The Only Thing That Matters

Chapter 1

 

 “Mommy! Mommy!” her voice echoed across the family infested park. Her blonde curls bounced as she tried extremely hard to dash over to where Laura and I were sitting. We tried not to laugh as we saw Kayden trip over the swing box on her dash to the benches. Abbi, Kayden’s playmate, was not too far behind, following in Kayden’s shadow. Before we knew it, a blob of two four-year-old girls was planted right outside the swing box.

 We anticipated a couple of ear-piercing screams; Laura and I sat on the edge of our seats. However, slowly the girls rose from the ground and started back into a mad sprint over to us.

 Kayden was breathless as she approached us. I could tell she was holding back sobs, since she wanted to be a big girl as she’d proudly state, prancing around the house in her footy pajamas. I brushed off the dirt that now covered her leggings.

 “Mommy?” her sweet, innocent voice rang. I looked up and into her eyes. She was clearly not happy and she wanted to scream. However, being the well-mannered daughter she was, she kept it in. Abbi tugged at Laura’s jacket, frowning as she did so. A single tear fell down her cheek as Laura wrapped her in her arms and softly kissed her forehead, smoothing down her knit cap in the process.

 “What is it, bug?” I asked also pulling Kayden into my arms. Her sweet, strawberry scent filled my nose as she snuggled into my neck. I held her tighter as I could, feeling her shoulders shake. Her warm tears covered my shirt. Her hard frame had clearly cracked.

 “Those kids are not being nice,” she cried.

 I pulled her closer. I just wanted to make everything better. I hated seeing my daughter like this. I knew how it felt all too well. Every time I saw her cry, my heart broke to pieces. But of course, the mom in me kicked in and I had to lay down the rules that Kayden clearly hated to understand, let alone follow.

 “Kayden, honey, it’s their turn. You have to share. You and Abbi have been playing in the sand-box for a while,” I said running my hand over her luscious curls trying to calm her down. Fury began to build in her eyes at the sound of my words. Tears stung them also as the anger in her small body exploded.

 “I want to play! It’s my turn!” Kayden screamed. By this time, Laura had gotten Abbi ready to go. All heads turned in my direction as her screams became louder. I grabbed Kayden’s hand and forced her to look at me as Laura gave me a sympathetic look.

 “I’ll see you guys later,” Laura mouthed to me as I tried to control my daughter. Kayden desperately tried to wiggle free, no doubt in my mind that she’d stomp herself over to the sand-box and give whatever kid a piece of her four-year-old mind.

 “Kayden Marie, stop it right now,” I demanded. She shut her mouth as I gazed into her eyes. I made certain my face showed the seriousness I was getting across. A single tear fell and she quickly wiped it away in hope of my not getting angrier.

 “Now, you apologize to mommy,” I said softly. She clamped her hands around my neck and gave me a tight hug. I tightly wrapped my arms around her body and kissed her cheek.

 “I’m sorry, mommy,” she whispered, the scent of cheetos and earth filling our combusted space.

 “It’s okay, bug,” I said pulling her to the front of me so I could see her more clearly. Her green eyes sparkled as she looked into mine. Her face reminded me so much of her father.

 I had the pain slap me in the face. The emptiness inside my heart almost killed me. I spent my college years crying over him. When I found out I was pregnant, I cried even harder. Not for me, however, but for Kayden who would never know her father. She asked about him quite a bit due to the absence of her father figure whenever she saw her friends walking around with theirs.