Our Delicate Emerald

“Emily!” Mom was calling me again to come down stairs, well to bad because I wasn’t coming. I had heard them talking before, and I knew what they were going to say, they were leaving me alone again with stupid, old Mrs. Hathaway. Maybe if I acted sick… Ugh, she’s coming upstairs now; guess she’s tired of calling me.

Mom opened the door slightly and peek her head in. My mom had dark brown hair and blue eyes which clashed with it, but it didn’t make her look weird or awkward but exotic and beautiful. I inherited my dad’s green eyes.

Our eyes met and she smiled, “Oh good you’re alive,” she said sweetly, inviting herself in and plopping down on the edge of my bed. That’s what I loved about my mother she rarely gets angry or loses her temper. She glanced over at me, “But it seems like your deaf.”

I ignored her and looked out the window, it was spring, lately it’s been raining a lot, but not for a long time, maybe one hour and then it’s gone just like that. I remember it was around this time when she walked out the door, not even looking back once.

Mom sighed. “Honey!” she said in a whiney voice.

I mumbled back, “What, I thought I was deaf.”

My mother replied with a smile, “What was that?”

“I said nothing Mom, why are you guys leaving me with Mrs. Hathaway again? Do you not want me?” I was close to tears; I didn't want them to leave me in the house alone. You can say I'm attached to my parents. They always stay home with me or take me along with them. You see my parents don’t have jobs; they might go out for trips once in a while, when that happens they leave me with babysitters. But other than that, they don’t leave me alone by myself.

My mom was trying to get up now; this is going to take awhile. Ever since she was pregnant she couldn’t do much including play and well…be with me. I know I sound stubborn and selfish but so what everyone is stubborn and/or selfish sometime in their lives. But I sometimes feel guilty for brothering them, I know it’s important to them to have this baby, to fill that empty room down the hall. At least now they gave up on my sister ever coming back.

At last Mom got up, just to plop herself next to me, “One, of course we want you….well not if you keep whining. And two, how do you even know we’re leaving you alone?” She ignored the part with Mrs. Hathaway. My mom was a mastermind with words; you have to pay attention to every detail of what she says. “We may be calling you for candy or a present or….” Really, Mom? Sometimes she forgets I’m not a 4 year old.

I started staring at her, “Ok Mom, were you?”

“No honey but I have to go to the hospital, I’m 6 months pregnant and today is the day your father and I finally decided to know the gender! Aren’t you excited your about to have—” She wouldn’t dare say sibling because I already had sibling. She saved herself quickly, “A younger sister or brother, you can be an older sister!” She choked at the last part. Poor Mom, she had taking it the hardest.

I knew I was whining and there was no helping it, she was already pregnant. “But Mom, I don’t want another child!” Aren’t I enough for them, do they want another Victoria?!
Mom started acting shocked, “What?! You are having a child, why didn’t you tell me this?!” She started shouting for dad, “Honey!”

My dad poked his head in first then brought the rest of his body. He had black hair and green eyes, like I already told you. I inherited his black hair along with his green eyes. I like to think that I inherited my mom’s personality. Dad stopped brushing his teeth long enough to say, “What?”

My mother had a goofy smile on her face, “Our baby girl has a child!” I rolled my eyes.

Dad raised up an eyebrow, “Boy or girl?”

They both looked at me, I was getting really frustrated, “One, I’m under 10 years old and two, don’t change the subject!”

Dad went back to brushing his teeth, “What’s the subject?”

“You guys leaving me alone with a weirdo, isn’t that against the law?”

“Nope,” My dad said walking away.

I shouted after him, “Like you know!”

My mom replied for him, “No, he does know, read every law in the book.”

“Must be a small book,” I murmured.

Mom was making herself comfortable on my bed. “No, wrong again, honey, it was a pretty big book, it toke him about 4 weeks to read it and your father is a fast reader.” Mom stated. I just rolled my eyes, there’s no arguing with them.

“Ok honey, I have a proposal for you, how about you being able to—how about Mrs. Hathaway not being your babysitter?” My mom said hesitantly, watching me closely.

“What, will there be another weirdo today?” Once there was this man who was huge and all muscular who didn’t say a word to me the whole day, a less muscular guy who kept talking about guns and how to best kill a person, a small woman who jumped at every sound, a woman who followed me around the entire house EVEN the bathroom until I shouted for her to get out, and this girl maybe 19, which was the youngest babysitter ever always squealed saying, “Oh my god, I can’t believe this!” Can’t believe what that you’re babysitting someone? She would ask me questions about my parents all day, when she wasn’t squealing saying, “OMG!” Oh My God SHUT UP was what I wanted to say but all I did was smile.

Mom smiled at that, “Yep, if you call yourself a weirdo.”

I was confused, “You mean I can stay alone, alone?”

“I was thinking you’re responsible enough to take care of yourself.” She eyed me, “But only if you want to.” I kept staring at her; it’s understandable for Dad but coming from Mom! “It’s Mrs. Hathaway or alone! Choose!” Mom said, getting frustrated with my staring.

“Ok then, anything is better than her.”

My mom started walking to the door, after taking her time getting up of course. While she was walking away, I heard her mumbling, “Why do you hate her so much anyway? She seems like a nice lady to me…”