rough drafted memories.

the small, orange flower barrette placed delicately but precisely in her long, espresso colored locks caught my eye immediately. this young girl of only ten years offered me the twin to her precious treasure. i proudly place this two-dollar barrette in my own dirty blonde hair. we try to smile through this realization--this is our goodbye. elephant-sized tears start to flood out of her deep chocolate eyes. in a split-second, she is in my arms. a crowbar could not separate us. as we embrace, i offer up the few feeble words of love and encouragement i can scramble to find. i feel protective, i feel motherly, i feel angry, i feel brokenhearted by the pain and abuse i know she has intensely felt and experienced. my heart longs to capture her out of this inexpressible danger and rescue her like the princess she is. our goodbye is ending and i am conscious of that terrible truth that this may very well be the last time we embrace. i strongly whisper my love to her in the last seconds. releasing her, i notice we are mirror images of each other--priceless orange barrettes and elephant tears worn with regal pride.