A Pin Prick of A Story .....

Today I wrote.  Today ....   and oh boy it felt good.  I had this new beginning to a story floating around and I was completed to delete it from my brain ....

And I'm going to share...... it's just a rough start.   Just a pin prick of a story ....

                She stood at the rail of the ferry, her car beside her.  They were headed to Potter Cove.  A small little island off the coast of Washington.  It was about as far away as she could get.  She squatted down, to be at the same level as her daughters.  Their red curl blew wildly around their faces.  She looked to her left, Lily looked at her.  Her brilliant blue eyes matched the water they traveled across.  Deep blue and clear as crystal.  She looked to her right and saw Daisy looking at the water with utter wonder.  They were identical twins.  Identical in every way but Daisy had a little freckle that had developed on her nose.  It was about the only way to tell them apart. 

                When they were babies, she painted their toe nails different colors.  She tried socks, she tried bows, but that stuff fell off.  Toe paint didn’t.   Now they were 3 years old.  Full of curiosity and imagination. 

                She needed a new start.  She needed to get away from the things that had happened back home.  She needed to escape.  She needed to get her amazing little girls away from the family who only wanted to pull them all down.  Who wanted nothing more than to see her fail? 

                She pointed out, at the island in the water.  “You see that speck of land?”  The girls both nodded as she looked from one to the other.  “That’s going to be our new home.”

                “What about Daddy?”  Daisy asked.  Her little voice was almost like a sing song all the time.  Like she belonged in a Disney movie with birds talking to her and magical fairies. 

                But in that moment, her heart flipped and she looked out at the water.   She found there was some sadness still lingering, even though it had been a long time coming.  The abuse, the assaults, and the threats.  She wouldn’t allow her girls to grow up with that example.  She wouldn’t allow that for herself anymore. 

                A friend of hers had helped her get a new set of documentation, so she could get a job, and not be found.  She had to leave everyone behind.  No one knew where she was.  No one.  Not even her sister.  Not her parents, not even her best friend.  She had to sever everything. 

                Everything, for them. 

                “This is the start of our adventure girls,” she told them.   “Just us.  No Daddy, no mean Grandma, no one but us three.”

                “Daddy was mean like Grandma,” Lily said softly.  Then she looked at her Mom quickly and looked away again as if she were ashamed of what she said. 

                “Yeah,” she smiled at her daughter, grabbing her chin and making her look back at her.  “It’s okay, Daddy can’t be mean to us anymore.  But if you want or need to talk about Daddy, only talk to me, okay?”  She looked back out at the water.  “We’re going to plan a fun little game with our names now, okay?” 

                Both girls looked at her with questioning looks in their eyes. 

                “Lily, we’re going to spell your name really long.  And Daisy, we’re going to spell your name with an M at the beginning now instead of a D, okay?”

                “Why?” Lily asked.

                “Because we don’t want mean to come find us.”

                “Okay Mommy,” Daisy said.   

                She had managed to save about enough money to tide them over for no more than three months if she was thrifty.  She had abandoned her car for something smaller, and more run down, but it got her from point A to point B, and she managed to register it in her new name.  Luckily she didn’t have to confuse the girls with all that nonsense. 

                As they got closer to the island, she ushered her girls back into the car and got in herself.  The girls played around in the back, with their favorite dolls.  She had only brought a few toys with, clothes, necessities, and the girls’ baby things.  Important memories.  But she was strategic in what she brought.  No photos of other family.  Just the girls, or the girls and her.  No identifying things in the photos.  Just her babies.  She grabbed some of her mementos.   In a locked box.  Locked. 

                The back of the station wagon was filled with their clothes, and those things she just couldn’t leave behind.  Things her friends had given her, her family.  She told them that she was leaving, that she had to.  They had given her some extra money.  So she had maybe enough to last them six months without a job.  But she was pretty sure she could get a job pretty easy.  Waitress, Secretary, something.   She was good at typing.  She was good with her hands and liked to be friendly. 

                They docked, and as soon as they did, a little voice from the back said, “Mommy I’m hungry.” 

                Okay, she thought.  Okay, we can get something to eat.   She’d find a diner. 

                After they unloaded, she managed to do just that driving up Main Street.  She parked near the windows and got the girls out of the car, shutting the door hard behind them.  They walked in together and got seated by a girl named Candy who was smacking her gum in her mouth.  She put a couple of menus down and asked if they wanted anything to drink. 

                “Coke,” she said.  “Chocolate milk for the girls if you have it?”

                “Sure,” Candy said smiling at the girls.  She leaned down across the table, “Hey girls, you want some crayons and some paper?”   Both girls nodded enthusiastically.   “Coming right up.” She said with a wide smile. 

                Pretty soon they had their drinks and were coloring happily.  

                She was staring out the window when the next lady came up to the table.  “Hi y’all,” she spoke sweetly.  “Look at these sweet little girls.  They are just something aren’t they? What can I get y’all to eat?” 

                She opened up the menu, “I want a cheeseburger and fries, and I think the girls would like grilled cheese?” She said looking at the girls.  They both looked up and nodded. 

                She kept finding herself watching out the window as the people bustled down the streets, going in and out of the shops, and carrying on with their lives.  She said a couple kiss on the street corner before going their separate ways.  She saw a mother pushing a pram down the sidewalk.  A father with his son up on his shoulders. 

                When she felt the hand on her shoulder, she about jumped out of her skin.  She panicked, looked to her right and saw the waitress.  Beth, her name tag said.  The white name tag with red lines on her white and red waitress dress.  “Honey, you looked like you were three hundred miles away.  You okay?” 

                She nodded.  “Yeah, I’m okay.  We’re just new here.” 

                “Oh, honey, I know that!  I know all the locals.  So it’s pretty easy to pick out the tourists from the natives.”

                “Oh, no, I mean we’re moving here.”

                “Well then welcome!” She said cheerfully.  

                “Can you tell me where a good place to stay would be?  Or a place to rent? Or any jobs?”

                “Oh doll!  I know Mrs. Hassy has a two bedroom cabin for rent, and she’s looking to sell it I think though.  Mr.  Mason has a little place to rent I think.  I’ll get you their info.  For jobs, I know we were looking for another waitress but it’s not a lot of hours right now.  I think the flower shop was looking for someone.”

                “Thank you,” she smiled.

                “I’m Beth,” the waitress said offering a hand. 

                “I’m Grace,” she said.  “These are my daughters Lilleigh and Maisy.”

                “Oh what adorable names,” she said.  “What brings y’all here?” 

                “I’m a widow,” she said looking at the girls.  They colored happily, not knowing what the word “widow” meant.  “I needed a change.” 

                “Oh honey,” Beth put her hand on her shoulder.  “I am so sorry.”

                She just nodded before Beth walked away.  She looked back out the window. 

                It took a week to get a place, and to secure a job.  But she did.  She got a cute little cottage by the water, with two bedrooms, and a basement.  She had got some furniture at a second hand shop.  A tables and chairs, some beds, a couple of chairs for the living room, and a couch, and a rug.  The girls and fallen in love with a tiny little black puppy that didn’t seem to have a home that kept coming around the cottage.  They named him Ben, and begged to keep him.  So she had gotten some puppy stuff.  And the cleaning products.  Yeah.   She got clothes line and a cheap little washer.   

                It just so happened that Mrs. Hassy who had rented them the cottage, had given her a job at the flower shop she owned.   She was so thankful.