Chapter 16
Perfect Little Angel
Miss Colorado State was crowned yesterday evening with that familiar sparking tiara and beautiful flowers, but everyone's eyes were on Miss Unincorporated Area #579. Tracy Beringer's surprising revelation during the question and answer portion of the contest not only captured the attention of the judges but those watching the pageant too. Her heartfelt honesty about joining the competition despite being an unwed mother, and that it did not justify the lie was a breath of fresh air amongst the standard bland answers from the contestants. By admitting that nothing is perfect made her shine brighter than any jeweled crown. Congratulations, Miss Beringer, no one deserves the title of Nick's Mother more than you.
Mr. Cummings barely managed to grip the newspaper in his hands. "Honey, come here! You have to see this!"
His wife ran in, frantic at his tone. Her husband hadn't been this agitated ever since, well since their daughter ran away.
He pointed a shaking finger at the picture of the woman in the paper.
Mrs. Cummings gasped.
Sarah, her Sarah, beautifully dressed in red with an angelic boy beside her. It had been seven years but a mother never forgot her child's face. Her baby had a baby of her own, one in need of heart surgery. When did Sarah get pregnant? Based on Nick's age it must have been around the time when she ran away from home.
Oh her headstrong girl!
Sarah had always been independent, stubbornly so. She would rather bear her problems in secret rather than ask for help. Such a mindset must have led her to run away from home at sixteen. Her idiotic high school boyfriend, who must have been the father of her child, was certainly of no use, but why couldn't she have turned to them, her mother and father?
Miracle of miracles there was an address listed in the paper to write to her.
We miss you. We've looked everywhere for you. Please come home.
Three days later the phone call they've been waiting seven years for finally came.
"Mom?"
I personally think this chapter was just a rehash of the episode and not really much detail. The premise for this episode was a little ridiculous. What parent leaves their 10 year old kid all alone in an apartment all day? He should have been in school and the pageant was a little too cutesy for me.