On Monday, she got the call that they were being shut down. Amy’s sharp cry cut through the dust motes lingering in the air of the living room. “I know honey, I know.” Rose hummed softly, handing Amy the last slice of bread they had. The sounds of distant traffic and sirens howled outside the window of their impossibly small studio apartment. New York City had always seemed like a dream to Rose but this was definitely not what she had envisioned.

“Why though? You said the inspector gave us a good review?” Rose sighed over the phone. “I know he did, but I just can’t afford it anymore; the rent has gone up. I’m sorry Rose. Tell Amy I said hi.” With that, he hung up on her. Michael had always been a very straightforward man but he never let Rose down like this – she was his best employee.

*“Have you ever worked as a waitress before?” Michael asked her as they were seated at one of the tables just inside the door of the small bistro. “Um.. no..no sir, but I’m a quick learner.” Rose stuttered out, clearly very nervous. “Are you sure you’ll be able to be on your feet for that long?” He hummed softer, only loud enough for her to hear while gesturing to her stomach. “Yes. I’m very sure. I really need this.” She replied, nodding vigorously. She was 6 months pregnant. “You start at eight tomorrow morning.” *

As the sound of the phone line being cut off rang through the apartment Rose let out a breath she didn’t even realise she had been holding and looked down at Amy. She was sitting on the creaky wooden floorboards gnawing on the slice of bread, blissfully unaware of the fact that her mother had just lost her job. Tears slowly rolled down Rose’s cheeks as she stared at her. They stayed like that for a minute or two, Amy chewing on her bread and Rose looking around their apartment wondering how they were going to stay afloat. After all, Rose was a young mother with nobody left to turn to. She was twenty-three years old and taking care of a toddler all alone; how would she be able to support Amy without a job?

*“If you quit this job, nobody will hire you again Rose! I’m doing you a favour!” Jonathan yelled after her as she stormed out of the dry cleaners. This was the first job she had taken after being kicked out. “You don’t know that Jonathan.” She huffed back, grabbing her coat off the hook just inside the door. “Who’s gonna hire a pregnant lady?” He snapped.*

“Mama?” called Amy from the floor, she was now done with the bread and looking up at Rose. Her eyes were soft – her head tilted to the side like a confused puppy. “Why sad?” she cooed as she stood on her wobbly toddler feet. “Mama lost her job.” Rose sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve. Amy toddled to her mother and climbed up into her lap. “No sad.” she babbled, hugging Rose. She stayed there, holding her for a moment before pulling back and smiling. That sweet little wide eyed, toothy grin that Rose loved. “Love you. No sad.” Amy babbled. “I love you too. No sad.” Rose smiled down at her weakly, sniffling still as she pulled her back into a hug.

Rose was born and raised in the countryside of Massachusetts. She was a smalltown girl who didn’t have much to her name, but she had dreams – big dreams of being a model in New York City. It was early 2003 when Amy’s father met her on that fateful day-trip to Boston and told her that he could make her dreams come true.

*“You’re from New York? I always dreamed of going there and modelling. Silly dream I know.” She smiled, a sweet, genuine smile as she looked up at him. “Modelling? I don’t think that’s silly at all. I know some people – people who are in those kinda jobs. I could help you, if you’d like?” He smiled too, but it wasn’t sweet like hers; It was wicked and faux-charming but she was already entranced by his money and promises of fame. “I’m Austin, by the way.”*

He was a tall, well groomed businessman who worked for a very prestigious investment firm in the city. He was quick to convince her that he loved her and wanted her to move to New York City. She was going to pursue her dream. Being young, naive, and freshly out of high school – she agreed.

The first year with him was fantastic – he took her to exclusive parties, bought her gifts, and seemed to be trying to get her into an agency. All of this of course was not because he wanted to help her; but rather because she was a beautiful young woman and he wanted to be seen with her. Austin was very concerned with how other people viewed him, so much so that he had been known to refuse to leave the house without the right colour socks or the correct brand of tie. He wanted to be seen as intelligent, charismatic, and kind-hearted; so of course what could be more convincing to the world than an adoring girlfriend? It was too good to be true for Rose; until it wasn’t. She was totally oblivious to his self-serving reasons for spoiling her. It never even crossed her mind that this was all for his image because he loved her. Didn’t he?

*“You’re pregnant..?” Austin asked, his tone conflicted with what seemed to be the tiniest bit of wonder but mostly annoyance. Rose nodded. “Well.. you can’t stay here.” He asserted, seemingly very sure of this fact. “What..?” Rose hummed, confused and growing more concerned. “I said you can’t stay here anymore.” By this point he had turned his back on her and was already walking away. “But I thought you loved me? You said you were going to help me get a modelling job?” she sobbed to him, though he didn’t seem to care too much. As he looked back at her over his shoulder he snapped, “Oh come on kid, don’t be so naive. If I had helped you get that job I would’ve had a model as a girlfriend – I could’ve told all my friends about our trips to Italy for cover shoots but no. You just had to go and throw it all away! This could’ve been everything for me – It could’ve made my career! Don’t you think about anybody but yourself Rose?! When was the last time you saw a baby on the set of Vogue?”*

Ever since that day, her life had been nothing but hardship. Rose had been renting cheap rundown places and living off minimum wage jobs. Amy was three now, young enough to not know any better but old enough to understand that her mother wasn’t happy. She could see the tears running from her mother’s eyes down her cheeks, and the way her lip quivered ever so slightly when she tried to speak.

Amy knew that when she felt upset, Rose would ask her if she was tired so naturally that’s what she did. “Mama go night-night?” Amy cooed in her mother’s arms. Rose said nothing – just nodded and carried her into their bedroom. It had little to no furniture, just one mattress on the floor that they shared and some blankets. As they snuggled under the blankets, Amy almost instantly fell asleep. Rose smiled down at her and started to close her eyes until the screen of her phone lit up on the floor beside her. She reached down, picked it up and froze as the message popped up.

“I want to see my child, Rose.”