Free Daisy's Choice (A Tale of Three Hearts) by Sienna Mynx Page A

beauty full of dreams. That was who she was until he broke her spirit. Now who was she? He had to do something, anything to make sure she wouldn’t close the door in his face and shut him out. But what?
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
    “ Mommy, I want to make it up now!” Amy said from her closet.
     
    Daisy glanced at her daughter from her vanity mirror. Her little darling, in a sleep shirt and panties, dragged an old makeup and jewelry bag from the back of her closet. She was pretty strong for her tender age. Daisy watched her struggle while removing her earrings from her lobes. “You mean you want mommy to make you up?”
     
    “ Yes! Can we?”
     
    Daisy loved playing dress up with Amy. Though she was left with globs of product in her hair and face paint fit for a fashion disaster, it was such a great bonding time with her daughter. And Amy was a reflection of her. That worried and inspired Daisy.
     
    Amy was always trying to figure things out for herself, plan ahead for what she wanted, and manipulate her friends and mother into getting her way. At two, she broke her arm, and it scared the hell out of Daisy. She called it the ‘cookie incident’. Since then she kept one eye open with Amy no matter what she did during play time.
     
    “ I’ma do you first,” Amy said, running the zipper along the edge of the case. Her little fingers slipped from the tiny tab as she tried to manage it herself.
     
    Daisy rose from the antique Victorian chair and turned from the vanity to slip off her sundress. She selected an oversized t-shirt from the dresser. "Mama's ready, baby." Daisy lowered to the floor in front of her bed, making sure to rest her back against the footboard. Amy climbed on top. Daisy gave her a little push to help her. She immediately took a comb to her mother’s hair, pulling and raking it through.
     
    “ Is my birthday tomorrow?”
     
    “ No, sweetie. Remember we have it on the calendar. You have six more days.”
     
    “ Six, this many?”
     
    Daisy looked back over her shoulder at Amy's tiny four fingers. She smiled. “Plus two.”
     
    “ Plus two,” Amy nodded. “I can spell my name. I learnt it today.”
     
    “ Learned it,” Daisy corrected.
     
    “ Leeeaarnnned it,” Amy mocked, yanking the comb through her mother’s hair.
     
    “ Okay, spell it for mommy.” Daisy said.
     
    “ Amy… A.M.Y…Amy,” she giggled.
     
    “ Very good.” Daisy clapped.
     
    “ I can spell yours too, mommy.”
     
    Daisy flinched. “Well ah…”
     
    “ Danielle… A. M. Y…Danielle!”
     
    Daisy frowned. How could she not, when her own child didn’t even know her mother’s real name. “Can you count for mommy?” she asked, wincing from another yank to her scalp, as her daughter roughly pulled the comb through her hair.
     
    "Okay... one… two… three… four… six… seven… eight.”
     
    Daisy relaxed to the sing-song sound of her daughter's voice. Amy usually jumped the shark when she reached fifteen, and skipped a few numbers in between. This was her life, and she never knew she'd love it so. Earlier thoughts of motherhood had bored her to tears. She could remember rolling her eyes over the affection her nieces and nephews wanted during her babysitting. Daisy remembered the day she walked into the abortion clinic with Jessiemae to do away with Pete’s child. A sharp pang pierced her heart, and she quickly backed out of that memory. Her eyes misted over. What if she never had her? What if in all her selfishness she hurt herself and couldn't bear children? She bit back the shame. The truth was, she did have her. Amy was her baby. Not Pete’s or Aiden Keane. Hers. She’d love and raise her the best way she could.
     
     
     
    ****
     
    Nina laughed. Pete was so cute when he was trying to play big shot. She knew the deal. Their meal would set them back from their budget this week. He’d be packing a lunch, and so would she.
     
    “ Is it good?” he asked, chewing and