raising hope | s.m

♡Two♡

Maya

I wake up to Hope's shrill screams filling the small apartment. I groan and throw the warm covers off of me. My feet swing off of the side of the bed and come in contact with the hardwood flooring. My eyes find the clock. 1 in the morning. I push off of the bed and walk into Hope's room.

"Shh, Hope, what's wrong?" I coo in a soft voice. I lift her small body up out of the crip and cradle her in my arms. I walk around the small room bouncing her while humming a song. Her cries slowly subside as she falls back asleep in my arms. I kiss her forehead and place her gently back in the crib. I release a shaky breath before walking back to my room.

♡ ♡ ♡

When I wake up in the morning I hear Hope gurgling in the other room. When I walk in her small hands are gripping the side of the crib and she's bouncing up and down. I smile as she flashes me a single-toothed smile. I pick her up and lay her on her changing table. I change her diaper while mumbling some song I heard on the radio. She clasps her hands together in a makeshift clap.

"She tells him 'your life ain't gonna be nothing like my life, You're gonna grow and have a good life, I'm gonna do what I've got to do'," I sing. She gurgles and I smile sadly at her. She will have a better life than I do. She will grow to be a better person and not get pregnant by a guy who goes and kills someone then, get's thrown in jail. "I won't let you have my life."

"Maya, I'm here!" Kate's voice rings through the house. Hope laughs at nothing.

"We're in Hope's room." She pokes her head in and smiles. Hope claps and reaches out to her.

"There she is!" Kate coos. I smile and hand her over. My phone goes off and I look at the time. 

"I have to go, once again thank you so much!" Grabbing my jacket, I kiss Hope on the forehead and walk out the door. I slide my jacket on to my arms, protecting me from the chilly California air. As I'm zipping up my jacket I bump into something. Before I hit the ground an arm grabs my waist and keeps me steady. I look up and meet a pair of chocolate brown eyes.

"Maya, right?" he asks. 

"Yeah, Shawn, right?" I smile. He smiles back and nods. Then I realize his hand is still around my waist and heat floods my cheeks.

"I didn't know you lived here," he says removing his hand.

"Yeah, I live in 6A, you live here?"

"Yeah, apartment 7A actually." I stare at him baffled.

"How have I not seen you before?"

"I just moved here from Canada last week." I nod understandingly. My phone goes off and reality hits me.

"I have to go but I'll catch you later," I say. He nods and says goodbye. As I walk down the metal stairs, I find myself biting my lip and smiling. I climb into my car and plug the keys in the ignition. The car purrs to life and I pull out of the parking lot of my apartment building.

♡♡♡

I pull into the parking spot closest to the entrance of the bar and get out. When I open the door, my boss is standing there redder than a beat.

"Maya, you're late, again," he scolds.

"I-I'm sorry, it won't happen again," I say.

"Now, where have I heard that before?" he says sarcastically.

"I have a one-year-old at home to take care of. I can't leave until her sitter is there."

"I have four kids and an alcoholic wife and you don't see me crying," he snaps.