The orange tree was in full blossom and the sun began to rise on the horizon. I looked at him and smiled “we’ve been out here all night you know.” He just laughed and pulled me closer. “Calm down. Isn’t this what you wanted?” I looked him in the eyes and blushed. He was right, it was what I wanted.

I never imagined myself having kids that young but I also never imagined doing it without him. He is.....he was my whole life. When I first found out I was scared shitless. But now I’m just looking back on it all like it was yesterday.

“Thank you.....for this for everything you’ve done for me. And for Ellis.” As I looked into his beautiful blue eyes I knew that everything I had ever wanted was right in front of me. My six year old daughter was dancing in the maze of orange trees, and the love of my life was sitting next to me. “Of course. I’m not like him Sarah, I won’t hurt you. None of you” he places his hand on my stomach. I looked at his hand and smiled. I was due in three weeks, another little girl. This time I was prepared. I was older.

“Danny are you coming with us?” He was asleep on my couch. I was six weeks from my due date and my mom was impatient. She hadn’t expected her seventeen year old to have a baby. Danny didn’t do much but drink, sleep and hit me. But I was ‘in love’ what did I know right? Anyways he didn’t go with us to the appointment. And he didn’t go anywhere the whole week. Well except to the liquor store. My mom didn’t know he hurt me. And she didn’t know he used a fake id to buy alcohol.

The day it happened, I had just gotten back from an ultrasound. For my second. This one wasn’t Danny’s. I pulled into the driveway.Right away I knew he was drunk. When I saw Danny standing on my patio I knew it. He hadn’t been around in so long Ellis didn’t even know who he was. Colby was her dad. We got out leaving the car running and Ellis in it. And right away he started “where’s my kid?” He was slurring. “Danny go away” he glared at me “GIVE ME MY DAMN KID.” He approached me and I tended up I reached into my purse to grab my knife but before I could pull it out I was on the ground my head was bleeding from the fall and I was punched at least four times. But luckily Colby was there. He handled Danny for me.

We got rid of Danny. And now we were having an amazing morning in the Orange grove until Ellis saw it. “Mommy there’s a man In the pond and he’s bleeding” I smiled and looked at her. “He’s napping love”