Infinite

Baby Girl

𝄆 ♫♪ 𝄇
You can dream and you can chase
You can pray and you can make
Everything come true
And I want you to know
That you're the best thing
In my whole world
And you're my baby girl
𝄆 ♫♪ 𝄇

"Mari, I thought I said you could drive to drop off Sofia. Not spend time at a friend's house for over two hours. You ungrateful brat." Mari was preparing for the worst, but she realized she didn't know what the worst was. "Get out of my face. I'll decide your punishment before you have to get Sofia. I can't believe I kept you around this long." Mari was shattered inside. No idea what to do next or how to keep the tears back once the door shut behind her.

Instead of thinking about what kind of punishment she would receive, she started to think about happy memories from back when her father was still alive.

"Daddy, higher! Higher!" Mari felt like she could conquer anything that day. She was the queen of the world, flying high above the clouds and knew that her father would always be right beside her. Her brown curls were up in two pigtails, a yellow dress billowing out to the side as she swung higher and higher.

At only two and a half, she was bright and full of energy, even with the loss of her mother only months before. Sometimes, she couldn't control her feelings, but for a moment—just that single moment—Marietta forgot about every problem that had surfaced in her couple years of life. But, while she was still on that swing, it didn't exist.

"Mare, I don't think you can go much higher." Her father loved that she could finally put a smile on her face, because he thought he'd forgotten what it looked like. "Plus, we need to go back home to have dinner." Mari remembered having alfredo that night. Her favorite meal of all time, but it had to be made by her father. No one else could do it the same. Even now, she still missed that taste, and it was never the same, no matter how many times she tried to replicate it.

"I'm ready to go home now." Mari slowed down almost immediately and begged him to take her home. "Come on, daddy!" She pulled her father towards the house.

Mari also remembered that day as being the day she found out that her father had been dating someone. A very special someone, he had said, who will become her new mommy. She screamed until her lungs gave out, cried mournful tears until she couldn't anymore. She couldn't believe that her father wanted to replace her mother, and she was so angry at him for days. Until she met Laura for the first time and liked her. Laura simply brought a bag of candy, which was the way to her heart back then, and it still was now.

Another memory that had made its way into her mind was from just before her father's diagnosis. At the time, he'd been having trouble keeping his balance and, on occasion, he would stutter or forget a word, but they didn't know why.

"My little Mare, come here. Come sit on my lap." Marietta's father patted his lap, but what she didn't notice was that his hands shook a little as he did so. "I want to show you a song. The lyrics are right there; just sing along." She looked at the paper, reading the words on it and smiling.

"Are those for me, dad?" She asked. In her seven short years of life, she'd learned what loss, love, and family meant, far more than anyone else her age.

"Yes, they are. This song is for you, Mare." Mari listened as her father played the guitar, allowing the notes to fill her ears and her lips to form a smile. Her immature, soprano voice didn't hit most of the notes her father was singing, not the first time, but she matched plenty in the second.

"Daddy, can you sing that song to me everyday?" Mari asked, looking back at her father. He coughed, just like he had for a few months, but she didn't think any more of it.

For years, Mari had looked back on her memories with her father, which had filled her childhood with happiness and love, though, now, it was more of a source of comfort. When she felt alone, those always brought a smile to her face. After whatever Laura dished out as an "adequate" punishment, she wasn't sure much would bring her joy. She'd be lucky if she was still in the music program.

"Marietta, come downstairs now." Mari flinched at her full name, but wiped her tears and walked downstairs nonetheless. Standing, with her arms crossed and a frown on her face, was Laura. Her pantsuit only made her look more intimidating. "I've decided what your punishment is."

Mari didn't dare to say a word. Nothing could make the situation better, but plenty could make it worse. By the time she had gotten ready mentally to hear what Laura was going to say, she'd already said it.

"Did you even hear anything I just said? Ungrateful brat." Laura nearly went to hit the young girl, before a flash of realization ran through her and she stopped. "Leave this house now." Of everything Mari expected, she wasn't expecting that. "Don't come back until Monday. Maybe that will teach you to respect me in my household." It was already Friday, but it still meant that she had to last a few days alone. "If you're not gone in an hour, I'll throw you out myself." Mari gulped, frozen with fear. Laura's heels clicked on the wooden floor, pulling Mari back into reality and out of her shock. One hour.

"Mari! Hey, I brought some old CDs with me, do you want to listen?" Reggie poofed in Mari's room just as she opened the door.

"Not right now." Mari whispered, grabbing a suitcase.

"Wait, what's going on?" Reggie saw the suitcase and didn't know what was going on. "Wait, are we going to a sleepover? Yes! I've never been to a sleepover. Except for when we all lived at Bobby's, but that doesn't really count, you know? Can I come?"

"No." Mari didn't want to talk in case Laura decided to extend her punishment. Instead, she grabbed a few changes of clothes and everything she'd need to survive a few days on her own. And typed out a response on her phone explaining it to Reggie. He didn't know what it was like to have a parent hate him, but it didn't mean he cared any less about her.

"Mari, why don't you go to Julie's? I'm sure she'd let you stay there for a couple days." Reggie suggested. Mari didn't want to, but she felt as though she didn't have any other options. "Maybe Luke can convince yo—"

"I'll call her. Promise. I just need to get out of here." Reggie understood and laid on her bed, waiting for her to finish packing.

"Do you want me to play one of those songs I brought with me?" Mari just shook her head, feeling a tightening in her chest she knew was the beginning of another round of tears. "Okay, I have to be honest, I'm not good with criers. Just ask Alex." That made her laugh, even though she didn't know the whole story behind it.

That one joke managed to get her through the rest of packing up and she headed out the front door with twelve minutes left on Laura's timer.

"So, can you talk to me now? Oh, and thanks for carrying those CDs. How are we getting to Julie's?" Reggie made her laugh again as she walked to the entrance of her neighborhood.

"I'm getting a cab, then calling Julie. We can talk when I get there. You can poof out if you like. I'll be fine." Mari didn't want him to feel like he had to be there, but Reggie didn't want to let her out of his sight.

"I don't mind." She smiled, and hailed a cab and gave the driver Julie's address. Mari knew she had to call Julie before she showed up. "Hey, Jules..."

"Mari? What's up?" Julie seemed surprised to hear Mari call, just because she always texted before calling. This time was different, Julie jut didn't know how.

"I— Laura kicked me out for a couple days. Can— can I stay with you?" Mari could barely keep her breath in, her sobs tucked inside.

"Mari, of course. I'm so sorry that happened. If you ever, ever need to crash someplace, my house is always open. We're best friends for life. Nothing can change that." Julie promised. They'd fought and given each other the silent treatment, but nothing would ever change their promise to each other to always be by each other's side. Especially when it got hard.

Author's Note: Well, that didn't go as planned. And now Mari is kicked out of her childhood home! She should've known better (going to Carrie's was not the most inspired idea), but Laura was a tad bit harsh. Nothing she can do about it now. Anyways, vote and let me know what you think in the comments. All the best, MistyRider921