A little girl, around the age of 6, runs down the street. She wears a huge grin, and her short blonde hair bounces behind her. It was the first day of school, and she was so excited to go. The morning sun had just barely started peaking over the roofs of the city buildings, and the streets were already busy.

"Torunn!" A dark haired woman shouts from behind her. Torunn giggles and stops just long enough to turn and see the woman walking after her, before taking off running again. "Torunn slow down!"

"Mommy, come on!" The girl shouts back, waving her forward. "We're going to miss the bus." The girls mother shook her head and chuckled.

"No, we won't. We're early." She replied as she caught up with her daughter. Torunn started to turn and run again, but her mother grabbed her hand and held fast. "We won't be late." She reassured.

As they neared the bus stop, Torunn started hopping in excitement. "Look mom, the bus. It's the bus!" She started trying to run to the bus. Her mother stopped her and turned the girl to face her. Kneeling down to her level, she smiled and planted a kiss to her forehead. "Have fun, and be good." She said before kissing her cheek this time. "I love you."

"Love you too mommy." Torunn said quickly before she ran to the bus and stood in line to get on. She looked at her mom and smiled, waving, before an got on, and headed to school.

***

"Mom, can i start wearing makeup?" Torunn stared in the mirror and scrunched her face up. She would look so much better with it. At least she thought she would. "Mom?"

"What makes you think you need makeup?" Lochilla asked as she came to the bathroom door and leaned against its frame.

"Mom, I'm ugly. I need makeup. Besides, I'm 10 years old now." Torunn said matter of factly. Lochilla smiled and shook her head. She walked into the bathroom and got on her knees, looking in the mirror next to Torunn.

"You know what I see?" She asked as she looked at Torunn in the mirror. Lochilla grabbed the girls shoulder length hair and let it slip through her hand slowly. "I see a beautiful young lady, that doesn't need makeup. I see a young lady that is more beautiful without it." Torunn scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You're just saying that because you're my mom." She said with a smile she was trying to fight off. Although she didn't think she was pretty, her mom, and everyone else seemed to think so.

"I'm saying it, because its true." Torunn turned and looked at her mother face to face, then smiled, and wrapped her arms around her neck in a tight hug. Torunn may have not believed she was pretty, but Lochilla knew, without a doubt, that she was beautiful, and that beauty would only get better as she grew.

***

"Torunn, what happened?" Lochilla asked, concern in her voice. The girl in question stopped her trek to her room and remained still. She knew her mother had seen the bruising, or She would have asked. "Torunn, what happened?" She asked again as she came up to the teenager anf placed her hand on her shoulder. Torunn lifted her head and looked at her mother, her face neutral. Her left cheek and underneath her eye were bruised.

"Some girl at school though it would be funny to hit the girl that doesn't fight. Just to see if she could get her to." Yes, Torunn hated confrontation, and she hated to fight, yet some girl try to get her to. Why, she didn't know. Lochilla looked in her daughter's eyes.

"Did you?" She asked, genuinely curious. Torunn shook her head and looked away from her mom.

"No, I didn't. You know I hate to fight mom." The girl adjusted her backpack and start to head to her room again, when her mother grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Mom, just let me go." Torunn said in irritation.

"Torunn, listen to me. One day, you're going to have to fight." Torunn just shook her head and pulled her hand from her mother's grasp.

"Not If I can help it." She said as she went into her room, shutting the door behind her. Lochilla stayed in the Sam spot and crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head.

"Teenagers. If only she knew."

***

"Mom! Do you know where my charger is?" Torunn hollered from her room as she tossed articles of clothing over her shoulder. She was packing things up because she had rented an apartment of her own, and was going to start moving some of her things there.

"No, I don't." She said as she came into the room and looked around at the disaster. Her room normally stayed so clean and organized, and now, it looked as if a tornado hit it. She chuckled as she watched her daughter search through her disaster of a room for her phone charger. Torunn suddenly stopped and groaned in frustration, tossing a pair of pants into the corner of her room. "Why don't you take a break? Eat something?"

"I'm just trying to get everything done and organised before tonight." She replied as she started folding her clothes instead of looking for her charger.

"What's the rush?" Lochilla asked, hurt lacing her voice. Torunn stopped and looked up at her mother, suddenly feeling guilty. She tucked her long blonde hair behind her ear and stepped up to her mom, pulling her in a hug.

"I'm sorry, mom. Im not in a rush to get away, just to get everything ready to go." Her explanation probably wasn't any better. Lochilla wrapped her arms around Torunn and pulled her close. "I won't be gone forever, mom." She said as if to reassure her.

"I know, it's just had to believe that you're 19 now, and ready to go start your own life."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Torunn said as she pulled away and smiled warmly at the woman.