It was several years ago, when Leni was just six years old. Rita was reading a book on the couch when Leni walked in after school. She looked miserable. "Hi sweetie! What's wrong?" Asked Rita, seeing her daughter's sad face. "Some kids made fun of me because I didn't understand what the teacher was saying. Maybe I'm just too dumb to be like everyone else." She sobbed.
Rita was quick to scoop up Leni in her arms. "Oh, honey. You're not dumb. You just view life differently than most people. And that makes you very unique." Soothed Rita. "Unique?" Repeated Leni. "That means you're special. And always will be." "But, what if I can't finish school because I can't understand anything like everyone else can?" She asked. "That's why you're family is here to help you. We'll always be here to help you." Leni smiled and hugged her mom sweetly. "I love you Mommy." "I love you too Leni, no matter how smart you are, I'll always love you. I promise." And the two spent the rest of the day together, just mother and daughter.
Back in the present, Rita felt weak in her knees. She dropped the note and opened the door. "LENI!! LENI!!" Screamed Rita. Lynn Sr pulled her back inside as she cried onto his shoulder. "She's gone! She's gone and it's all my fault!" Wailed Rita. "No, it's all our faults. Lincoln was right. Leni deserved more respect than we were giving her. I feel like a failure as a father." He sighed. And the two embraced other in the middle of the living room.
Upstairs, the girls were no better. All of them were contemplating their relationship with Leni. And they all thought the same thing. They took advantage of her, lied to her, made it obvious how annoyed they got with her, it went on. But the ones who felt most ashamed were Luna, Luan, and Lori. They had hit Leni where it hurt the most and they felt absolutely terrible. But it was Lori who felt the most guilty. She remembered the time she nearly killed her out of jealousy, and the time she stole her food, and the times she'd get mad at her for simple word mispronunciation.
As for the younger sisters, they were worried about Leni and still a little terrified from Rita's outburst. "I can't believe mom would say things like that to her." Said Lana. "Her rage even scared me." Added Lucy. "I hope Lincoln finds her and brings her back. We need her." Cried Lola. "Indeed. I still need to apologize for calling her passions, barbaric." Included Lisa. "Poo Poo" said Lily. "Well, I just hope wherever she is that she's safe." Said Lucy.
Back in Huntington Oaks, Leni was still at the park. Her eyes had run out of tears and she was now sitting, thinking about what to do next. "Well, I guess I could see if there's any jobs to do in town." She thought. As she started to leave the park, she noticed a man struggling to load a box into his truck. It was very heavy. As he tried to push it in, the box pushed against him and he began to tip backwards! Just as he was about to fall when Leni pulled him forward. "You ok?" She asked. "Yeah, thanks." He said. They moved the heavy box into the back and shut the door.
"Thank you, young lady." He said gratefully. "I should've known better than to try and move that myself." "You're welcome! Always happy to help! I'm Leni!" "Nice to meet you Leni. Name's Matt. I just moved here from Oklahoma." "I'm from Royal Woods. Or, at least I used to." Sighed Leni. Matt could tell something was bothering her. "Is everything ok kiddo?" He asked. "Not really." Replied Leni. "I don't think my family likes me anymore. They got really mad at me when I accidentally broke a cake stand that belonged to my grandmother. So I decided to leave so they wouldn't have to see me anymore." She sighed.
Matt felt awful for Leni. Why anyone would hurt such a sweet girl was beyond him, but he wanted to help her. "You know, my new house has a guest room. If you want, you can stay with me until you're ready to see your family again." Matt offered. Leni thought about it. Normally, she wouldn't really think about staying in a stranger's house, but she could tell Matt was very trustworthy. "Are you sure?" She asked. "A hundred percent. But this is entirely up to you. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." Replied Matt. "Thank you. I'd be happy to stay at your house." Said Leni. "You're very welcome Leni. C'mon, I'll let you inside so you can get settled." And he led her to the house and unlocked the door. "The guest room's upstairs to the left. I gotta drop of this box to the donation center. I'll be back in a few." "Ok, thanks again." Said Leni. "You're welcome." Said Matt. And he left.
Leni made her way upstairs and opened the door to the guest room. It was roughly the same size as her bedroom back home. Leni unpacked her bag and then laid down on the bed. Truth be told, she did want to see her family again, but she just didn't know how. "I guess I really do miss them."
Stay tuned for chapter 5!