5 years old

A little girl on a swing. Her hair in a pony tail, swinging back and forth. She smiled as the summer breeze caressed her cheeks, eyes turning into crescents as she looked at the world upside down. Baby blue sky and scattering rays of gold. Skin flushed red in the summer sun, she learned to listen to mommy when it's time to go home.

12 years old

Pink shoes and pretty dresses. It's Halloween and everyone wanted to be a Princess, so did she. So mommy did her hair and daddy told her how pretty she looked, a girl with the whole universe in her eyes. Halloween passed and she learned to love her parents.

16 years old.

Boys and kisses. The little girl left her baby fat and thick glasses, she now wore skinny jeans and denim jacket. A boy took her to dates and give her flowers. She later realised that flowers die and hearts break. Mommy cried with her to sleep and daddy bought her ice cream. That spring she learned love comes in many ways.

23 years old

The semester was almost over. A whole month until graduation to figure out what's next. Paying bills have never looked so scary until this point. Could she afford to even feed her cats? But mommy said not to worry. Daddy said his little girl have always been strong. That day on graduation, she cried in her parents' arms.

31 years old

Two twin boys running across the yard. A mother of three, with one still hiding from the world. Her husband's out there fixing kiddy pools with his clothes half drenched, looking majestic as always. She told the boys not to play with the hose only to turn around and hear them screaming again. She's reminded of how daddy would bring her to play swings when it's summer, even when mommy said no. That night she called home.

50 years old

It's quiet. Her children just left after dinner. She made roasted duck, her youngest's favourite and they talked and laughed until their stomach hurt. She looked up to see her husband looking back, a fond smile on his face. The family photo on her right a stark contrast against the pale cream wall. Mommy and daddy was smiling back at her, their eyes glimmering. That night she wondered if she's ever been like mommy and daddy. Would her children look into her eyes and see constellations, ones they crafted with their own bare hands.

n.a.