hello all! I hope you enjoy this one!
Dedicated to hogwartsduo/ chelsie-carson!
She had seen the signs. The girl had developed a more feminine figure. A little bit more of a curve at the hip. She had been a little off this week. But she was of that age. Hadn't they just celebrated Ella's 13th birthday last month?
So she shouldn't have been surprised when Ella came to her in the middle of the night with tears and a look of panic in her eyes. Ella had stuttered out that something was wrong and Elsie had ushered her into the room an asked what in the world were all the tears for. But the girl had turned and when Elsie saw the red stain on the back of her night gown, well she knew Ella had blossomed into a young woman now. She gave the girl a soft smiles and a warm hug and then led the girl back to her room. After Elsie showed the girl how to take care of the problem, they changed the sheets cleaned the young girl up and Elsie loaned Ella a nightgown. The poor girl had only one. She explained what this change meant and the horrified look in the girls eyes was enough to let Elsie know she wouldn't have I have the other talk with her anytime soon. Elsie's nightgown swallowed the girl up, but she watched the girl bury her nose into the fabric and a contented smile came across the young girls, woman's, face. She walked over kissed her forehead and tucked the girl in. She strode out of the room and down the stairs to the laundry.
She donned an apron and went to work scrubbing the stains on the gown and the sheets. A tear slipped down her face while doing the work. She didn't hear her husband walk in, and was startled when she felt a hand on her waist. He asked why she was up and she explained that their little girl (who wasn't really theirs, but oh how she wished the girl was.) had become a woman, and when she watched the realization hit him, she burst into tears.
"She won't need me anymore, Charles! She'll leave us behind and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it except let her go. Oh and I don't want to do that. You should have seen her face. It was the same terrified look when she came to is two years ago, alone and afraid. But now, now she won't need me, but I'm afraid I need her!" She sobbed into his chest.
He tried his best to soothe her, but he didn't know what to say, because he felt the same. He loved Ella like the daughter they should have had. And he remembers the sad scared little girl who had come to work because her mother had died and her father had disappeared into a bottle of alcohol shortly after. Elsie had immediately warmed to the girl, and eventually he had to.
As her tears subsided they walked up the stairs together, and went to his room. They cuddled together and thought about the impending doom of their girl leaving them. They would survive, but they both know it would be hard.
-/-/-
The next morning Elsie had a not on her desk with a pretty pink rose beside it. She read the note and a lump formed in her throat.
Mama,
Don't worry about me leaving you, because my home will always be with you.
Love,
Ella
Elsie's eyes filled with tears and she walked briskly to Charles's pantry. She closed the door behind her and launched herself into his arms. She read him the note, and saw that he had one too, saying something similar to him.
Their girl, yes she was theirs, had a kind and loving soul. Much like her surrogate parents.
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!
Much love, Samantha
