Place: Norwood Elementary

Location:Norwood, Massachusetts

Time: 6 Years later 5:00 P.M.

Event: Angelica’s play

Chapter: One

"I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!"

Bette enters the auditorium just in time for Angelica to perform. The brunette finds a seat close to the stage. Once Angie saw her mother, her eyes lit up like gold. She smiled and continued on with her lines.

"OH NO!"

A young child screamed from the back row. The audience gazed back at her. Her eyes were covered by her soft like hands. Bette giggled and turned back toward the stage. Angelica glowed in her brown costume. She stood professionally on stage and recited her roles

"BRAVO!"

The audience roared as the lights dimmed and then brightened again. Everyone stood from their chairs and applauded the group of young children. Angelica bowed smiling and grinning from ear to ear. Bette appaluded as her eyes filled with tears.

"I’m so proud of you!"

Bette yelled over the crowds loud chants. She continued to clap with knowing that if Tina were here to see her that she’d be proud of what her daughter had become too.

"Mommy!"

Anglica screams after she’s told it’s ok to leave the stage. She ran over into her mother’s arms where she hugged and squeezed Bette tight.

"You were great."

Bette whispered in Angie’s ears.

"Thanks."

Angie replies hugging and squeezing Bette tighter.

"I love you."

Angelica recites. Bette closes her eyes and recites her daughter’s words in her head. She smiles and caresses Angie’s hair.

"I love you too."

Bette recites back. She tightens her daughter’s embrace and then ends the hug with a kiss to her frontal lobe.

"So, do you still want to go trick or treating?"

Bette asked as she took a seat in an available chair.

"No. I’d rather go home and watch a scary movie with you."

Angelica replies. She settles in a chair next to her mother.

"Really? I thought you were hanging out with Lisa and Vanity."

Bette recalls.

"I was. But, I think I should stay home this year. I’m not in the mood to do kid stuff."

Angelica replies. But, Bette doesn’t buy it. Vanity and Lisa are her best friends. They’ve been together since they were three.

"I’m not buying that. What’s wrong?"

Bette asked. She became concerned all of a sudden.

"Ok. Well, when Lisa and Vanity go they…they….they go with their fathers too."

Angelica confessed. This didn’t bother Bette because she knew she’d be asking this question soon. The brunette bowed her head and exhaled loud enough for Angie to hear. Her bangs flew back into her eyes.

"What’s wrong mom?"

Angelica asked.

"What is it that you’re not telling me?"

Angelica questioned.

Bette looked up and locked eyes with her daughter. The seriousness she expressed in her eyes and the sorrow she felt in her heart made her want to tell Angelica the truth-the truth about she and Tina-the reason why there wasn’t no father figure-more about the second half that made her whole. The truth burned her heart…the pain was too much to bear.

"I love you."

Bette says innocently. A tear formed in her right eye.

"I love you too mom."

Angelice recited back. She zoomed in with her twenty-twenties and found that tear that settled in her mom’s right eye. In the left, another tear formed resting endlessly, before falling down her cheek, and onto her blouse.

"I’ll always love you. I swear. No matter what it is, I’ll always love you."

Angelica confessed truthfully.

The tear in the right side dropped. Angelica watched it closely slide down her cheek.

"Aww…"

Angelica sighed. She walked over toward her mother and took her into her arms. Bette shivered and shook uncontrollably under her daughter’s wings.

"Shhhh."

Anglica whispered.

"Oh, god."

Bette cried.

"Oh, god."

Bette moans. Her tears continued to drop as she remembered the night in January when she took their daughter away.