I just couldn't help it, I had to write a chapter of this story that wasn't in the slightest depressing. This is how I imagine life before Sara's dad started drinking.

After a while, though, though, Laura couldn't help it; she had to laugh. Normally she would have gotten mad, but this time she just couldn't. Sara looked far too cute smiling happily covered in John's shaving cream. "C'mon, sweetie, let's get you cleaned up."

10 hours earlier-

"Laura, I'm going on a business trip, you gonna be okay with Sa-Sa?"

"Of course, John, you've left me here before… anyway, how much trouble could a two year old be?"

"Alright- I'll be leaving now- Sa-Sa, give Daddy a kiss, kay?"

Sara gave John a huge, sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Bye-bye, Daddy! Wuvu!"

"I love you too, my angel."

As John walked out the door, Laura yawned. "Sara, my baby, what do say about going back to bed?"

"Sleepy, Mommy."

"I'll take that as a yes, stupid Daddy for getting us up at 6 a.m."

"Stupid Daddy."

Laura chuckled at the little girl's antics while smoothing back her silky brown hair.

"Okay, just don't tell him we said that, okay?"
"Otay."

After putting Sara into her toddler bed, Laura was finally able to sleep for a few more hours, though Sara still managed to jump on her at 8:30.

"MOMMY, MOMMY!!! WAKEY!!"

"Saraaa," Laura groaned. "Five more minutes?"

"FIIINE," Sara tossed her hair back like she was a conceited teenager. "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE! WAKEY!!!"

Laura finally managed to drag herself out of bed. But once she was up, she scooped the giggling toddler into her arms and tickled her like she'd never been tickled before. Sara shrieked with laughter. "MOOOOMMMMYYYYY!!!! STTTOOOOPPP!!!"

"C'mon, let's go get some breakfast."

And after a good breakfast of milk and some burnt yogurt (John was the cook of the family), both Sidle women were ready to start their day.

"So, Sara my angel, what shall we do today?"

"Park… no, sandbox… no, PLAYGROUND!!!"

"Alright, playground it is. However, first we need to get you cleaned up." Laura responded, surveying the damage. Face and hair covered in yogurt, and hands completely coated in an unidentifiable substance. After cleaning Sara up, the time was almost 9:30. "Okay, let's get going."

"Otay… can I bring Gert?"

"No, Sara, Gert is a living kitty, Gert wouldn't enjoy the playground."

"Not THAT Gert, stuffied Gert!"

"Yes, you can bring your stuffed kitty, but if he gets dirty, then you can't get upset!"

"No cry. Otay. GEEERRTTT!!! WHERE ARE YOU???"

Finally, they were off. But after watching Sara happily play at the elementary school playground for a couple hours, Laura had enough. "Sara, dear!"

Sara immediately ran over, and jumped into her lap. "Momma?"

"You hungry? Tired? Bored? Anything?" Laura was hopeful.

"Juice?"

"I'll take that, let's go home for lunch, kay? It's almost noon."

"Otay."

However, halfway home, Sara remembered a very important member of the family.

"GEEERRRTTT!!! MOMMYYY I FORGETS GERT!!!!"

And after retrieving a dirty and bruised stuffed cat, Laura was more than ready for a nap… unfortunately, Sara wasn't.

"What for lunch?"

Finally, lunch was finished… nice peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Luckily, after that Sara was ready for a nap. So Laura put her down and immediately fell onto her own bed. Closing her eyes, she readily welcomed the sleep that overcame her.

Suddenly, Laura awoke with the noises "Uh-oh…"

She felt her stomach sinking. NOTHING good ever came out of and 'Uh-oh'. "Sara?"

Laura walked into her daughter's bathroom. She gasped at the site. After a while, though, though, Laura couldn't help it; she had to laugh. Normally she would have gotten mad, but this time she just couldn't; Sara looked far too cute smiling happily covered in John's shaving cream. "C'mon, sweetie, let's get you cleaned up."

Laura surveyed the scene. After a lot of though, she just took the empty can, stripped Sara down to nothing, and drew a bath. At least she could skip this part of tonight. Although, after soap in her eyes, hair, and water flooding the bathroom, Laura wished that she could have just skipped a bath altogether.

Finally, when Sara was perfectly clean, in her jammies, smelling like a baby, and full of take out pizza, Laura put her to bed, and watched TV for an hour.

And after laying down at 8:30, Laura smiled. One day down. But then she nearly started crying… six days left. "JOOOHHHNN!"

Well, I personally found this chapter cute… and it was incredibly fun to write. Anyway, please review!