Page 8 of Rome for the Holidays
Lola advanced on her, and Harper knew it was better to stand still and let her mother do whatever she wanted, because if she ran it was so much worse.
Harper held back her shiver of fear and Lola slapped her across the face, hard enough to make Harper’s head jerk to the side.
Then she grabbed Harper’s arm, hard enough that Harper barely bit back a cry.
She pulled Harper down until Harper hit the floor, unable to keep the cry in her throat.
“Shut up. You made this mess; you clean it up. Don’t ever ask for anything else. You ruin everything.”
Harper could feel blood coating her knees, knowing she landed on some glass.
Lola let go of her arm, “If there is a single spot of jam on the ground when I get home from work, you are going to get it.”
Harper nodded, and Lola stood back, “Stupid girl. Good for nothing.”
Harper swallowed, and her mom turned, walking back to the bathroom, then she left a few seconds later.
Harper felt relieved, quickly cleaning up the broken shards of glass that she could see and using a rag to clean the jam off the floor, the cupboards, and the counter.
She looked at everything with a critical eye, knowing the house was spotless and needed to be that way.
It was one of the most important things in her world. Making certain the house was spotless.
Her mother hated dirt or for things to be out of place or clutter.
And in order for Harper to be left alone, she would make certain everything was perfectly spotless before her mom got back from her shift at the hospital.
Once the jam was cleaned, Harper went over the floor a few more times to make certain no sticky residue was left behind and she swept the floor before she finished making her sandwich.
Her mom wasn’t the nicest person and didn’t know how to be a mother that was loving and kind, but she at least bought Harper the clothes she needed, though they weren’t cute or stylish and Harper got teased relentlessly because of it.
That was about all her mother did that was kind though.
She didn’t like having to keep the fridge stocked, so she bought the bare minimum and Harper was expected not to waste a single thing.
She could have one sandwich a day to bring to school and was allowed to eat a bowl of noodles for dinner, and that was it.
Lola didn’t waste her money on buying food from restaurants for her child, in fact, Harper had never once had a hamburger or anything from even a fast-food place.
She got what her mother provided and that was it.
Lola went out almost every night though, and was treated to lavish gifts, taken to expensive restaurants, and generally spoiled by the men she slept with.
One man even bought Lola a car, and paid for their rent, but Lola didn’t want to be tied down, so once she got what she wanted from the man, he was gone.
`Harper hated the men that Lola dated and brought home.
Several of them looked at her like she was a delicious meal and she hated it.
They all made her uncomfortable and she stayed in her room as much as possible if Lola had a man over.
Lola demanded it as well, but sometimes things couldn’t be helped, and Harper would sometimes have to use the bathroom or something.
Lola would always glare at her, reluctantly introducing her to the man she was with.
Some men never gave her a second glance. Others? Not so much.
She really didn’t like those men, and would have her dog, Saul, sleep on her bed to keep her safe.
