Arranged.

"Elsie, your father and I have something very important to tell you." My mother, Gretta, said softly. Her thick German accent put an extra ump into her kind and gentle voice. I looked up into her chocolate brown eyes and searched for something––anything to give me a hint as to what was so important that she had to wake me up at four in the morning.

"What is it Mama?" I replied with my insanely embarrassing girly voice. She sighed and took my hand, pulling me outside to the car. She put me into the passengers seat since the back was full of suitcases. My suitcases. "Mama, what's going on?" I asked again.

"You're getting married, Elsie. In England, you're going to go live with your fiancé." I saw a single tear go down her flawless cheek. "Your father is waiting at the airport. We have to hurry or you'll miss your flight."

I crinkled up my nose in disgust. "I don't want to marry a girl though. Girls are... yucky."

"Elsie... it's not a girl. You're marrying a boy. We have to hurry! Get in the car."

"Mama... I am in the car. You're standing there with your door open." I mumbled ignoring the part where she said I was marrying a boy.

"Wha––oh!" Mama jumped into the car and turned the key in the ignition. She backed out of the driveway and we cruised down the playful streets of Berlin. I never get tired of looking out the window and seeing all the children at play and the beautiful cathedrals I've grown up to admire so much. "What about the reception?" I asked.

"It's supposed to be a very grand one."

"That's not what I meant." I spat. "I meant if you and dad are going to be there."

"Oh... Elsie... we can't afford plane tickets to London."

"Then what of the family I'm marrying into? How did you afford this one for me? Do you even care that you're giving your only child away?" I yelled as she parked the car outside the airport. There was only a barbed wire fence keeping me from the life I didn't want and the town I was proud to call home.

"This was arranged before you were even born, Elsie. You're father and I didn't have the money nor the time to raise a child."

"Then why did you even get pregnant in the first place? It's true then isn't it? My birth certificate is just an apology from the condom factory. Isn't it?"

"Elsie Listing! Don't you dare think that you were a mistake!" Mama shouted. "Now you're going to get on that plane and have the life that you're father and I could never give you––a happy one!"

Those were the last words my mother said to me. And that was most likely the last time I'd ever hear her voice. Or see my home, or my father, my friends... my life.

"Attention passengers, please fasten your seat belts. We'll be landing in London, England in five minutes."

Hello hell.