Chapter 3

Short but sweet

Mama

"Morning baby." Nathan smiled and kissed his wife, as he came into the kitchen for breakfast. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" He asked, as she handed him a plate of bacon and eggs.

"Everyday, but it wouldn't hurt just once more." She smiled, and winked at him. "How you feeling?" She asked, glancing over to the door, making sure that none of the kids were coming in.

Nathan let out a long sigh and put his plate on the dining table. "I guess I just have to get used to it." He surmised. "I mean, she's my little girl, but...well I'm going to be a gandpa. It's a catch 22."

"I know." Haley rubbed his shoulders softly. "Things are gonna have to change." She said quickly, seeing that their youngest daughter, Lydia, was toddling into the kitchen.

"Hey baby, did you have a good sleep?" Haley kissed her three year old lightly on the head. The little girl nodded sleepily, and climbed up beside her daddy.

"Yo, Dad!" Andy came bursting into the room. "Can I go to practice tonight?"

"Your mother already told you, no." Nathan responded. "You didn't maintain your B in math and that was our agreement to you playing."

"But-"

"And you definitely wouldn't be going after asking your father, when I already said no." Haley insisted. "Eat up."

A few minutes past, of the family just eating in silence, when Haley heard shuffling from upstairs. "I guess Libby's up." She said quietly. "School run in twenty, I'll be back in a minute." She stood up and made her way upstairs.

"Mom!" Libby smiled as she saw Haley coming along the corridor. "Guess what? I think I found your mama." Haley closed her eyes and looked down. "What is it?"

"Lib, I...I don't think my mom is what you should be worried about right now." Haley said softly. "I wanted to check how you were doing after your talk with Duke."

Libby shifted awkwardly. "He's a jerk." She mumbled. "I gotta go shower for school."

After Nathan had gone to work, and Haley had dropped the kids at school and daycare, she went straight home. She had no idea what to think right now. On the one hand, she really wanted to find her mama, but on the other, they have so much going on right now, it would just be another added stress.

But then...what harm would it do to just look? Right?

She loaded up her laptop and looked Leland, for the small town she grew up in. It was only a twenty minute drive from her house now...it just seemed a world away.

Half an hour later, and Haley was in her car. She didn't quite understand it, but she had to go back. She had to see if her momma was still there, undoubtedly not, but it was worth a shot.

She parked the car on the edge of the street, and looked at the rows of shacks. The one on the very end was hers. It looked empty now, but she could still see her old bike in the garden. Her daddy brought it home one night, when she was about 8. It was missing the front tyre and brakes, but he was determined to fix it up for her. He never did.

Every so gently, she saw it. A slight gasp escaped her, and she felt her eyes welling up. A curtain twitch. Her momma always used to curtain twitch, in case the people in cars were debt collectors.

Could she see her? Is that why she was curtain twitching. She took a few deep breaths, and stepped out of the car. She had to do it...

Walking slowly, she made her way to the door of the shack. She took the deepest of breaths, and shakily knocked on. Once, twice, then three times quickly. Their special knock. The one that only family used, so they knew that they were safe to open the door.

A face came to the window, Haley saw the curtain twitch again.

Within seconds, the same face was peering through the letter box. "Who are you?"

Haley began to shake and cry, with her next breath. Her mamma's voice was so raspy. So old.

"I'm...I'm Haley." She managed to choke out, before a tumbling noise came from behind the door. A scramble. A fiddle around...and the door was open. She was staring at her. Looking right into her mothers eyes. "Mamma..." She whispered softly.

"My little girl." The elder woman said, as softly as she could. "You shouldn't be here." She quickly stepped outside the shack and closed the door. "You should go."

"But mama..."

"It's too dangerous."

"Come with me..." Haley begged. "Come with me...please."