As Willow and her men approached Kaylee, they stopped two steps away from the young lady and the little girl.
Seeing Willow in front of her, Kaylee tightened her grip on Ellie's hand as if not letting go.
Willow's mouth was chewing on a bubble, as usual. "So soon. Are you leaving without a message?" She asked sternly.
"Don't forget the consequences if you fail to do so. Also don't think of running away from me." Willow lowered her gaze on the little girl. "She's young and pretty. It won't be a bad idea if I take her in and leave my legacy with her."
Ellie hid behind Kaylee as her mother pulled her away from the sight of Willow. The little girl was peering at Willow, who seemed intimidating, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she met Willow's gaze as their eyes locked.
Ellie couldn't comprehend the unclear conversation between the adults, but she could sense the situation wasn't good due to Willow's dark expression.
"I'm not running away and you don't have to say that. I have told you before I'm going to get it before due time and-" Her lips pursed, gathering the bit of her shattered courage before she added. "No one can take my daughter away from me."
Willow couldn't help but scoff as she heard a trace of courage in the young lady who she had known to be trembling like a wet chick was now daring to speak boldly. She raised her gaze at Kaylee but uttered no word, walking past the little girl.
Suddenly, Willow felt something warm and soft wrap around her hand, causing her to stop in her tracks. As she turned around, she saw a friendly smile revealing a set of pearly white teeth at her.
"I like you, Willow." Ellie said, still smiling at Willow whose eyebrows was creased in surprise.
Willow wanted to jerk her hand away from the little girl's grip but found herself powerless to do so.
"I want to be like you." Ellie added.
Hearing the little girl, Willow snorted softly. Her lips were almost parted to smile but she held her emotions to leak.
Kaylee broke their grip and bowed apologetically to Willow.
After watching Willow move away, Kaylee started to reprimand Ellie. "You can't be like her, Ellie. She may not be as good a person as you think. She appears more dangerous than she looks. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying she is a bad person, but that's not the lifestyle I want you to live in."
"Mama, She is not a bad person. She is also your guardian." Ellie argued.
It was the first time Kaylee had seen seen her daughter admiring someone and wanting to be like that person. This was the reason she wanted to leave her hometown, knowing Willow would come someday to take Ellie away from her and now her fear grew more to hear her child liking a dangerous young lady.
She couldn't tell her little girl the hurdle past she had with Willow whom Ellie believes to be a good person and a guardian as well.
Kaylee looked into the Ellie's eyes, she couldn't help but notice the unwavering belief and confidence about Willow that radiated from them.
Realizing that it would be pointless to argue with the little girl she withheld her argument as she tried to persuade her.
"But next time you meet her, try to keep some distance, okay?" Kaylee stared deeply into Ellie's eyes, waiting for a reply.
Ellie just nodded her head in obedience without saying a word. She trailed beside her mother, going down the alley until they reached the bus stop. They stopped a cab and entered as the cab drove them off.
________
After a long hours of drive and it was noon already, Kaylee and Ellie arrived in the big city. Walking out of the railway station, Kaylee didn't let go of Ellie's hand inside the station so she wouldn't lose the little girl in the crowd as Ellie followed sheepishly until they got outside the railway station.
Just as Kaylee and her child were standing on the side of the street while waiting for someone to pick them up, she heard a familiar voice from the other end.
"Lee!"
Kaylee turned to the voice and saw a young lady who was striding towards them while waving a greeting gesture in the air at them. Her mood brightened when she saw Bella, her best friend.
"Hey, Lee!"
"Bella!"
Bella went to embrace Kaylee as they chuckled in each other's arms. After a short time embracing each other, they both pulled off from the embrace, staring at each other affectionatel while Bella took Kaylee and the little girl to her house.
Bella and Kaylee sat opposite from each other on the couch, with their arms crossed under their chests, and their eyes locked in a long, intense stare. They had not seen each other for a long time, and this was the way they always looked at each other upon reunion.
Kaylee broke the stare first, looking away with a heavy breath that escaped her lips. "I can't keep up with it anymore. You win."
Just as Kaylee looked away, Bella still didn't dart away from Kaylee.
Suddenly, they heard the doorbell ring twice as someone outside pushed the button. Acknowledging that it was her order she placed before going to pick up Kaylee and the little girl, Bella stood up and left for the door. She opened the door and received her order from the delivery man.
Bella walked slowly back into the parlor, her hand clutching the order tightly. She dropped the order onto the table. Without a moment's hesitation, Bella made her way to the kitchen she opened the small refrigerator and reached her hand in to grab three cans of chilled Coca-Cola drink, returning to the parlor and then lowering the soft chilled drink on the table.
She settled in her seat, folded her arms under her bust with a frown on her face like earlier to continue watching Kaylee who had already opened the order. There was so much food Bella ordered for Kaylee, knowing she was a foodie yet nothing showed on her tiny body.
On the other hand, Ellie couldn't understand why Bella was staring at her mother like one who had mud on her face. However, she minded her business while devouring the food.
Bella got upset seeing how Kaylee was eating peacefully. How could her unfilial friend eat the food she ordered in peace without explanation of her disappearance for the past six years?
Her eyes narrowed the more and then she cursed. "What if you get choked?"
When Kaylee heard Bella's words, she eventually choked on the food as she coughed hard.
"C'mon Bella, let me eat in peace. If you are not happy I'm here then I will leave." Kaylee said, feigning ignorance.
Bella scoffed. "Then you should leave right now. I didn't tell you I was going to accommodate you the first place. Hey, you have to be fast and leave." Bella said nonchalantly.
"Alright, I will leave when I'm contented here," Kaylee said not minding the scary look on her best friend's face.
Bella got furious. "Hey! Did you help me to get rented here? No, right? Then I can't keep you here before you run me broke."
"Alright. But until I find an apartment, I will move out."
Kaylee noticed the anger in Bella right now was not because of her stay here. She saw so many questions on Bella's face that the young lady had for her but Bella was refraining herself from asking.
Seeing how angry Bella was and wasn't ready to speak up about it, Kaylee couldn't eat peacefully again. Her mouth was parted to apologize but Bella didn't give her a chance as she looked away from her while her gaze fell on the little girl beside Kaylee.
"Hey, Little one." Bella waved her hand slightly to gesture a greeting to the little girl.
"It's Ellie not little one." Ellie corrected respectfully.
Ellie doesn't like people addressing her with the word 'little'. She feels that word demean her stature.
Bella was amazed by Ellie's correction as she smiled broadly at her. "Ellie, what a nice name. Woah you look pretty like…." Bella stressed her last word when she noticed something in Ellie's appearance.
There was a resemblance of Kaylee's in Ellie but there was two things which appeared different 'a light blue eyes and dark black hair' which Ellie had and how gorgeous she was at such a young age.
Bella took a careful look at Ellie before fixing a gaze on Kaylee again to clear the puzzled thoughts clouding her mind.
"She's my daughter, Ellie." Kaylee cleared the confused Bella. She turned to Ellie and then introduced. "Ellie meet my best friend, Bella. We will be staying at her place for a while so you should be nice to her."
Ellie nodded and waved at Bella. "Hi Aunty Bella, it's nice meeting you." Ellie smiled at the dumbstruck lady staring at her, lost.
Bella smiled back at Ellie. She stood up and went to settle next to Ellie. "My pleasure too. She looks pretty." Bella complimented with a chuckle, patting fondly on Ellie's head.
"Hope is not the seed of that bastard?" Bella cursed under her breath that the little girl couldn't hear her ill words.
"Bella don't you think, it is time to be careful with your words when we have Ellie in our midst." Kaylee reminded Bella who she knew could spat out unpleasant words unnecessary.
After lunch, Ellie went to her new room to have her nap while the two young ladies conversed in a low tone.
"Was it because of Ellie you left?" Bella questioned while facing upward, watching the ceiling.
"Yeah," Kaylee answered as she was also staring at the ceiling. Their bodies were in close contact with each other as they lay on the neat floor in the parlor, watching the ceiling.
"It must have been difficult for you in these past years, right?"
"Uhmm." Kaylee hummed without saying a word.
Thinking briefly about Ellie, Bella's lips curled into a smile. "She looks pretty just like her mother."
When Kaylee heard Bella's compliment, she wasn't sure if Kaylee actually looked like her or the unknown man. She recalled that one night stand she had with the guy who she can't describe what he looks like.
"Maybe she looks like her father," Kaylee muttered in absentmindedly.
Hearing the word 'father' Bella jerked up in anger. "What father are you talking about? The one who abandoned his daughter!? I'm going to kill Jaxon if we ever cross paths! And please you can't say pretty Ellie looks like that stinky prick!"