"I..I...I want Mommy!" Sobbed a four year old Riley, rubbing his moist eyes, "When she comin' back?"

"Stop cryin' Riley, she aint comin' back," Huey snapped darkly, "She left us. For good,"

"No She di'n't! Mommy loves us! She comin' back!" Riley defended, tears running down his face.

"You're so stupid! She doesn't love us and she aint NEVER comin back, EVER! Get used to it!"

"Huey!" An angry Grandad snapped, but the damage had been done.

"You LYIN! YOU LYIN! Mommy LOVES ME! She comin back!"

"Grow up!" Huey barked, slamming his hands on the table. Riley jumped down from his chair and ran off, but he could be easily heard from down the hall.

"I HATE YOU!"

OooOO

"I hate her,"

"She's your Mommy, she loves you,"

Huey grumbled and fumed as he paced around Jazmine's home. He glared at his feet and kept his hands in balled fists that made his knuckles turn white. He was to infuriated for words. He stumbled a bit but regained his composure, turning around to kick what had tripped him, an octopus doll. He sent it flying and it slammed against Jazmine's door.

"Huey..."

"She's not," Huey barked, folding his arms over his chest, "Bitch gave me up. She aint my mom. She don't love me. She can't,"

"But... she came back. If she didn't love you... why would she come back?" She asked innocently, staring up at the boy before her. Huey grumbled and pulled at his fro slightly.

"This is stupid," He barked, making his way to his sleeping bag, "You don't know what the Hell you're saying! I'm goin' ta bed,"

Jazmine sighed and shrugged, sliding herself into her bed, "Night, Huey,"

"Good night,"

"Mommy!" Wailed a smaller Huey as he bolted into his home. He saw his mother standing in the kitchen, carving the chicken for supper, "Mommy!"

She turned and saw her son clutching his nose with his hands cupped over half of his face. Laura smiled and dropped to her knees, "Baby, what happened?"

"I... I fell outta the tree," Huey slowly parted his hands to reveal a swollen, puffy red nose.

"What have I told you about climbing that old thing?" Laura tsked and placed a tender kiss on it. She stood up to get a bandaid from above the fridge. Once she had it, she carefully peeled the excess paper and knelt before her son again, "Hold still," She urged and placed the bandaid on the tiny cut on the bridge of his nose. Huey sniffed, a tear still forming, "You're okay," She confirmed, standing up and placing a hand on his fro. Huey grabbed her other hand and stared up at her.

"It still hurts,"

"Hm," She paused, "Well... it'll feel better once you get some of Grandad Robert's home cooking,"

"Grandad's food's gross, though," Huey grimaced and held her tighter.

"Oh, Huey, haha...I love you," His mother chuckled, teasing the little boy as she placed a kiss on his head, "Don't ever grow up,"

Huey looked up at her with wide, worried eyes, "But I have to... you... you gonna love even if I grow up, huh?"

She laughed again and made him look at her, tears still staining his face, "Huey... I'll always loved you. Always,"

"Liar..." Huey muttered to himself as he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at Jazmine who was already up and dressed.

"Mommy's making breakfast!"

OoOooOoOOoOoO

Huey watched as Sarah worked. He was sitting at the buffet with Jazmine while the white woman ran about the kitchen. She was already in her typical house wife vest and collared shirt that she liked to wear. He then looked down at his breakfast- two pancakes and a whole mess of scrambled eggs. Yeesh. He then looked at Jazmine who was eating up her pancakes, syrup covering her plate. Yeesh times two.But his attention kept going back to Sarah who was still cooking.

"Hey there Huey!" A man's voice called as he came down the stairs.

"Morning Mr. Dubois," was Huey's monotone reply. He watched the older man as he gave Jazmine a kiss on the head.

"Sleep good, princess?"

"Yes, Daddy,"

"Good Morning, Dear," Sarah beamed, pouring him a mug of coffee.

"Morning," Tom replied, walking over to his wife and kissing her gently. He took his mug and slurpped a bit loudly. Sarah started fixing up his tie, since it seemed like it was done in a rattled way, "No time for breakfast- I gotta get to the office,"

"Daddy!" Jazmine complained, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"

"That's right, Tom," Sarah countered, "Eat something,"

"I can't, I'm in a big rush," Tom excused himself. Sarah rolled her eyes and popped some toast into his mouth.

"There," she seemed proud as she pecked his cheek, "Have a great day at work,"

Tom headed for the door, but was halted by Sarah clearing her throat. He paused, turned around and saw she was holding his brief case. Laughing a bit awkwardly, he stepped back in, popping the toast out of his mouth and giving her the cheek kiss right back, "Love you,"

"Love you, too,"

Huey was perplexed. Families like this...existed? And they lived right down the road from him.

Huey kept staring at Sarah, eventually, Jazmine grew bored and hopped down, running to go play outside. It was then, and only then, that Sarah noticed Huey was staring at her.

"Uh... something wrong, Huey?"

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The mom thing. You cook, you clean, you take care of your husband and kid... why?"

Sarah chuckled, "It's... my job,"

"You job?" Huey's eye brow popped up, "You ever think... about quitting?"

"What?"

"I mean... would you ever leave? For any reason- what would it take to make you leave your husband and Jazmine?"

Sarah started to get the gist of what this was about. She felt something in her mourn for the poor broken boy staring at her, waiting for some answer to probably ease his mind. She knew of the woman who came the night before, and she was certain it was his mother, but this just proved it.

"Huey, is this about the woman at your house?" Sarah asked delicately, "Is she... your mom?"

"It was just a hypothetical question," Huey spat darkly.

"Huey..." Sarah started, leaning against the counter, "All mothers love their children more than life itself,"

"That's generalizing," Huey muttered darkly.

"No, it's a fact," Sarah said in her thoughtful voice, "All mothers love their children, Huey. Yes, there are bad mothers... but they're not bad mothers because they don't love their children. I can't...possibley explain it to you,"

"I don't believe it,"

"Huey," Sara sighed, walking closer to him, staring him right in the eye. The two had never even exchanged words before, so this was quite a first for them both, "Your mother felt you grow inside her for nine months... she carried you inside her and she spoke to you... You relied on her completely and she gave you everything you needed to be the healthy baby that came out- the same baby she held and fed for the first time. It's impossible...for any woman, not to love their baby,"

Huey stared at her, almost perplexed with what she was saying. He deliberated in silence for a while, not sure how to reply to what she had said. It was crazy. There was no way. No way his mother felt that way. She left because of him, right? She didn't love them anymore. He had convinced himself that he had done something...maybe it was because he resembled his father so much... or maybe it was because he was always asking so many questions at that young of an age. Sarah had to be wrong, she had to.

"You can stay as long as you want," Sarah let him know with a smile, "She loves you, Huey. I have a feeling that your mother misses you, very, very much, wherever she is,"

Huey sat in more silence, thinking about what she said before he hopped down and headed out the direction Jazmine had exited in, "If she had loved me... She wouldn't have to miss me, now, would she?" He asked bitterly.

"Huey..."

"Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Dubois,"

ooOoOOOOooOOoOooOoOoOO

Laura sighed as she looked at her watch. It was almost 10 PM. She needed to get to the airport soon. She kissed her father-in-law and a very hopeful Riley goodbye.

"You comin' back?"

"As soon as I take care of lease information-yes," Laura confirmed, kissing his head, "Be good for Grandad. I'll come back for you as soon as I can,"

"What about Huey?"

Laura smiled saddly and rubbed Riley's face, "I don't think Huey...wants to be with me, Sweetheart," Robert noticed the painful ache in her eyes. She knew there was a good chance Huey would never love her again, and she was aware of this. She wanted his forgiveness, but couldn't expect it. She had seen him chase her car as she drove off. She saw him in the mirorr and had to keep everything she had from not slamming on the breaks and turning back around when she saw him fall on his face. she wanted to hug and kiss him... be his mommy again.

Now more than ever.

She hugged Robert and kissed Riley again before noticing her cab had pulled up.

"Take care," Robert told her. She smiled and kissed his cheek before lifting her bags. She glanced longingly at the photo of Huey on the mantel and Grandad just rubbed her cheek soothingly, "He'll come around, he's a good boy,"

"I wish I knew," She sighed painfully and headed for the door. She brushed away a tear as she made it outside. The cab was waiting and she had a flight to catch. She walked right up to the taxi and grabbed hold of the handle.

"So you're leaving again?"

Laura looked up to see a dark figure standing in the light of a street lamp that fell directlty on him. The dark lines on his face made him look even angrier than she would have expected. The ten year old had his hands balled by his sides as usual as he swallowed hard, the light causing his shadow to seem like it would belong to a seven foot tall man, not a young boy.

"Huey..." he had changed so much.

What happened to your smile?

The sound of his name on her voice nearly made him break down, but he stood strong, "That all you know how to do?"

"Huey, I swear- I never meant to hurt you. I was-"

"I don't wanna hear it," Huey told her. She gasped slightly, feeling taken back at him. She took a few steps backwards, afraid she was too close as it was. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries, "I just wanna know... if you still love me,"

I did it... I took it away. I took his smile away from him...

There was a pause, a long awkward pause. Huey saw her eyes whince, almost as if she was about to cry, but he cut her off before she could reply.

"Because I still love you. I've tried for years to hate you- ever since you left. I blamed everything on you and swore that if you ever came back I wouldn't give you the chance to hurt me because I was sure you didn't love me anymore," He started yelling, glaring deeply at her, "But... But I can't," he sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve, tears welling up in his eyes, "You're... you're my Mom... you're my Mom and I can't hate you. I never could,"

"Oh, Huey..."

"Tell me- do you love me? Cos... Cos if not, don't even bother talking to me ever again cos I-"

"Huey, I didn't ever stop loving you, not even for a minute! Don't you ever think that I didn't. I wanted... so baddly to be with you, but I just couldn't. I'm so sorry..." She was starting to cry. Huey sniffed, staring at her for another long while. He didn't want to cry, but was having a hard time. He didn't need her excuses, he didn't care. He didn't want to know her reason for leaving. All he needed was to know that she loved him and that she wasn't going to hurt him again, "I missed you so much,"

Huey lost it, he snapped his teary eyes shut and ran as fast as he could to her, he collided into her and entangled his fingers into her dress. He sobbed loudly, not caring how ridiculous he looked. Laura's hands wrapped around him and she fellt to her knees, holding her son closer to her, her tears falling on his hair.

"Please don't go," He begged, "Don't ever go away again,"

OoOOoOooOOoOooOoOoO

I wrote this while listening to "smart in a stupid way" it's a great sad song :(

it's sad... i didnt want to justify Laura leaving, so I made it so she didn't explain cos...

nothing would have made it "okay" so it didnt matter. Huey knows that and just wants

to be able to forgive her... i dont think i COULD if i knew WHY my mom left (had i been in the same

situation) all that matters is that they can start over and Huey has his mommy again