Parenting is the New Black

Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hi everyone! It's my first my first time to post Blacklist fanfiction. Because of that, I was very nervous about posting it. Actually, it's my final project in my English writing class. In this project, I should discuss about one of the social issues. Hope I could progress from this project. Please give me some comments. Thank you. :)


The sun shines in the room from the window. The air in the room is sweet, and the music in the room is also sweet and soft. What a lovely morning, but a suddenly noise breaks through the peaceful air. "Bi-Bi-Bi-" On the king size bed is a man with short blond hair. The man frowns, stretching out his arm to pick the damn phone up.

"I am on leave, so leave the message." the man answers the phone with his deep voice.

"Don! Don! This is Liz. I am so sorry for bothering you. I got an emergency call from the office, and the director had me back to the office to deal with the complicated case. What's worse, my babysitter took a sick leave, so no one can take care of Samantha. Could you do me a favor, please?" Liz answers hastily.

Don scratches his messy hair and answers without considering clearly, "Okay, I think I might get along with your sweetie well. See you on nine o'clock."

"Sam! Sam! Wake up! Get ready. Let's go to Uncle Don's house" Liz says. There are toys, papers, shoes, clothes, sox and lots of unknowing things scatter on the floor. Therefore, Liz walks carefully through the aisle and gets to Sam's room. In the room, all the walls painted pink and decorated with wall stickers. On the small single size bed is a little girl with long brown and curly hair, clever and blue eyes, and when she smiles there are dimples on her cheeks. Liz looks at Sam's dreamy face, can't help but recall the complex but sometimes warm memories. Liz and Tom spent a long period of time to get the admission to adopt child from the government. When they got the permission, they hug each other and Liz cried with joy. They adopted a girl, she's so dynamic, so they named her Samantha. Liz still remembers that they were so surprised when Sam cut her first tooth, so happy when Sam stepped out her first step toward them, so touched while Sam first called them "Pa…" and "Ma…", and they were so worried when Sam got bad cold. They experienced all the emotions together. There were laughter between them that time. However, one day, Liz found that Tom got closed to her for purposes as Red said.

"Mom, why we going to Uncle Don's house?" Sam is rubbing her eye and asks.

"Because Mom got a call, I need to go to work." Liz sits on the bed, caressing Sam's supple hair and answers.

"You said you had a leave today, and you would stay with me… you said that…"Sam's lips compresses into a sad line when she hears her mom's answer. Liz is frustrated, because she broke her promise again. Things had changed after Tom left, Sam became a clingy child, and Liz needs to balance Sam and work, she burned the candles at both ends. She strike a balance between Sam and her work all the time with heart and soul. However, things are not always going to the right direction after her heart. It seems that the more effort she puts, the more depression she finds herself. What she can do now is that believes herself that she can do better next time, and has no choice but answer her little girl with the same answers: " I'm sorry, Sam. I promise it won't happen next time!" Sam looks at the floor with her head hanging down. She holds her blanket tightly, then she turns up her head with a barely smile, and says " Okay!"

"Ring-Ring-Ring-" the doorbell rings. Don rushes to answer it. "Hey, Liz." Don greets. "Hi, Little girl." he squats down and says to Sam genially.

"Hello, Uncle Don! My name is Samantha. You can call me Sam." Sam answers with a bright smile. This became a routine after Liz taught Sam how to introduce herself, and everyone she greets to would always amusedly play alone.

"You haven't had the breakfast, right? There are bread, milk, jam, and corn flakes on the table." Don helps Sam take off the bag and says.

"Thank you! Uncle Don." Sam answers with her sweat voice, and takes her bag back from Don. "Bye. Mommy." she clutches at Liz's pants.

"Bye, sweetie. I Love you.'' Liz kisses Sam's cheek, then Sam gets into Don's house.

Don stands up and stares at Liz, "I really hate to say this, but this sort of things just prove that I was right, I am right about you being single and having a child, Liz."

"I think I took a good care of Sam. This is unexpected!" Liz protests. "Many times! You're always struggling between your work and daughter!" Don says with folded arms.

"Could we please have this conversation later? Thank you for helping me. You are a lifesaver! I owe you a meal! I have to leave now!" Liz goes to her car hastily.

"Liz…"

"I'll never send Sam back to the foster care!" Liz turns back to Don and says determinedly, then gets in her car quickly and drives away.