I picked up the crying baby, trying my hardest to hold in the tears of fatigue. I rocked the little girl in my arms while walking to the kitchen to make some baby formula. I walked back to the nursery to sit in the rocking chair to feed her. After feeding and burping the sweet child, I softly sang until May fell asleep on my chest. Exhaustion led me to follow suit soon after.

I drowsily rubbed my eyes before snapping them open in realization. I quickly picked May up from my chest, waking her up in the process. She started crying from being abruptly awoken while I hastily dressed her. I, then, set her in her crib before running to my room to change out of yesterday’s clothes, jump into my shoes, and get back to May, who was still crying. I picked her up and tried to gently but quickly jog to get my car keys and phone before leaving the small apartment. I got into the car and drove just barely under the speed limit.

I jumped out of the car to unbuckle the little girl in the back seat. I walked into the daycare to drop May off then hurried my way to school to get there before the bell. I quickly put my greasy, unclean hair up in a messy bun before getting out and speed walking to my first class.

At lunch, I took my food outside, sat under a tree, and began my homework. However, even with all the effort I put into focusing on getting an A, my mind kept wandering back to May. Was she okay? Was she hungry? Was she tired? Was she missing me?

Eventually, I managed to push those thoughts away and complete my assignment while finishing off my meal. Once I was happy and confident with the final result, I put it in my backpack and checked the time. Needing the sleep, I took advantage of the time I had before class started even if it was only a couple of minutes. The bell rang, so I reluctantly opened my eyes and walked back to the main building.

After school, I drove to pick up May before heading home. She fell asleep in the car, so I quietly got out and picked her up before heading inside. I walked into the nearly empty house then to the nursery to let the little girl in her crib.

Her room was the only one decorated in the apartment with light purple walls, butterfly decals, a white rocking chair in the corner, and a few stuffed animals I purchased from the money I made when I sold the lamps, rugs, and every other loose piece of furniture I could find. The rest of the tiny apartment had white and empty walls.

I shut the door softly and made my way to my room. I fell onto the mattress laying on the floor. I let myself rest my eyes for a moment or two before forcing myself up. I wanted to get ahead on school work. I had been slowly but surely burning through the tens of thousands of dollars I had in the college fund I set up years ago, so I hoped I could get a scholarship that paid for most, if not all, of my college tuition. My grades needed to be kept up if that was ever going to happen. I just need to get through high school, get into a college that offers to pay a decent chunk of tuition, get a good job, and make sure May is happy. Her childhood can’t be like mine.