raising hope | s.m

♡One♡

Maya

"Shh, Hope, mommy has to go to work now," I whisper into the small child's light head of hair. "But Katie's coming over to watch you." She gurgles and I smile. I lay her in her crib and look around the small room. The dark gray walls contrast with the light pink rug and white crip. I hand her the pink plush elephant and pick her toys up off of the floor. I close her curtains allowing only a crevice of light to see by. I bend over the side of her crib and place a tender kiss on her soft head. I walk out of the room and slightly shut the door. I hear my front door open and I see Katie walk in. "Thank you so much for watching her Kate, this means a lot?"

"It's no problem, I love Hope." She has rust-red hair and freckles dotting her cheeks. She's a young sixteen-year-old girl who has all A's in school and is a great role-model for Hope. She's short and thin and pale. She's homeschooled so she comes when she wants to see Hope.

"I'll be home by five, again thank you so much."

"Not a problem, Maya!" I walk towards the door and turn to see her walking towards Hope's room. I smile to myself and close the door behind me.

The cold air nips at my bare tan skin and I pull my ash blonde hair up into a messy bun. I trudge down the steps of the apartment and out to my 2013 Toyota Camry. I click the unlock button earning a small click of the doors. I pull open the driver's side door and climb in. I plug the keys into the ignition and let the car warm up. Soon heat is surrounding me and I pull out of the parking lot of the apartment. I turn on the radio and music streams through the speakers.

I arrive at the bar I work at and pull into the parking lot. I take out the keys and pop open my car door. I climb out and walk into the bar, it's heating welcoming me like a warm hug.

"Maya! You're late!" My boss, Drew, yells, his voice loud a shrill. He's round and in his mid-forties.

"Yeah, I know. It's not like you have an eighteen-month-old at home to take care of." I mumble the last part so no one can hear. I put on the navy blue apron with the gold embroidery of the bar's name 'Sonny's Chance.' I roll my ocean blue eyes as I put the strip of fabric around my neck and tie the apron in the back. My fingers graze the golden elephant charm on my neck and I clutch it in my hands.

"We open in five! Get to work!" I walk behind the bar and wipe down the smooth marble counters. The bar is basic. You have the bar that stretches over about half of the wall. The door to the kitchen is behind me people coming in and out. Drew walks over to the door and flips the sign from 'Sorry, we're Closed' to 'Now Open!' Soon, men and women alike come in to get drunk.

It's a blur of shots of Vodka to Beer. I can't count all of the times guys have winked at me or called me 'sexy' or 'a piece of meat.' I serve a group of guys five beers and they all whistle at me. My eyes roll for the second time today.

"What are you doing after work?" One with a very northern accent asks.

"Going home," I say flatly. He opens his chapped lips to say something but I roll my eyes and walk briskly by him. There's a guy sitting alone on the side of the bar tracing his finger on the rim of an untouched shot glass. I walk over to him and he looks up at me. He looks like he just stepped out of a Calvin Klien magazine. His skin is tan like most peoples who live in Califonia. He has dark golden brown hair and eyes like pools of chocolate. His jawline is strong and defined. "What are you doing here alone?"

"Looking like a loner," he smiles, showing off his straight white teeth. There's a scar on his cheek.

"You going to drink that?" I ask, staring down at the glass with a small smirk. He looks baffled at first, then follows my gaze down to the glass.

"Oh! No, I'm not big on drinking, some girl bought it for me."

"Who?" I question, leaning in on my elbows. He gestures over his shoulder to a bleach blonde with little to no clothes on and caked-on make-up. She's biting her lip and staring at him. "Oh, Amanda, yeah, she's in here every week. She usually gets a margarita and always 'demands' that I put three ounces in it instead of two or she'll tell my boss. Flirts with every guy. Goes home with a new one every week."

"Don't worry I won't fall into her evil grasps. Do you ever put in the extra ounce?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have a job. She doesn't know what goes on behind the counter, she doesn't need too." I giggle and he stares at me with such wonder.

"What?" I ask, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks. I wet a rag and begin cleaning the cup trying to avoid eye contact.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"You're joking, right?" I look up at him.

"No."

"Well, I've been called many things but never beautiful."

"Well, that's a damn shame," he says.

"You don't even know my name, so you shouldn't be calling me beautiful," I admit.

"Whatever, you say. . ." he looks at the name tag on my hip. "Maya."

"Fair enough, what's your name?"

"Shawn."

"Well, Shawn, I think you could get most girls," I say.

"Are you saying you're into me?" He pokes.

"No, it's just. . . you're aesthetically pleasing, I guess." The heat rushes to my cheeks.

"I'm not going to have to pay for that am I?" He questions. Shaking my head, I set the cup to the side.

"Hey! Waiter girl, come here!" A northern accent shouts from behind me. I clench my jaw and groan as reality hits me. There are men in this world who are sex hungry, then there are guys like Shawn, but everyone has flaws. It has to be too good to be true. Just like Aiden was. Who knew a man would kill someone with his bare hands?

"Duty calls," I groan. I turn and he grabs my hand. He slips something between my fingers and palm.

"I had a great time tonight," he says.

"Me too." He lets go of my hand and I walk over to the group of guys. Shawn walks over and grabs the guys upper arm.

"That 'waiter girl' has a name, so be a man and call her by it." I feel the heat flood to my cheeks. The man rips his arm out of his grip. Shawn shakes his head, ashamed, and exits the building.

♡ ♡ ♡

"Kate, I'm home," I say, softly. I see Katie's emerald eyes poke out from the corner. "How was she?"

"She was an angel, as always," she says smiling showing off her braces.

"Thank you, again, for watching her." I dig in my purse for her money. I hand her the two twenties and she thanks me before skipping out the door. I walk back into Hope's room and see her sound asleep with her elephant nuzzled between her arms and cheek. I walk over to her crib and sit on the gray stool. I stare at my baby girl through the bars. She looks like an angle. "There are two types of guys in this world, Hope. The guys you'll run into every day then there are those very rare guys you want to hold onto. We'll call them princes. You are my princess and you deserve every prince in the world, my Hope." I stand up and kiss her forehead lightly before pulling away. "Goodnight, my love."