Short Stories/One-shots

A Butterfly - Emily

Shock is written all over her face, and as the expression fades, tears begin to run down her cheeks. A sob racks her chest as she brings her daughter in her chest. 

"H-he..." Emily clings to her mother's shirt, trying to understand what her mother felt. She could always make her mother smile, but her mother couldn't smile right now. And somehow, she understood that, and hugs her tightly as possible.  

~*~*~*~* 3 *~*~*~*~ 

Emily giggles as she continues to place cookie cutters in the brownish dough. The upside reindeer cut-out had no say in where it was going this year. 

Her mother smiles, glad her daughter is so happy.

"Can you believe it mommy?" Emily throws her hands up in the air, the flour from her hands acting as snow. She laughs, "Christmas and Santa are almost here!" She spins around on the marble floor as the flour falls onto her. 

Her mother smiles, "Don't make too much of a big mess, or we'll have lots of cleaning do to afterwards." She finishes places her own dough cookies onto a pan. 

She stands up and walks around to Emily's side of the table. Emily giggles, "I won't!" 

She takes up her little hands and she begins to sing little hymns of Christmas. She spins her daughter around, and Emily looks up at her in awe. 

Emily smiles, and giggles, glad such a day can be had. 

She begins to hum delightedly with her mother, dancing  in the flour she got on the kitchen floor.

~*~*~*~* 4 *~*~*~*~ 

Her mother places her on the small bed. The mattress sinking with the little one on top. 

She carefully takes Emily's small braid undone, and kisses her forehead. The little white bear sitting on the small bedside table illuminated by the hallway light. 

The flower bedding beneath her little one, as she stands up from the side of her bed. 

She takes the pink fluffy blanket folded at the edge of her bed, and lays in gently on top of her. 

The black bookshelves with an assorted variety of different lengths and widths of cubes. Several of the tall bookshelves across the right wall, covered in books, and a few stuffed animals here and there. 

 A small cube organizer, only two cubes tall, holds Emily's pictures with her mom and more toys. This one, white and all along the right wall beside her bed headframe. 

Her mother chuckles, gently closing the door to her room. The wind chimes on her ceiling with butterflies, cats, unicorns and cubs, barely moving. 

The white walls in her room dimming, and the bright moon and stars shining down on the wooden floor. The pink fluffy carpet on the floor, light with the moon's shine.

Her soft snores fill the quite room.

~*~*~*~* 5 *~*~*~*~

"Hey Emily, what's something you want to achieve?" The kindergarten teacher asks. Her voice gentle and slightly curious, her short brown hair softly moving as she bends down to Emily's level.

Emily looks up from her small journal, the big crayons all strewn in front of her. 

She smiles, "I want to keep my mother smiling as long as long as she needs." The wooden pencil in her right hand, slumping over onto the paper. 

She turns to her teacher, her hands in her lap. 

"That's what I hope to do for her."

~*~*~*~* 6 *~*~*~*~

Emily's blue eyes stare up at the carnival in wonder. The lights in the night shining in her eyes. She is lost in awe. 

Her blonde hair braided into a side french braid, starting from the left, above her ear and coming down behind her neck. 

She tightens her grasp on her mother's hand, trying to reassure herself that this isn't a dream.

~*~*~*~* 7 *~*~*~*~

Emily looks up at the grocery clerk behind the counter. She clings closer to her mother's side when the clerk notices her staring. 

The female smiles, and waves. "Would you like a lollipop?" She gestures to the plastic tower decorated with so many different flavors. 

Emily looks up at her mother, looking for permission. She nods, smiling. 

Emily carefully loosens her grasp on her mother's hand. Taking a pink lollipop from the tower. She shyly smiles at the clerk, "Thank you..." she mumbles as she takes her place slightly behind her mother again. 

Her mother and the female clerk chuckle.

"She's adorable. I hope to see you both again." 

Emily looks up at the grocery clerk behind the counter. She clings closer to her mother's side when the clerk notices her staring.

The female smiles, and waves. "Would you like a lollipop?" She gestures to the plastic tower decorated with so many different flavors.

Emily looks up at her mother, looking for permission. She nods, smiling.

Emily carefully loosens her grasp on her mother's hand. Taking a pink lollipop from the tower. She shyly smiles at the clerk, "Thank you..." she mumbles as she takes her place slightly behind her mother again.

Her mother and the female clerk chuckle.

"She's adorable. I hope to see you both again." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~