Holding Hands
Only the tapping of her keyboard and the tick of the clock kept her company. Although, the second hand was beginning to drag, a sign that she would need to buy more batteries. Not that the school budget could allow itself to stretch for mere batteries anymore.
Antechamber door swinging open, its crash against the wall signalled the end of her working day. She looked up to see a breathless girl standing in the doorway, trying to catch her breath as she hoisted her bag further up her shoulder. Hair slipping from her plaits, she flashed a toothy smile, one missing on the top row.
"Mommy, it's home time!" she cried.
Her dark brown eyes were questioning, as if they hadn't done this before. As if Rachel was sure to forget the next day too.
"Oh, so it is," she chuckled, closing her laptop. "And let me guess, your father is waiting in the car?"
"Yes, he is! And he said if I'm good, I can play on my new game."
Rachel hummed in response, wondering when that agreement was made. Yet, Ellie was always one to finish her homework and chores. That child was too good to be true.
They left the office together, Rachel wincing when she saw the way Ellie bounded down the stairs, the rubber of her shoes squeaking against the varnish. "Eleanor, be careful!"
"Yes, Mommy…"
She waited for her mother, hand raised as she came closer. Rachel took her hand without question, enjoying how small it was in comparison. That shimmering green that she had painted on her nails, already flaking and ruined. She supposed there was always time for a video game. Ellie certainly had her mother's intellect, but she seemed to have inherited Eddie's goofy nature. Rachel wouldn't change that for anything.