“What’s that?”

“Oh this? Hmmm.”  Angelica stretched it forward toward her mother.

Bette took the paper, initially confused as to exactly what it was. She freed Angelica’s hand and she cast Angelica a peculiar look hoping this wasn’t something bad from Angelica’s school. Her shoulders straightened as she braced herself for the worse until she turned the paper over and turned it upright to look at the front page.

Her gasp was immediate and priceless as her eyes widened at the big red A at the top right hand corner.

Check marks ran steadily down the front of the paper. She looked at Angelica again. And her smile got even bigger as she opened the paper and looked at the second page. The check marks went on and on with only a few wrong answers, but she hardly saw those.

Bette smiled at Angelica and Angelica saw the love beamed on her mother’s face.

They smiled at each other.

Bette closed the paper again, taking a second look at the grade on the front page. A. In big bold red ink. Name: Angelica Porter. Subject: Prelim Chem. Grade: A.

She hasn’t seen one of these from Angelica in over a year – over a year. She stared down at the paper, looking at the number of check marks at right answers. Most of the answers she doesn’t even know herself. She smiled. The paper meant so much. This only signified one thing – her thirteen year old daughter was turning her life around and coming back to being the Angelica she knew Angelica was meant to be. Angelica was studying much harder now and this was one of the first bit of evidence that Angelica was getting back on track.

“I ahm…” Bette took a deep breath. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you Momma.”

They smile at each other again.

“Wow. I feel like framing it.”

“No.” Angelica laughed. “No need Momma. Besides, they’ll be too many for you to frame.”

“Too many?” Bette raised a brow trying hard to contrast her huge smile.

“Momma, I promised I’ll do better. I said I’ll try harder and I will. I promise you. So nothing but A’s and B’s from now on.” Angelica held up her right hand. “Girl Scouts honor, okay?”