Principessa: Prologue

Lenny clasped her head in her hands and exhaled. She was having the worst day ever and she couldn't wait till her shift was over, so she could go home, curl up in bed and shun the rest of the world with her duvet blanket. She had been on her feet for the better half of the day, waitressing at one of those posh do's of canapes and flutes of expensive champagne with a smile plasted on her face and now, it was well into the early morning and she was at the laundrette, washing and folding linen. She had been working odd jobs here and there for quite some time now, she used to think it kept life interesting but it made life harder but she was thankful for the jobs in hand.

Lenny stood up and swept a stray of brown chestnut hair away from her eyes, as she folded the linen twice and laid it on the existing pile. It was a lonely job, but someone had to do it and the pay was better then waitressing, so she couldn't pass up an opportunity like that... not when she had to make rent and indulge her love of reading. Reading had been her escape from a destitute life, born and raised in a foster home that was meant to offer security but offered anything but. She had been harassed by the other foster kids and her foster parents had taken a fond liking to the other children and she felt like an ugly duckling and outcast. When she had turned sixteen, she had got a job at a library as a library assistant, the pay was pretty decent and she put in the extra shifts after school and saved up her pennies.

When Lenny had turned eighteen, she had enough money to rent out a small place that was being advertised in the local paper and it was good riddance to foster care and hello independence. The feeling of being able to support one's self was liberating and extremely hard, but it was all worth it. Her only responsibility was herself and that was whom she cared for at the end of the day and if she were to have children of her own one day, she would cherish and love them, no matter what. She would not allow her parent's mistakes and bad character tarnish that. She would love her child in abundance.