that was awaiting. “Mommy!” a shrill voice suddenly squeaked from behind her. In shock, Samantha turned around, nonplussed. Her eyes wandered for a few seconds, but soon found her seven-year-old daughter lurking in the corner of the room. Samantha smiled, her pearly white teeth brightening her normally sullen face, and held out her arms for her daughter to leap into. A few moments passed in complete silence, them basking in each other’s love and warmth, as they hugged each other tight. Eventually, the little girl spoke up.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, Rosie?” Samantha replied, stroking her daughter’s unkempt hair.
“Were they being mean to you again?” Rosie asked quietly. Samantha pulled away from her daughter and looked into her innocent brown eyes.
“Why do you ask, baby?”
“I was there, Mommy. Listening. Behind that cupboard, do you see it?”
“Now, now, you oughtn’t do nothing like that, should you?”
“Mommy,” Rosie repeated. “Were they being mean?” Samantha rested her chin on Rosie’s shoulder and sighed, pondering the simple, yet so difficult question.
“Yes, darling, they were,” Samantha settled on responding. Either way, Rosie was experiencing it herself. “Listen here. I don’t want you to still be stuck here when you grow up, Rosie, you understand? One day we’ll be outta here: you, me, and Daddy, and we’ll live in a little house with a pretty garden. And in it, we’ll plant all your favorite flowers, yeah? And you can go to school, read books, and make friends, and one day, you’ll have your own life to enjoy, you hear me?”
The impossible words of hope continued to tumble out of Samantha’s hoarse, underused voice.
“They’re no better than us at all, baby, you get it? You won’t be like me when you get older. You won’t be working for these rich people for nothing, no more, you understand? I ain’t gonna let that happen, Rosie, oh no I ain’t.”
Tears began welling up inside Rosie’s wide eyes, and her lower lip trembled uncontrollably. “Do you promise?” she whispered, longingness dancing under her skin’s façade.
Samantha’s eyes dampened as well, but she impatiently wiped the tears away with her long, thin, fingertips. ‘What if I can’t keep my promise?’ she questioned herself, unable to refrain the ominous thought from crossing her mind. Samantha cupped Rosie’s thin face in her palms, once again looking deep into her beautiful brown eyes. They contained endless hope, and there was a certain plea trapped in them that made it near impossible to deny her wish.
“Yes,” Samantha breathed finally, her lips curving upwards as dimples pressed into her cheeks. “I promise.” She enveloped Rosie back into her warm arms and squeezed her tight. “Make me proud, yeah?”
Rosie smiled and nodded, squeezing back.
After a couple of seconds, Samantha gently unraveled herself from her daughter. “Now run along to Daddy, I have some work to do,” she said, sliding back to the carpet she was yet to clean. Rosie did as she was told, and began to skip out of the room, when suddenly, her mother’s voice screeched her to a halt.
“Not a word to anyone about this, you understand me? Not a single word.”
“Not a single word,” Rosie repeated.
"That's right," Samantha nodded in approval. "Now go along, little darling."
“That’s right.” Samantha nodded in approval. “Now go along, darling.”
“That’s right.” Samantha nodded in approval. “Now go along, darling.”
“That’s right.” Samantha nodded in approval. “Now go along, darling.”
“That’s right.” Samantha nodded in approval. “Now go along, darling.”
“That’s right.” Samantha nodded in approval. “Now go along, darling.”
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