Galatea Lovett Hawkins

Kia stared down at the marble gravestone. Her eyes were distant, as she lowered herself to the ground, pulling the worn out pack of cigarettes out of her back pocket along with an old, purple, zippo lighter; her moms favorite one from dad.

Opening the top, Kia pulled out a slightly squashed cigarette, staring at it as she sat cross-legged on the ground in front of the stone under an old maple tree. It was dark outside, and she found herself squinting to see the cigarette, before she found it with the fire from the zippo lighter. Lighting it, Kia wrinkled her nose as the smell reached her nose; God how she hated that smell!

Coughing, Kia found the crack in the marble gravestone she had made a year after her moms burial, having purposly cracked it with a hammer and nail. Placing the smelling stick in the crack, she wasglad to get the smell away from her. The smoke driffted slowly from the cigarette, as Kia smiled and crawled over to the trunk of the tree near the grave, plopping down on the roots that jutted out of the ground, leaning against the trunk as she watched the cigarette burn.

Four years she had been doing this. Four years since her mothers passing from a head on collision from a drunk punk driving a large truck. Galatea, her mom, had died on impact, and her car had been slammed and flipped into a tree. She'd only been about two miles from the house. Kia could still recall seeing the smoke drift up from her smoldering car that had caught fire after her body had been pulled out by an off duty homicide detective and his partner.

The death had taken its toll on her and her father. She had gone into a state of anger, starting fights in stores and having the cops called on her more than once for disturbing the peace. But it was always the homicide detectivethat had saved her mother's body, who would pick her up; Detective Del Spoon. It went on for a year and a half before Kia had simply decided she was sick of hanging out at the police station all the time.

Her father, David Hawkins, was another reason she'd stop. She'd hated seeing the defeated and pained look on his face when he had to come and pick her up. He would never look at her directly; she looked to much like mom. That hurt and angered her to no end. She hated being home with him, having even started fights with him, just so he'd look at her!

But in the end, he'd left, moving out and leaving the house to her. "Good riddance," Kia had said when she found the note, explaining his leave, stuck in the door. She didn't want anything to do with him anymore. She was sick of him acting like he was the only one who'd been hurt by Galatea Hawkins tragic death. She hated that.

Shaking her head, Kia sighed as she looked up at the stars now shinning high in the sky above the cemetery she sat it. Star gazing was something she had picked up from one of the cops at the station; Detective Spooners partner, Sonny Lanning. He'd been a strange guy who she had found herself conversing about life with, and found that he saw nature and human behavior to be fascinating. Kia couldn't help but think that she was reminded of a child when talking to him; always curious and questioning things.

Chuckling at the memory, Kia let her gaze fall back on the cigarette, surprised that it had already burned down to the butt. Sighing, Kia pushed herself up from the tree and over to the stone, removing the now burnt and done cigarette and tossing it in a nearby placed trashcan for flower, after making sure it was completely out. Wiping her hands of its ashes, Kia turned back to her moms grave and sighed. "I miss ya, mom. Things just aint been the same since you died," She said, as a gust of wind blew her hair back. "I just wish things would change. I wish you were her to help me make the changes."

Silence was her reply, as she stuffed her hands into her army green jeans, before turning away. "Yeah... I didn't think you could help." Sighing, Kia made her way back to her waiting bike. "See ya next year, mom!" Kia exclaimed with a back wave towards her mothers grave, before throwing her leg up and over her bike. Revving the bike to life, Kia took one last look at her moms grave, before spinning out and away from the graveyard.

The night sky was full of stars now, and Kia could make out the milky way with ease., as she shot down the back rounds, the warm wind blowing through her hair and on her face. Smiling, Kia reached in her front left pocket and removed her phone. Flipping it open, she read that the time was almost two in the morning, and she had a missed call.

Raising a brow, Kia pressed down on a few buttons, before finding out whose call she missed. She rolled her eyes and smiled a true smile for the first time today. "Man... She''s gonna be pissed," she laughed, as she stuffed the phone back in her pocket. "I did kind of leave work without saying anything."

Shooting off the gravel back roads and onto the main road that would lead her home, Kia was so glad ta get home, that she almost didn't see the small blurr of fur that shot from the house next door to hers. Skidding to a halt, Kia cursed as her bike slid into the curve in front of her house, knocking over her trashcans!

A small bark was heard, as Kia sat her bike back up and let out a huff of annoyance and frustration at the small ball of fur that looked up at her with a tilted head and a happy wagging tail. "God dammit, you little shit! Come here!" Lunging forward, Kia grabbed the ball of fur by the scruff of its neck and lifted it up eye level.

A happy bark and a wet tongue to the face was all she got as she glared at the small, four legged, Schipperke dog. The small dog barked happily as Kia continued to glare at it. "Skipper! I swear, one of these days I'm gonna run yer ass over!" Continuing to hold the dog by the scruff of its neck, Kia stomped across her yard and over to the metal fence that separated her yard from the neighbors.

With the dog still in one hand, Kia hefted herself and Skipper over the fence, landing on her booted feet, before stomping towards the house's front door. Shifting her hold on the dog, Kia knocked three times on the white door of the dark, brick, house before pushing the door bell.

She was meet with silence for awhile, before she heard something, or someone fall upstairs, before the sound of feet was heard running down steps. Sighing, Kia tapped her foot impatiently, as the door suddenly flew open and the porch light came on. Kia squinted through the bright light shinning down on her, having already adjusted to the dark.

"Skipper?! How did you get outside?!" After finally being able to see through the blinding light, Kia found herself staring at a sixteen year old girl with strawberry blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and slightly tan skin. She was dressed in a dark pink pajama pants and a light pink top with a picture of a smiling, cartoonish, dogs face on it.

"I believe this is yers, Timmons," Kia said flatly, amused by the girls nightly attire. "I almost ran him over...Again!" Her voice raised in pitch in volume, as she the younger girl opened the door wider, allowing Kia to drop the dog into her waiting arms. "Oh... Sorry, Kia! He must of gotten out through the back doggy door. I thought I locked that!" The last part was whispered to herself, though Kia caught it.

Grunting, Kia shook her head, waving the girls apology off. She was tired and not in the mood to reprimand the girl, who looked like she hadn't even gone to bed yet. "Forget it, Erin. Just try to keep that dog off the road! Otherwise its gonna become a road pancake!" Kia turned, stuffing her hands back into her front pockets.

"Bye! Thanks for bringing Skipper home!" Erin yelled back to Kia, who simply continued her way back to her house. She was, again, to tired to comment or care.

R& R Please ^.^