Mother knows best

Aged 5

"MUMMY, MUMMY, MUMMY." Emma barged into her Mum's room after having a horrific nightmare about a monster in her wardrobe. The soft glow of a lamp illuminated the room. The big girl bed, as Emma calls it sat in the middle of the room where her mummy currently sat with open arms. Without another word, Emma pounced into her mother's arms and clung to her like the monster was about to take her away.

"Oh baby girl, what's up?" Slight sniffles could be heard in the room. Her mum didn't push Emma to talk, she let her have her minute.

"Monster, in my wardrobe." She managed to get out in choked sobs.

Soft delicate hands stroked Emma's hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"Can I stay in here tonight please?" The mum could never turn her daughter down. Settling back under the covers, a mother shielded her daughter from her nightmares. In the morning whilst Emma still soundly slept, Mum began riffling through the closet. As it was near Christmas, the present pile began to mount up, a few days before a cat plushie was purchased because Emma loved cats and "really really really" wanted one for Christmas. It wasn't wrapped yet so Mum took it out of the closet and brought it downstairs whilst she made breakfast for the little one currently sleeping in her bed.

It wasn't long before little footsteps could be heard padding down the stairs.

"Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes." It was her favorite food. If she could, she would have it for breakfast, dinner, and tea.

"We have a guest joining us." The cat plushie sat at the head of the table where Mum usually sits. A gasp emitted from the little girl. She ran over to the cat and squeezed it to her chest.

"Is this for me?" Emma looked so hopeful, she wanted it so bad.

"It's yours, baby. If you have another nightmare, squeeze this cat tight and say 'go away' and the monsters have no choice but to go away."

Emma looked at her mum with wide eyes before turning to look at the plushie in her hand, "Magic cat. I'm naming him Pancake."

Aged 11

Emma looked at herself in the mirror, she was starting secondary school today and she was nervous. What if the big kids pick on her? What if someone makes fun of her school bag? Tears began to well up in her eyes before she grabbed pancake from her unmade bed and squeezed him to her chest. She felt a slight weight ease off of her.

Aged 12

Her friend Grace was sleeping over tonight. Her first sleepover since starting big school. Emma's mum was working so for a few hours after school it was just the two girls. She's not shown someone her new room since the mini makeover. She now had a big girl bed which her mum surprised her with when she got home from school one day. Her walls were also painted her favored color. Sky blue. Grace pulled her face at Emma's room.

"Blue is a boy's color, no matter if it's dark or light." Emma ducked her head in shame. Grace flung herself on the bed and pulled out a lump that was under the cover. She began laughing. She held Pancake in her fist like it was a piece of rubbish.

"You don't sleep with stuffed animals do you?" She didn't want her best friend to go back to school and tell the other girls she was a baby.

Emma laughed and grabbed Pancake out of her friend's hand. She threw Pancake to the corner of her room, "I'm not a baby, of course not."

Emma's mum was standing outside the closed bedroom door with a tray of juice and snacks.

Next day

Pancake was gone.

Aged 18

"My baby's not a baby anymore." Mum pinched her daughter's cheeks as they stood in Emma's new university accommodation. Emma laughed and smacked her mum's hand away jokingly. A slight blush marred her cheeks as one of the people she was sharing a flat with smirked at the interaction. With a promise that Emma would call or text, later on, the mum left.

Emma texts her mum goodnight.

Aged 19

Emma got a boyfriend and had sex for the first time.

Emma called her mum and had a girl's chat.

Aged 22

Emma graduated from university.

Emma's mum cried.

Aged 27

It was a big day today. Emma was moving in with the love of her life Miles. That guy who she lived with in her first year who smirked at her and her mother? Yes him. Emma had her own life now. A decent-paying job, her dream flat, a boyfriend who she was head over heels in love with, and most importantly a cat called Mocha.

Emma ignored her mum's call before she was busy unpacking.

Emma's mum had been rushed to hospital.

1 month later

It was Emma's mum's funeral today.

Aged 28

Emma found out she was pregnant.

Aged 29

A healthy baby girl was born

Aged 34

The girl was 5 years old when she first ran into her mum and dad's room claiming there was a monster in her wardrobe. Lamps from both sides flicked on and both the parents flung back the covers so the little girl could climb in between. Emma soothed her daughter's head whilst Miles grabbed a glass of water from the adjoining bathroom. She gulped down the water. The hiccups began. Despite what their daughter ran in here for both the parents couldn't help but laugh at their daughter's hiccups.

The girl frowned, "Not funny,"

Emma and Miles tried to smother their laughter but the girl's lip twitched and before they knew it they were bellyaching laughing. The time read 2 am. The little girl eventually settled.

"Maybe we should get her something so these nightmares aren't a regular occurrence." Miles grabbed the girl's hand and ran a soothing thumb over the back of her hand.

Miles saying that triggered something inside Emma.

"Yeah, maybe."

4 am

Emma's reasons for living slept soundly beside her. Her heart felt so full yet so heavy at the same time. She tried to sleep, but she was itching to go searching. Slowly unlatching from her daughter, Emma padded out of the room and made her way to the basement. Boxes upon boxes decorated the floor. They moved into this place before their daughter was born. Even though they weren't in her dream apartment for long, she knew she was where she needed to be. In the very back corner sat a very crushed box.

Emma's Toys was written on the front in her mother's handwriting. Emma traced the letters on the box where her mother once wrote. She opened the lid and sat at the very top was Pancake. A letter sat next to him.

Hi baby,

I don't know if you noticed that pancake was missing from your room, but I wasn't eavesdropping but I heard your conversation with Grace's. You were all grown up. I know high school was hard and I'm sorry people can be cruel. I know you love Pancake and I know you would be devastated if anything happened to him. That's why he's here in this box with his other friends waiting for you again. I'm not sure when you'll be reading this letter, but you might want him for your children. I can already tell you're rolling your eyes but you want I want grandchildren. Anyway baby, please stop growing up,

Love you're number one everything, 

Mum

22 years pancake had been waiting for someone to pick him up again. Emma picked up her 2nd oldest friend. She brought it upstairs to her daughter.

Catherine.

Cat for short.

Named after her mum.