"Hey, sweetheart," he calls out, joy included, to his daughter. She races
toward him, her beautiful young grin against pale skin. Jumping into his
arms, he sighs into her shoulder, thoroughly happy to see her. She pulls
away excitedly.
"These are for you."
Into his palm is placed a pair of flight wings, ordinary toys from pilots and flight attendants. Amused, he chuckles to his daughter's delighted expression.
"Thank you," he says, gingerly planting a fair kiss on her cheek and scooping her up, off of the ground.
"My bag," she giggles.
As he spots Jen coming toward the pair, slowing her pace, he gathers the bag over his shoulder and starts toward her.
"Thanks for doing this, Mark -"
"Yeah, well I don't get to see her much."
Jen can only nod stubbornly, searching her surroundings as if she's uncomfortable this instant. "I've reserved a cab outside, so I've got to go."
He nods. He knows her inside and out. He knows her stories.
"So, I'll see you later."
"Say good-bye to Mommy, Rach."
An innocent child turns around from her position in her father's cautious grasp. "Bye, Mom."
A mother can only smile stiffly, squeeze toes playfully, then whip around to catch her ride somewhere out there.
He watches her ride away into her own world, fully aware of lies she's told. Thoughts rush back into his head, and are yanked away by his daughter tugging at his shirt.
"Well," he breathes, "what do you say?"
"What do you say?" she repeats comically, kidding as she pulls her face close to his.
"Ice cream?"
--
"How about peas, Susie?"
The baby continues to wail, her fists hitting the tray of the highchair with their own infant frustration. Her face is read now, eyes tearing madly. She does everything she can to wriggle out of the seat she's strapped into, but nothing seems to work.
She looks up at her aunt, exhaustedly awaiting her approval of anything.
Snapping her head to the side to avoid a spoon coming closer to her, she screams. Her mother isn't anywhere in sight. Her mother is somewhere, and nowhere.
Two small palms slap the surface again, spattered with the remains of so many failed attempts to feed her. The blonde woman in front of her still shows her raw determined frown through everything, behind her sagging cheeks and her fading winsome everyone grew to know.
Something's ruining her.
"Bananas, Susie?" She coughs into her sleeve, careful around a baby. "Honey, you've got to eat."
This baby twists her fingers in the air, above her head, ceasing her crying. She knows what bananas are.
Her eyes fix on the spoon full of the yellow craft, and it slips into her mouth. She beams in the taste, and her aide sighs.
"Oh, thank you, honey," she says. "Thank you so much."
Peace seems it could reign forever. A baby in a world all her own, enjoying a cheap breakfast. And a woman who has finally found small relief.
Another woman steps from the corner.
This figure is battered, a plaid shirt hung lazily around her thin frame. Auburn hair falls around her eyes, giving the presence of a terror. The baby doesn't stir.
"Good morning, Chloe," Susan says sarcastically.
Neither say anything now. Susan continues to gently feed the being in front of her with smiles and sweet coos, while Chloe searches the cupboard for something herself.
It's beginning to rain outside.
"These are for you."
Into his palm is placed a pair of flight wings, ordinary toys from pilots and flight attendants. Amused, he chuckles to his daughter's delighted expression.
"Thank you," he says, gingerly planting a fair kiss on her cheek and scooping her up, off of the ground.
"My bag," she giggles.
As he spots Jen coming toward the pair, slowing her pace, he gathers the bag over his shoulder and starts toward her.
"Thanks for doing this, Mark -"
"Yeah, well I don't get to see her much."
Jen can only nod stubbornly, searching her surroundings as if she's uncomfortable this instant. "I've reserved a cab outside, so I've got to go."
He nods. He knows her inside and out. He knows her stories.
"So, I'll see you later."
"Say good-bye to Mommy, Rach."
An innocent child turns around from her position in her father's cautious grasp. "Bye, Mom."
A mother can only smile stiffly, squeeze toes playfully, then whip around to catch her ride somewhere out there.
He watches her ride away into her own world, fully aware of lies she's told. Thoughts rush back into his head, and are yanked away by his daughter tugging at his shirt.
"Well," he breathes, "what do you say?"
"What do you say?" she repeats comically, kidding as she pulls her face close to his.
"Ice cream?"
--
"How about peas, Susie?"
The baby continues to wail, her fists hitting the tray of the highchair with their own infant frustration. Her face is read now, eyes tearing madly. She does everything she can to wriggle out of the seat she's strapped into, but nothing seems to work.
She looks up at her aunt, exhaustedly awaiting her approval of anything.
Snapping her head to the side to avoid a spoon coming closer to her, she screams. Her mother isn't anywhere in sight. Her mother is somewhere, and nowhere.
Two small palms slap the surface again, spattered with the remains of so many failed attempts to feed her. The blonde woman in front of her still shows her raw determined frown through everything, behind her sagging cheeks and her fading winsome everyone grew to know.
Something's ruining her.
"Bananas, Susie?" She coughs into her sleeve, careful around a baby. "Honey, you've got to eat."
This baby twists her fingers in the air, above her head, ceasing her crying. She knows what bananas are.
Her eyes fix on the spoon full of the yellow craft, and it slips into her mouth. She beams in the taste, and her aide sighs.
"Oh, thank you, honey," she says. "Thank you so much."
Peace seems it could reign forever. A baby in a world all her own, enjoying a cheap breakfast. And a woman who has finally found small relief.
Another woman steps from the corner.
This figure is battered, a plaid shirt hung lazily around her thin frame. Auburn hair falls around her eyes, giving the presence of a terror. The baby doesn't stir.
"Good morning, Chloe," Susan says sarcastically.
Neither say anything now. Susan continues to gently feed the being in front of her with smiles and sweet coos, while Chloe searches the cupboard for something herself.
It's beginning to rain outside.