Saved By A Bully

Chapter 7 : Playing with Emma

"Emma, where did you go? Come to your mommy, love. She is waiting for you." I said in a humming tone. 

We were playing hide and seek. That little thing runs faster than me. I wasn't aware of how fast she can move with crawling on the floor. I was huffing and puffing to look for her all around the house. I again said in a very scary tone, "Emma, if I find you, you do know what I would do to you?" Playing with a cute toothless rabbit isn't easy. I realized that in one day. 

Hey, she is not toothless. My subconscious sneered at me in which I only rolled my eyes at her.

Ya, ya. I know that she has some. How could not I know that when I am the one who takes care of her teeth? I said myself. In my childhood, I always wanted a rabbit as my pet. But guess what? I got one.

Emma. 

She doesn't look less than a rabbit when she gave me a toothy grin. 

Coming out from my neighbors home with Emma, I directly entered our home. She was awake and was in a mood to play all day long. I took a shower and had my lunch within fifteen minutes before I joined her to play with her. She had her lunch in aunt Lina's home as I packed her lunch with her snacks and fruits in her bag before I had left for work as a waitress in that restaurant. I fed her fruits at the time of our play.

Now it is seven in the evening and we are still playing! For over four hours long! Goodness! I laughed to myself and shook my head in amusement. I said with a grin, "Oh, Emma. Come on now. I promise I will not tickle you. You know your mommy never lies, right?" I heard a sound that was coming behind the couch. I smirked evilly before I slowly began walking toward the couch. Aha, now who is going to save her?

I peeked to see the other side of that couch to see Emma was holding a chocolate in her hand, pressing her back against that couch seemed like she wanted that couch to hide her before I could catch her. I smirked at her before leaning my face near her ear and whispered, "Caught you!!" She got startled and screamed out, "Ahh!!" She looked at me with her terror-filled blue eyes. I laughed at her and began running behind her to catch her. She again started crawling at a full-speed so that I would fail to catch her. 

I turned around and ran to catch her from the front. She was screaming and laughing, "NO!!" Her eyes widened in horror to see her mommy about to catch her. "NOOO!!!!" She began calling faster than before. 

I screamed back with a laugh, "YES!!" I screamed out as I stopped in front of her. 

Before she could run away again, I caught her in my arms and laid her on the nearby couch. Wiggling my fingers in front of her, I said with a peal of evil laughter, "Now who is going to save you from the tickle monster? The monster won't leave easily." 

She screamed and giggled as I started tickling her everywhere. She was giggling and whining to me, "Mo...me...ey...y, N...no!" She pouted and giggled with me. Holding my hand, she tried to stop me, but she forgot who is the stronger one here. "No!!!!!!" She screamed in horror when I showed her my teeth. 

I laughed at her, saying, "No? But you wanted to play and this is the rule, isn't it?" I stopped tickling her before taking her in my arms, I kissed all over her face. She was giggling as I was kissing. She is very ticklish. Her face turned red and her eyes were showing happiness and glinting more brighter than before. She shook her head, saying, "No, no, ru...uul....eeessss." No, rules! She bit my cheek again which made me frown at her. She shouldn't have done that. 

I gave her a fake angry look before saying, "The rule was if I win I will tickle you, and if you win, you will bite me with your tooth which I brush and took care of like precious diamonds. You bite me so many times today, remember?" So, unfair! 

She hid her face on her crook of my neck, began rubbing her face like a kitten. I sighed and smiled at her cuteness. She was tired after playing for so long. It didn't take much time for her to fall asleep. I took her to my room and laid her down on the bed. I was staring at her face without blinking. She reminds me of my sister, Emma's biological mother. Emma looks just like her. She got her sparkling blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. 

I had to escape from my country with Emma as I didn't have any option left other than that. I promised her mother that I will keep her daughter, my Emma safe and give her the normal life that she deserves. I am doing my everything to keep my Emma happy and I am ready to lose my life only to keep her alive. They will never succeed in getting a hold of my Emma. I would make sure of it. 

No one knows that Emma isn't my daughter, not even my neighbor, aunt Nina. When she asked me about my daughter's father, I had to lie to her, saying, "He dumped me after hearing the news of my pregnancy. My parents abandoned me and threw me out of their home. So, I escaped and came here to stay." Aunt Nina believed in my lies and encouraged me to keep going. She also told me she will help me with every step I would take. I felt bad in lying about Emma and me to her. But I can't possibly tell her about our identity. It will be risky for her and us if everyone comes to know who I am and who is Emma. 

I can't take a risk now where I am all alone. No one is beside me other than aunt Nina who can never get along with them if someone they get to find us and come to take us with them. I know very well that day will be the last day of my life along with Emma's. I am not going to accept that, not when I have promised my sister to give Emma a troubleless future. It is also my dream to see Emma is growing up and going to her college someday. That is not going to happen any time soon, but for now, I have to earn money to send her to school after two to three years. She will go to school and then college... So many boys will be there. I don't want them near her.

I sighed before leaving my bedroom to go to make something for our dinner. I thought to cook her favorite food, fish curry and steamed rice. She loves to eat fish more than meat. I even have a hard time feeding her boiled egg. She loves omelet and hates boiled egg only she knows why. Before I avoided feeding her spicy foods but in the way she used to give me her pleading and glassy eyes, I lost it. Now in her one-year-old, she eats whatever I eat. She was not demanding about giving her this or that other than requesting me not to give her fruits in her porridge which I never listen to. I love to hear her whining to see me cutting fruits for her.