Smitten's Slice of Life

Marie was sitting on the steps of her mother's crappy little apartment in an otherwise, flourishing area. Looking down at the steps she waited again, like she did every other weekend; recognizing her favorite step, she climbed down to be closer to it, tracing her little fingertips on them. She liked to press down hard to feel the rock-like gravel formations cut into her fingers. She took note of the new piece of gum stuck on the steps' neighbor. Frowning at it, she looked around for a new distraction to keep her mind off of the feelings brewing in her little heart.

She could already hear the yelling upstairs where she knew her mother was having it out with him again.

Marie didn't cry much as a kid, still at 5 years old, just not very emotional.

Unable to spot something to tease her mind with, she returned to her previous seat and held onto the dirty, black rails of the staircase, while peaking her head out to watch for people walking by, but Sundays were slow.

Soon enough, her mother came down the stairs, still huffing about the phone call. Marie knew all too well what she was going to say and tried to push the feelings that were starting to swirl up right back down.

Her mother was still fairly young, but life had aged her, especially in and around her eyes, the kindness was gone, leaving a tired-looking woman. She wore her light brown hair, in a feathered style that was still popular somewhere, thanks in no small part to actress Farrah Fawcett. Her blue eyes were trying to reach Marie, but with little luck. She starting saying something, but Marie was in another world at the moment, just waiting for the end. "... he said he will be late, he has a lot of things to do, he said he's sorry..." Marie let it drown out and didn't let it hurt just yet. It happened every time. Late, later, and then... not coming. So what, who needs a daddy that doesn't want to see his little girl. Marie couldn't recall when it first started being like this: lies. He always made promises he couldn't keep. Marie liked to blame his new girlfriend, but it always came back to, "But what about me?"

Her mother finally went back upstairs after her own apologies were uttered, but stopped at the top of the staircase, thinking, and came back down. "You know, you don't have to see him anymore, I can tell him to not come at all. I hate how he hurts you, I hate to see you like this. I don't want to see your tears anymore. If he wants to see you, nothing is stopping him,..." More words that were not being heard correctly.

Love was a painful thing, as her mother hugged her, still talking, her face grew hot, throat tight, and the moisture that had been pooling in her eyes, finally made their way down her cheeks and onto her dirty fingertips. She didn't want to be hugged, she didn't want anything anymore. Her mother had never said this before and it was like this gleaming button of freedom to press. Her mother was crying now too, but Marie didn't feel anything about anything, just started thinking, "I don't have to see him anymore? I just want him to come though."

Angry at not getting her way on this, ever, "I don't want to see daddy anymore." It just came out and that's all there was to it. Her mother said more condolences and such, was happy and angry and more emotions than Marie recognized. She hurried upstairs to make the call.

Alone again... "I don't want to see daddy anymore."

As the words left her lips, the thought was repeating itself, and Marie cried freely now, long enough for people trying to get home to stop and ask her questions about it. She rubbed and rubbed her eyes, getting her face dirty from everything she had been touching, eyes burning, still crying. She stayed there 'til the sun came back down for the day and she couldn't see her little feet anymore. Her mother had been trying to call her inside, but her dad kept calling to talk with her. No more, daddy won't make me cry anymore.



*I will work on the dialogue, but this story was fine without it. Descriptions must be vivid though, feedback on that please.* XD