It was winter! Winter! Catherine hated this period so much. She sighed as she looked out the window. "Mummy".her little daughter yawned.
She moved away from the window and looked at her daughter. "Ariel!".
"mummy, is it winter yet?".she yawned.
"why are you so excited about it?".she frowned at her.
"cause its fun. Everyone like the snow, laying around...".Ariel beamed.
Cathy sighed. What could she do about her little girl? Nothing! She couldn't stop her from loving winter. She looked at her again and sighed.
"mummy".Ariel called again. Her mum wasn't listening to her. She got out of bed and tugged her dress lightly.
"hmm?".
"you don't like the winter?".Ariel asked.
"i just..Ariel please...".she paused, as she looked at her daughter who was frowning.
"i like it!".she said, just to make her daughter happy. As expected, Ariel smiled broadly.
"mummy?".she called out again.
"hmm?".
"am hungry!".she paused. "are you?".she asked, and Cathy nodded.
"come on".the little girl widened her arm, indicating that she wanted her mum to carry her. Cathy carried her, and walked to the kitchen.
She opened the fridge. There were varieties of cooked food in there. She did it all for her three years old daughter. "mmm! I want the black and white cookie".Ariel pointed. Cathy pulled it out as she put it in the microwave.
"do you want it too?". Ariel asked.
"no".she replied. "i want soup".she added and gently placed Ariel on the counter.
She prepared a Matzo ball soup. She was done, so she took off her apron, folded it and placed it neatly back.
Ariel who was already eating waited for her mum to come. She sat there, wiggling her legs. As she mum came to where she sat. She cut a piece of her back and white cookie. She stretched forth her arm. "ah".she demonstrated. Cathy opened her mouth, receiving the cookie. She giggles, as her mum unconsciously flickered her tongue on one of her fingers.
Cathy raised an eyebrow at her. "it tickles".she said.
"what?".
"that...that thing you did with your tongue".
"what thing?".she asked, still confused.
"you did something...with your tongue when you took the cookie off my hands".Cathy sighed in realisation.
She smirked. "i will do it again...".she teased, bringing out her tongue. Ariel burst out laughing, and so did she.
Ariel brought a certain kind of joy into the life of lonely, insomniac Cathy. Though Ariel really gave her a hard time while in the womb...but she couldn't care less now. Cathy smiled. She couldn't believe she was the one laughing...
She smiled at her daughter who was now gulping down water. She pulled her cheeks lightly. There were so many emotions Ariel couldn't explain. She wrapped her arms and leg around her mum's neck and waist respectively. "lets go outside!". Ariel said.
"no".her mum replied firmly.
"but why?".
"cause its cold out there and...".
"then you'll wear me my coat, right?".
"Ariel".she called her name.
"mummy please!".Ariel persisted, touching her mum's face.
"later in the day".Cathy replied.
"promise?".Ariel beamed.
"mmm".Cathy replied, nodding her head.
"yayy".her daughter shouted happily, showing her set of milk teeth.
Wesley looked at his friend as he was deep in thought
"is something wrong?".Wesley asked, for the fifteenth time, and he got the same response; Austin shook his head.
His answer contradicted his behaviour: he seemed disturbed.
Austin pondered deeply. He was sure he was forgetting something...what?? He couldn't just remember and it bothered him so much.
"wes?".
"mmm?".Wesley replied, paying rapt attention.
"well....when we left Brooklyn, did I forget something important?".
Wesley looked at his friend! How was he supposed to know! He didn't do his packing for him, he did it himself.
"bro, I didn't pack up for you. You did, don't you remember?".
"yea".Austin muttered, sinking into the couch. He tried brushing the thought out of his mind.
Later in the day, Ariel ran up to her mum who was resting on the couch.
"mummy, you said that later we'd go outside!".she reminded.
"ohh".Cathy sighed. She already promised her. "fine, wait lemme get your coat!".
Cathy wore a fur coat, then wore her daughter hers. She put on boots and picked her daughter up from the ground.
She wore her ahead warmer and gloves; they were set to go.
She took Ariel outside, to the park. "mummy, you can put me down now!".
Cathy dropped her, and the little girl sat on the floor. They were in the park where other kids were also having fun with their parents; dad and mum. Cathy sighed. She never wanted her daughter feel the absence of a dad in her life, so she made sure to provide her with what she needed, though she was thankful Ariel wasn't a bother at all.
Ariel was having the time of her life. She threw snowballs at other kids. They laughed together. They kept having fun, until Ariel mistakenly threw a snowball at a little boy. It hit his head and the boy started crying.
He got up and ran to a huge man. "daddy, that girl threw snowball at me".he cried.
Cathy didn't notice all these since was facing the other side, lost in thoughts. Not until she heard her daughter call out to her. "mummy".Ariel called out again. Cathy quickly rushed to where she was. Two peoples who looked like couples were standing where Ariel was, and the lady was twisting her ear.
"hey hey! What's going on here?".she asked, as she jerked the woman hands off her daughter's ear. Ariel was already crying hard.
"well is she your child?".the woman asked, scanning Cathy from head to toe.
"yes". The woman's face twisted. She was probably wondering how a small Lady like her gave birth.
"your child threw a snow ball at my son on his head".
"So that's what happened?".Cathy asked, just to be sure.
"of course!".
"Ariel say sorry".her mum said.
"i won't. I said sorry already and this man spanked me...".Ariel replied.
"you spanked my child and twisted her ear just because she threw a snowball at your son's head?".Cathy asked in disbelief.
"whats that supposed to mean?".Cathy added, fuming in anger.
"hmm....young girl! Watch it! ".the woman warned.
"hope we never cross paths again....Cathy come on, let's go". She picked Cathy up, piggy backing her.
"mum am sorry". Ariel apologized. She could see her mum was really upset. "but I apologized a lot of times..".
"i know you did sweetie!".her mum replied, and Ariel's little heart leaped for joy. She was happy her mum believed her.
They got home, and Cathy put Ariel down. "does it mean you won't let me go out to play anymore?".Ariel asked.
"of course not!". Cathy replied. Ariel rushed over and embraced her mum, more of her legs. Cathy crouched down to her level and kissed Ber cheeks.
"i love you mum".
"i love you more darling!". Cathy couldn't believe that a very hurtful experience produced the joy in her life. She wouldn't let her go for anything in the world.