CHAPTER 2

July 24, 2006.

The huge plush toys were the perfect things to hide her tiny six-year-old body.

"Rae!" Her mother called from downstairs.

"I don't want to!" She said sharply from her hiding spot. She was one to not do things when she felt forced to and this was the only way for her to avoid it.

Seeing from the space she had created, the doorknob to her room twisted the other way and her mother slowly crept in. Posture straight and eyes searching, Rae knew she struck a nerve. Her mother's blue Crystal eyes, which were a contrast to her dull brown ones, landed on the closet door, and stalked towards it but sadly for her she was not in it.

"I know you're in here somewhere." She said now crouching to check under the bed.

"You can't hide forever and you know that. At some point, you're gonna get hungry and we all know how you get when hungry." She stifled a giggle. "Silly mummy doesn't she know I have a snack stash." She thought to herself. The snack stash bragged about was a piece of preceded gum and three candies, of course to an average six-year-old that would be the jackpot of the season.

Her mother closed her closet and contemplated giving up but that would be improper. Sighing her mother sat on the bed with her back facing her. Miranda McKenzie, mother of one and wife to the famous police Detective Paul McKenzie. His dirty blonde hair, thin face, thin lips, tall well-built figure, blue eyes, and pale skin were just what she needed for her perfect dream husband. His famous character is the one that made them move to Benckister Willow in the first place. "A place of serenity," they said. She was skeptical about it and her gut is always right, but she was in love with her husband so much that she left her flower business and followed his dream first. His being the best detective he can be and hers would have to wait, her dream of owning a famous flower shop with rare and exotic plants would have to wait. As she and all females know, a wife has to be submissive and of course, follow the man of the house. She had no choice in other words.

She met Paul when she was only nineteen like any other normal couple would meet up, at a bar fight. She had a wild reputation and he had just entered the police force and was working the night shift when he received a dispatch call of a bar fight at a local bar. Her fair brown cropped hair, now longer, oval-shaped face, slim but curvy build, thin lips, average height, radiant blue eyes a, and fair skin attracted him the minute he walked through that bar door. Just like that with the beer bottles and broken glasses flying around it was love at first sight. He had seen her like a wildfire that he could never tame and wanted so badly to engulf him. She fell so hard for him that when he proposed on her twenty-first birthday at the shore side she couldn't hesitate and instantly said yes. Two years later they had Rachel McKenzie, who was their crown jewel, their little chipmunk as Paul would call her. Miranda daydreamed about those times and snapped back to her senses when she realized her mission in her daughter's room. Her six-year-old daughter was dramatic enough to think that her world was ending and that they, her parents, ruined her life, but it was for the best.

"Look sweety, I know it's tough with the big move and leaving your friends behind but..." she dragged in a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm doing this, compromising with a six-year-old and trying to convince her to show herself. No one explained this to me in those baby classes I attended." she thought to herself. Another dragging breath before she continued to convince her daughter, "But you're going to make it. We are going to make it. You're smart, beautiful, talented, and have the best nickname in the world." Her eyes still searching, she knew her sweet talk was getting to her daughter.

"When I had you, I thought I wasn't ready to be a mom, then the time came and when I saw you, I fell in love with you instantly. I told myself I would love you and protect you no matter what happens."

Crawling out of her hiding spot, her hair pointing every which way because of the static from her plush toys, her mother gasped seeing her daughter's untamed hair, and embraced her with a smile.

" You mean that?"

"Yes, I love you chipmunk."

"I love you too mummy. But I'm still scared, what if the kids don't like me?"

"I know chipmunk, but you have to be strong and most importantly be you."

Giving her mother the best gap-toothed smile she could offer, she jumped over her slim frame and wrapped her tiny arms around her, thankful that she had a mother like her.

Miranda thanks the heavens for giving her a wonderful daughter.

She looked down at the small figure in her embrace and almost teared up at the sight. Back then she had never imagined her being this emotional because of a hug. "Let's get you ready."

They rose from the bed and strode into the passage bathroom. Miranda placed her daughter on the countertop and removed her ribbons. She grabbed the brush and began to gently brush her daughter's Aurburn hair an activity her mother never dared do.

Miranda came from what society called a broken home, her mother dwindled in drugs even though she was diagnosed with stage three cancer, she made mentioned how that was the only escape from reality. Her father on the other hand wasted away at the bottom of bottles, because of his horrid drinking habits, he could never hold a stable job. Her only method of survival was pickpocketing and shoplifting, she knew it was wrong but she had no choice. That was something she would never key her daughter go through, she would protect her and ensure she had everything she needed. She placed the brush on the counter and straightened Rachael's pink fairy dress.

Hand in hand they walked down the marble stairs to her birthday party. The scenery before Rachael made her sick to her stomach because of fear.

The first she spotted was her father talking to other adults that she didn't recognize. She ran up to him and hugged his leg. He peered down and grinned at his daughter. Miranda walked over and offered her best smile to the guests before her.

"There's my chipmunk! Excited about your party?"

"I think so."

"Come on show me the handshake."

With a beaming smile, she raised her arm and they did a handshake.

"Boom!" And a wave of their fingers is how it always ended. She raised her head and noticed a man looking at her. Her father noticed her reaction and remembered his colleague. "Rea, this is Deputy Detective Derrick, we'll be working together. He'll be my partner."

"Daddy but I'm your partner." Rae glared at the man standing before her. He wants to steal my daddy from me. The man knelt to meet her level and said: " It's not for a long time, we're just sharing."

"Now go on and make some friends" he patted her back. She knew not to disturb him when he was with grown-ups.

Rae turned and stared at the Derrick her father had mentioned one last time then turned and stared at all the kids running and jumping around. Her parents had gone all out, from renting a trampoline to having a clown for a show. Just then someone caught her eyes, a girl around her age was running towards her. "Hi! My name is Katie. What's yours?"

"I'm R-"

"Wow! This is your party?" She cut in. All Rae could do was nod.

"I love your hair! It's like gold. Like Rapunzel's"

"Tha-"

"Hey! Wanna play with my doll.?I call her Molly, say hi Molly." She said as she made her doll make a waving motion.

"Hi M-"

"Come on." She said whilst grabbing her wrists and dragging her towards the house.

" I live across the street, which is pretty cool since we'll be best friends."

Bestfriends?

Rae looked at her confused and all Katie did was giggle.

Pulled through the crowd Katie stopped before the trampoline. She began to undo her shoes and noticed didn't move an inch, "come on, don't be shy". Rachael undid her shoes and Katie pulled her into the trampoline and began to jump as high as they could. "Let's see if we can reach the sky, jump as high as you can!" Katie suggested. The girls giggled as they attempted to reach for the sky, impossible to do so but that never stopped their little imaginations from going wild. They collapsed on the stretchy trampoline net and giggled before panting for dear breath.

"Rachael!" Miranda called out.

Rachael peered out from the trampoline and noticed her mother motion for her to go toward it. This time it was her turn to pull Katie from her relaxed state, "Come on, my mother's looking for me."

The ran toward the house and stopped right before her mother.

"Take a sit at the table, I'll be there soon." She started at her new best friend, "Want to sit next to me?"

Ecstatic, Katie replied with a huge grin plastering her face "Yes!"

The girls sat next to each other at the table as the adults and other kids surrounded them.

They began to chant the birthday song as her mother walked in with a two-layer cake with a picture of a fairy in a ballet position and six candles rounding it. The girls giggled from excitement, her father knelt beside her, "Make a wish chipmunk." The stared at the cake, shut her eyes, made a silent wish, and blew out the candles with a big puff.

Everyone around her cheered at her achievement.

Katie whispered in her ear, "what did you wish for?"

Rachael shook her head, "they say if you tell a wish, it doesn't come true."

"You can tell me, I won't tell", she rose her hand and crossed the wrong side of her heart.

She sighed, "I wished to have a happily ever after." She flushed.

One day she'd wish she never made mention of her wish