothers shoulder.

Maggie smiled at the little girl; she had long black hair like her mothers.

Emily smiled back before hiding her face in her mother's neck. Bianca laid her down in the back seat of Maggie's car and came back to move her stuff in to Maggie's car. "You don't mind do you? My life is in this car."

"No not at all, you go sit down I'll take care of all this."

"No…"

"Yes, you freezing. I'll just throw it all in my trunk."

Bianca sighed. "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."

"Your not. Go be with your daughter."

"Thank you." Bianca smiled. "Oh, there's stuff in the trunk too."

"No problem."

Bianca got in the passengers side, she looked at her daughter whose eyes were starting to droop. "Mommy? When are we going to go home?"

"I don't know Emily." Bianca sighed. She was going to have to find a cheap hotel; she did have some cash with her. She knew Michael would be looking for her so she couldn't use any of her credit cards. She didn't know how her life was going to turn out. When she had Emily everything was so clear. She would be a mother to her daughter and keeper of Michael's house. Now everything was turned upside down. She felt guilty about it, but she prayed that Emily would forget all about Michael. She sighed again and closed her eyes. She was exhausted.

Just a cheap hotel,

With a single bed,

And cable TV

Is good enough for me an' Emily.

Some day, when she's old enough,

She's gonna start askin' questions about him.

Some kid at school brings his Dad for show an' tell,

An' gets her little mind a-wonderin'

"Where's my Daddy? Do I have one?

"Does he not love me like you do?"

Oh, maybe I'll find someone to love the both of us,

An' I'll tell her when she's old enough to know the truth.

"Hey." Maggie said sliding into her car. "I got all your bags in the trunk. When we get into town I'll call a towing company have them bring it in for you."

"Thank you so much. I don't know how I'm going to repay you."

Maggie smiled. "Well first keep this blanket on you." She said placing the blanket on Bianca.

Bianca smiled back at her. "Thank you." She whispered before closing her eyes. She felt safe with Maggie, someone she just met. Something told her that everything would be alright.

Big rigs are throwin' rain on my windshield,

An' I feel like they're laughin' at me.

Fin'lly the storm is lettin' up,

An' the mornin' is breakin' free.

It's a brand new day,

It's a second chance.

Yesterday is just a memory,

For me an' Emily.

Ah.