• On her 11th birthday, a young girl recieved a soft white tank top with red roses as a decorative pattern. She loved the shirt dearly, because it was given to her by her mother, who passed away the next winter from lukeimia. On a chilly September day, the girl but on a plain white undershirt and put the tanktop over the undershirt to keep the memory of her mother close.
    The bus was waiting outside, and soon drove off, tired of waiting for her. The young girl felt a stab of pain. Her father was already at work, and she didn't want to bother him. He worked so hard to keep their small family afloat. The girl grabbed her backpack off the kitchen table, ran out the door, and started jogging towards the school.
    She passed through the run down area of the city. Panting hard, she paused at a stop sign to get a second wind. An empty cardboard box fluttered in the wind. The girl looked closer, and saw a huddled mass of cloth and flesh. A skinny young 10 year-old poked her head out and drew the cloth closer to herself to keep warm. The stoplight changed, but the young girl didn't move.
    Both girls faced each other, and finally the older came towards the younger one.
    "Hi."
    When she spoke, her breath formed a white cloud. The older girl noticed her shivering, and her teeth were chattering too loud for her to answer. When she finally was warm enough to talk, she said her name.
    "I-I-I'm Jessie. You have a very pretty shirt."
    Jessie, the young girl in the box, drew the meager scraps of cloth closer to her.
    "I'm Emily." The 11-year old said.
    Jessie rubbed her hands together and blew into them. Emily self-conciously felt the old worn rose pattern of the shirt. Then she took off her jacket, and tank top. She handed them both to the tiny girl.
    "You need them more then I do." Emily spoke quickly, remembering the time.
    The cold wind bit into her undershirt, and she took off running again. She ran across the intersection, nearly getting herself run over by a SUV, and ran the last mile to school.
    She ended up right on time.

    ______-_______-______

    10 years later.

    Emily, sadly stared off into space, away from her colledge studies, and out the tiny dorm window, remembering that day so many years ago.
    'Momma, are you proud of me?'
    She thought silently. She smiled at the good memories she and her mom shared, so long ago. Her dorm room mate, slept in deep sleep on the second cot/bed in the room. She muttered something about not kicking the cops and rolled over.
    Emily smiled, and went back into her thoughts, only to be brought out of them by a soft knock on the door. She pushed back the chair and walked over to the door. She twisted the doorknob until it clicked, and pulled it back.
    No one was there accept for a small delicately wrapped package.
    Emily picked it up and walked back into the room. It was probably a prank from the neighbors. Emily was about to throw it in the trash when she thought, just out of curiousity, what it could be. She sat down at her desk and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a small tank top with roses on it.
    Emily sat there stunned. Nobody else knew about what happened with her tank top. That could only mean one thing.
    Emily picked up the tank top and onto the tiny dorm balcony. Walking slowly across the colledge lawn, was a young dark haired woman, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt.
    'Maybe. . .'
    Emily thought unsteadily. Then the woman turned and caught Emily's stare. Then she smiled, winked, and walked away.
    Emily smiled back.