“ Ooph !” Grunted Abigail , as Anna ’ s small frame slammed into her side . “ Mommy , you look so pretty !” crooned Anna as she stroked the soft fabric of her mother ’ s dress . Anna ’ s gaze moved up to Abigail ’ s face and she lifted her hand to examine the long braid of red hair that had now fallen over Abigail ’ s shoulder . “ Mommy , I can put on my yellow dress too ! Maybe you can make my hair pretty like yours ?” Anna ’ s eyes were wide with awe as she waited for her mother ’ s reply .
“ Sure , baby , let ’ s go to your room . We can be twins today !”
Abigail took hold of Anna ’ s tiny hand and led her toward the door . She reached for the handle and noticed the scuff on the doorframe from when Anna had been playing with her remote-controlled car and crashed the darn thing into the wall . A small smile began to pull at the corner of her mouth . She opened the door and moved into the hallway , quickly noticing the stain on the carpet from a pureed carrot disaster when Anna was a toddler . As Abigail and her daughter passed by the kitchen , Abigail ’ s eyes immediately fixed on the door jamb separating the kitchen from the living room . There , small graphite dashes grew upwards from the floor towards the ceiling , each hash mark accompanied by a small “ A ” and a date . A living document of her daughter ’ s growth . Suddenly the rips in the carpet , the scuffs on the walls , the scratches on the floor , or the chips in her dishware didn ’ t immediately bring the word “ broken ” to mind . Tears pricked at Abigail ’ s eyes as she stared at each flaw that marked a life well lived for herself and her daughter . This house has as many love marks as her own body , and in that moment , Abigail Williams realized just how beautiful they are .