It was a bitter winter eve , a month after James Washington's death in a plane crash , Alessa was coming back from the university, when it started drizzling lightly. The sky was exceptionally bright that night. Alessa rushed towards her apartment taking large steps when she saw Mallory.
Mallory , her long lost friend with a small girl, was standing at her apartment's door. She seemed too different from the vibrant , lively and carefree girl she used to be in university. Her bright smile was replaced by numerous marks of sorrow and grieves. She looked too old of her age. It seemed as if life was drained out of her , creating a large void.
For a moment Alessa refused to believe her own eyes. She can't be that Mallory. She clearly remembered how eleven years back Mallory mysteriously vanished. All her friends including Alessa were completely mystified by her disappearance.
"Alessa?" Mallory gave an exhausted smile. "Oh my God Mallory where had you been?" Alessa hugged her frail , wrinkled body. " You made us too worried Mallory, we thought you had died! " , she cried in a distraught tone.
"You're still the same, Alessa." Mallory smiled weakly , a smile that didn't reach her eyes , a smile that had no strength to do so.
"Is she your daughter?" Alessa embosomed the little girl.
"Yes. She's Laura Robert."
"Come inside you both.There's so much I need to ask you! " Alessa opened the door for them.
"Alessa! Listen. I don't have much time. I came here to ask you for something." Mallory looked towards Laura with concerned eyes. She seemed vanquished by her own self.
"I need you to take care of Laura for me. Please." She pleaded with a crack her voice.
"Mallory..." , said Alessa with disbelief.
"Alessa please don't ask me anything. Just take my child away. Robert died Alessa. She'll die too if she stays. Please. Take her somewhere far. Where no one from past can approach her. Not even her mother." , tears rolled down her eyes.
"There's no one else than you. I can't trust anyone else. Please take her and go far away. Don't wait for me , don't make her wait for me either. Just take her somewhere beyond my reach. Will you?"
"Mallory , she's your child!"
"Please" Mallory knelt down sobbing hard. "P- Please Alessa"
Alessa picked her up , her eyes tearing up. This was not the Mallory she knew , it was agonising to see her friend in this state. " I will , Mallory. I will , till the day I die. Laura is like a daughter to me. But-" Alessa couldn't complete. She caressed Laura's hair gently.
"Thank you Alessa. Thank you so much" , Mallory was partially relieved, while a part of her didn't want to leave Laura.
" I need to go Alessa. My son is alone at home. Please take care or my Laura. " , she kissed her cheeks compassionately and handed her over to Alessa.
"I'll wait for you to come , Mallory. I'll wait for you to answer my questions ."
Laura just saw mallory leave her at an unknown place in unknown hands , she didn't cry , she didn't make it harder for her mother to leave. She just watched her figure getting smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the foggy night.
That night fate brought two broken people together. Laura who lost her mother Mallory, and Alessa who lost her husband James. Both created their own language of silence in which they found solace. Laura never mentioned Mallory again , she never cried and asked Alessa to send her home. She always remained in her shell. Sometimes Alessa wished that Laura too cried it all out like all the other kids would but other times she was thankful to Laura for not putting her in pain of watching a child cry for her mother. Watching her best friend's child cry.
Alessa brought Laura in along with her small luggage. She opened her bag and found a few clothes , a doll , small canvases and an art kit. 'It must've belonged to Mallory. She must've wanted to leave a tiny mark in Laura's life' she thought.
Alessa decided to give it to Laura when she grows up but later that night when she got up , she found Laura sitting on the floor with brush her delicate hands. The four years old girl embraced the paints like a lost lover. She held the brush as if she was a skilful , experienced artist. She must've gotten this from her mother , Alessa thought , smiling while leaning against a wall.
"What are you painting?" She inquired.
"Home." Came a short innocent reply.
Alessa cried a lot that night. Silently , watching a small girl preserving in canvas forever , what her mother wished she forgot.
The next week Alessa left her apartment forever and moved to a place beyond Mallory's reach with her daughter , Laura Washington.
She never saw Mallory ever again...
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"Mr. David Peterson?"
"There's something you must know."
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