Emily's POV
Mom, let's get up!" I heard Abigail call my name from outside the room.
"Wait for a minute, baby. Five more minutes, ok!" I talked but my eyes were closed.
Because I home late these past few days I began to feel an overwhelming sleepiness.
"It's eight in the morning, Mom. Is mom not working today?" Abigail began to pull the blanket over me.
Suddenly I realized, who exactly is the parent? Abigail was so independent. When I had to work, she tried to do everything herself. Like right now she's bringing me breakfast. and wait, what did she just say? Is it now eight am? Instantly I got out of bed. Then I rushed into the bathroom.
"Mom, have breakfast with you at the dinner table, Baby!" I say to Abigail from behind the shower, I hear her voice saying okay.
After finishing using my uniform, I walked out of the room to the dining room. Since I'm already late, I might as well wear my work uniform straight away, so I don't have to bother changing when I arrive at the boutique. I saw Abigail reading a book on the dining table.
"Why don't you go get breakfast first, Baby?" I asked.
Abigail closed the book. "I want to have breakfast together with you, Mom."
My daughter prepared our breakfast with two glasses of milk and two loaves of bread wrapped in marmalade.
"Mom, from now on there's no need to send me to Grandma Jane again." Abigail struck up a conversation.
"Why, baby? Did anyone annoy you or bully you at school again?" I asked my daughter with a puzzled look on my face.
Abigail ever had a fight with her mate in the classroom, because my daughter's friend annoyed her by saying if she had no father. So, her teacher called me to the school to make peace with the child's parents. But that time I got a work shift in a boutique, then I asked Katty to represent me. That's why yesterday Katty thought I needed money to pay Abigail damages because she was fighting again. Actually, because of my work at this boutique, I can rarely attend my daughter's school. I often ask Aunt Jane to help me as a guardian for my daughter at school.
"No, that's not why! I am a teenager now. I'll be ten years old soon, Mom." She said, while eating her grilled bread.
"No, you can't. Now, I am still late to go back home. So, no one will be watching you. Especially now your school is off, and it will make you be at home all day." I do not agree with her idea.
After I said that, my daughter didn't say anything again. She was just looking at his empty plate. I hurried to eat my breakfast. I took our dirty dishes, then I washed them.
"Come on, baby! Get your things ready! We'll discuss it again after mom doesn't get the night shift anymore." I said as I walked to get my purse from the room.
Abigail was silent even when we were in front of aunt Jane's house. I'd like to persuade her, but after glancing at the clock in my hand, it looks like I'm gonna be late.
"Mom promised we'd talk about it again later! Mom goes first. Be nice here. Bye, baby!" I kissed my daughter's cheek and she just nodded his head without even speaking back.
I hurried out of aunt Jane's home to go to my work place. After a few minutes, I finally reached the mall. I rushed into the elevator, and without knowing, I bumped into someone's.
And I saw a guy raise up his cell phone that was falling because I bumped him last time. I'd like to say sorry to him. From behind his back, I saw him checking his cell phone. Then he started twisting his body towards me. He then looked at me. Was he angry?
"Please watch your step! Can't you see there are people here?" He spoke in a sharp tone.
"I'm sorry Sir, I was in a hurry so, I don't mean bumped your back." I say it very carefully and hope he doesn't prolong the matter.
I could see he was a little surprised when he saw my face. Maybe he regretted a little for speaking in that tone, because maybe he thought I was a man. He started looking at me from the top of my head to the top of my toe. Was he a pervert? I think if people get angry they are not looking at people like that. He doesn't look like someone who's about to get angry. I'm getting a bad feeling. I'd better leave him fast.
"I am so sorry, Sir!" I said as I bowed my body toward him.
As I started walking away from he, I heard his voice.
"Hey, hold on a second! What's your name, Miss?" The man asked me from the place he was standing.
Looks like what I think about him, It's true. I glance at him back. "I don't think this incident has anything to do with my name, Sir! I also noticed that your mobile phone is functioning properly." I spoke in a sullen voice.
"Well, if you don't want to tell me your name, but, you seem to be one of the boutique workers in this mall." He told me.
Why does that sound like a statement instead of a question? Who is this guy? Of all the stores in this mall, how could he be sure if I worked at a boutique in this place? There was a ringing of his phone. Without saying anything to me, he walked away from me. This really sucks! He's wasting my time. I hope I never meet that man again. I started getting into the elevator and pushed the button to the top floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I hurried into the boutique.
"Finally, Ms. Emily arrived! Did your o'clock already not work? " Ask Mary, my co-worker.
I can't say if she is my friend because we didn't have a good relationship.
"Calm down, Emily! Anyway, just ignore her. She's always like that." Eva's speech soothes me.
Eva was my friend other than Katty. We talk a lot because we see each other. Me, Eva, and Mery get the morning shift. While Katty and his two unfamiliar friends got the night shift.
"She's always been mean to me. Maybe because some of the customers always consult me about the dress selection. It's not my fault, I know everything. When I first got out of foster care, I worked at various jobs. I even worked at salons, sewing, restaurants." My explanation to Eva. Then I began to take out several dresses to wear on the mannequin.
"So, where did you meet your deceased husband?" Eva asked next to me, carrying out a mannequin to display on the boutique display case.
"Me and my late husband were raised in an orphanage. But he was too smart to get a scholarship. Then he continued his education in the health department." With a little smile, I tell the story.
"And finally you two met again when you went to the hospital where he worked, right? You are sick and your husband takes care of you until you are healthy." Eva asked again as she smoothed over the dress she had on the mannequins.
"How did you know?" I asked in amazement as I looked at her face.
"Of course it was. Your love story is like the drama I saw." Eva chuckles after she said that.
***
Author 's POV
"Wow, this mall is so beautiful." Said a little girl. She marveled at the multicolored chandelier in front of the mall to celebrate Christmas eve.
The girl entered the mall. When she got to the glass door, she stopped. The glass door automatically opened. Carrying her plastic bag, she continued walking by looking around the mall. A lot of stores are decorated with Christmas knickknacks. The little girl saw a shop selling headbands with unique motifs. The girl started to approach the shop which was located not far from the entrance of the mall. Because the headband was displayed outside the shop, the little girl tried to wear the headband on her head. She put the plastic bag she had been carrying on the floor. The little girl looked at her reflection in the mirror that was next to the arranged headbands. She smiled as he looked at the red headband shaped like deer antlers on her head.
"Who put this thing here?" The voice of an adult male distracted the little girl.
The girl saw the man who seemed to be cleaning his shoes by stamping his feet. It looks like there is a cream stain on the man's shoes. Suddenly the girl realized something.
The little girl approached the man who was standing not far from her. She started to crouch down and look at her broken plastic bag.
"Why did you destroy my cake?" The little girl started crying as she looked at her cake that was all over the floor and the man's shoes. Even though this little girl sacrificed her pocket money to buy the cake.
"Hey you. Please call the cleaners!" The man who accidentally stepped on the cake gave orders to his employees.
"How about my cake?" The little girl started to whine as the janitor cleaned the floor covered in cake cream.
*Continued*