Pixabay
"No."
In an instant two little dams broke into streaming waterfalls on her pretty face.
Maggy, fondly called by her loved ones, could not understand why she couldn't have a second lollipop. Maegan could only pout and cry.
Her mama looked at her with a square face, not batting an eye.
"We have talked about this, remember? Too much sweets and what will that do to your teeth?"
"It'll spoil my teeth, Mama."
"That's right, love. Now drink some water and run along. You can play with your toys, they're fun, too!"
Maggy's face lit up again, it was like she had almost forgotten that she was upset. She drank her water and went on to play by the corner.
That was 20 years ago.
Her Mama looked at the same corner by the window, the very place Maggy had her play table and a basket of toys. She had her little red table and chair, and her little wheeled yellow horse was by the side waiting for her to conquer the day.
She could remember the moment she set her eyes on her little girl, the laughing gas and many rounds of pushing had left her exhausted, but as the little bundle let out her first loud cry, it triggered an unending stream of tears. They were tears of joy and gladness.
She remembered Maggy's first ouchie when she was trying to stand and took her first few maiden steps, her legs wobbled and she toppled over and bumped her head. Those pearly tears and little red nose made her Mama's heart skip a beat. She quickly carried her up and comforted her with lots of cuddles and kisses.
Then it was when she started getting interested in riding on a bicycle. Her Papa bought her a pink bicycle with a front basket laced with cute ribbons after seeing how excited she was watching her neighbors riding in front of the house. Maggy was one adventurous girl, she wanted to try her hands on a two wheeler and after crying a few rounds from scraping her hands and knees, she rode with the proudest smile on her face.
She remembered one Friday night in high school, when Maggy sat by the window hiding underneath her sheets. She could see the shivering and as she drew closer, she knew her little girl was crying. She lifted the blanket and sat down beside her, cuddling her quietly as Maggy let out a loud cry on her shoulder. She told her Mama she had a crush on a boy, but she knew he was no good so she rejected him. She listened quietly and nodded, wiping her tears as Maggy told her what was happening inside her teenage heart.
"Please welcome, top scorer of her fraternity and the valedictorian of the year, Miss Maegan Hayes to the stage to receive her award and give a speech." announced the emcee during their university graduation. Mama was so proud she couldn't help but beam with so much pride, these tears- they were happy tears.
Tears. They are not all bad.
Mama, we're engaged.
Mama, you're going to be grandma.
Mama, we're naming her after you.
Mama, I lost my job.
Mama, we're moving South.
So many life changing decisions. So many tear jerking moments. None of them unimportant.
As she closed her eyes and breathed in what seemed like the smell of fruit cake and cinnamon rolls, roasted meat and veggies, and jars full of fruit punch, she let out a sigh of relief. Slowly, dribbles formed and flowed down her cheek as she basked in the merry voices that came from the background. Those voices were home to her heart.
Yes, everybody's home. She wiped those tears with her sleeve and went on to join them.
art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
@steemitbloggers
