A heart full of stars

chapter 1- Congratulations!

 "Lilly! "Get your a$$ down here." Lilly's mother stated, "Lily got up from her bed, groggy but with a little sense of anticipation." Perhaps her mother would not slap her or her father today. Every day, if she or her father did something her mother didn't like, she was sure to get hit, but maybe this time would be different.Lilly was well aware that if she did something wrong, she would be punished, but the hope that things might be different this time lingered in her heart. Lilly went down the stairs, expecting to be met with harsh words or even a slap. Her mom had her arms crossed in front of her chest and a stern look on her face. "Here," she said, flinging a letter at Lilly's feet. Lilly picked up the letter. She opened the envelope and read the words written on it: "Congratulations, you have been accepted to Light Valley University!" Lilly ran up the stairs, starting to cry. Her mother was mad; she never went to her dream university; she was full of envy. As Lilly ran up the stairs, she started to hear her mother and father arguing in the kitchen. Her father was happy, but her mother was mad because she wanted to attend the university. Lilly felt guilty and responsible for the fight between her parents. As Lilly was going to go back to her room, she heard a slap; her mother had slapped her father across the face. Lilly was horrified, but despite her shock, she rushed down the stairs and tried to intervene. She begged her mother to stop, but she would listen to her. Her mother picked up a wine glass and threw it at her, leaving her with her forehead bleeding. Her father was frozen in fear. Lilly had never seen her mother act this violently, even if she would get hit occasionally when her mother was in a drunken rage. Lilly stood up and walked to her room in shock, unable to run as her head bled. As she walked away, Lilly silently promised herself that this would be the last time she would witness or experience such a scene. Her father remained motionless, a broken shell of the man she once knew. Lilly walked slowly and with a heavy heart, tears streaming down her face as she closed the door to her room. With the door closed, Lilly finally felt safe enough to allow herself to truly process what had just happened. Lilly's parents had always had a tumultuous relationship, but Lilly had never seen her mother act so violently towards her father. She thought about the cycle of violence, abuse, and hurt that had been occurring for years in her own home, and Lilly was consumed with guilt for not doing something sooner to try and stop it. Later that night, as Lilly lay in bed with a thick blanket over her forehead, she heard a knock on her door. It was her mother. Lilly's mother had finally mustered up the courage to apologize for her actions earlier that evening. Lilly was upset by this.