Mom brushed my hair before I went to bed.

"Sophia, you need to be looking good tomorrow, okay?" Mom asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, but will you be gone like Dad?"

"No, Sophia, why would you think that?"

"I don't know."

There was a knock at the door and Mom opened the door.

It was Dad.

"Joseph, our daughter, she is getting so big, come take a look at her," Mom said, hurrying him inside my room.

"Dad, will you be here for my eleventh birthday?"

"No, Sophia," Dad said.

"Why not?" I asked, tears forming in my eyes.

"Because Sophia! I don't love you anymore!" he yelled at me.

"B-b-b-but you said you would be here for all my birthdays, you said that when I was five or younger," I said, the tears that had formed in my eyes fell off my face.

Mom shook her head. "Joseph, don't yell at her, please."

But he just stormed off.

Maid Charlotte came in and told Mom she could take care of me.

"Oh, Charlotte," I said, slinging my arms around her waist. "Make me look as pretty as I am now but ten times as pretty."

"Yes, of course, Mistress," she said.

I looked in my wardrobe and pointed to the nightgown I wanted to wear to sleep.

"Of course, right away, Mistress," Charlette said, getting it out.

She took off my dress, corset, and hoop skirt off, she put my nightgown on me and I went out to hug Mom night.

"Sophia is a good kid, Joseph!" Mom yelled, quietly.

"No! She's! Not!" Dad yelled, three simple words that stung like a wasp.

I ran up to Mom and hugged her. "Goodnight, I love you."

She hugged me back. "Goodnight sweetie, I love you too."

I went back to my room before Dad could insult me anymore.

Charlette continued her story she told me every night. "And so, Mary went. . ."

I don't remember anything past that point in the story because I fell asleep.

<?>

I woke up the next morning to Charlette working around my bed a bunch of wrapped objects and boxes with big bright ribbons sat scattered around my room.

I got out of bed. "Charlette!"

"Yes, Mistress?" she asked.

"Get me dressed."

"What would you like to wear today?"

I pointed to one. "That one."

She took it out. It had a short skirt that was made of many layers of lace, little flowers went up to the top of it thin straps made of elastic, two fairy-like wings on the back of sleeves that showed the shoulders made out of lace, the top bigger than the bottom, a bow sat in between the breasts, there was a bow in the back too, lace fell from the bow, pink and black everywhere on the dress, on the top of the dress gold lace trim sat above the breasts, a pink choker-like necklace went along with it, black high heels with black lacey ribbons, more lace came from the sides of the skirt.

She picked a bow that fit best with the dress, or at least she thought it did. It was purple with some blue some was white; there was a beautiful crystal gem star thing.

I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled. "I'm so gorgeous."

"Yes, you are."

I headed out of my room for breakfast.