Love Triangle sung by Raelynn

She could remember it like it was yesterday. The summer breeze was soft and gentle. It blew her braids off her shoulders. She was sitting on her front step by her little white suitcase. As she peacefully listened to the birds tweet their tunes, she heard his diesel before it reached their white picket fence. His head lights were burning down the Friday night.

Her beautiful mother stood in the screen door, watching her whole wide world head towards the dusty old Ford. "Daddy!" Anna called as she ran towards the man who couldn't look her mama in the eye. Anna gave him her biggest hug. She jumped into the blue truck and rolled down her window. She stuck her little head out and called,"Bye Momma!" She waved. Her momma chuckled at her silly behavior and waved her goodbye. She hoped her baby would be okay.

Anna and her daddy sat at the bowling alley. He ordered her a burger complete with a milkshake and fries. It was their favorite pastime. Eventually, they loaded up and headed off to the same old two-dollar matinee. "Baby, how's your school been?" Daddy asked.

Anna looked at the ground and swung her feet back and forth. "Good." She replied. She loved her pretty cowgirl boots. Her momma bought them for her seventh birthday. She adored them.

"And how's your mom?" Her daddy persisted. He was always a kind man to Anna, but for some reason, her momma and him didn't get along. They lived in separate houses and towns, taking turns tossing her back and forth. Anna didn't understand why they didn't live together like other mommas and daddies.

"She's good too." Anna smiled as she looked up at her daddy's face. His blue eyes matched hers. They drove down the gravel road, listening to Patsy Cline echo off the dashboard. Her momma always listened to her, making Anna miss her mama.

Anna looked down at the dusty old floorboard of his truck. Her daddy was always covered in dust from working in the fields. "Baby, two weeks isn't really all that long." Her daddy encouraged. Anna had gotten home sick. She usually spent two nights at her daddy's, the weekend. Soon, they watched their favorite movie, laughing and bring tears to each other's eyes, making her feel better.

"Daddy," Anna started as he tucked her into her bed. He hummed, showing he was listening to her. "Why don't you and momma live together anymore?" She asked. He daddy sighed and gave her her teddy bear. "All of my other friend's parents do."

"Some mommies and daddies love each other till the end of time, taking a long sweet ride forever." He softly smiled. Anna scrunched her face in confusion.

"I don't understand." She frowned.

"Some mommas and daddies love in a straight line, like this," Her daddy demonstrated as he stuck out his hand. She looked at it in interest. "But some mommas and daddies' love gets all tangled up and torn, ripping their heartstrings." Her daddy explained as he twisted his hands together.

"Is that what happened to you and momma?" Anna questioned. Anna knew that once you tore something, you couldn't put it back together.

"Yes, baby," he frowned as he kissed her forehead. "Goodnight." He smiled as he got off her bed. He was about to shut off her light when she quickly protested. She sat straight up, ready to jump out of bed.

"Wait!" She called. He stopped and looked her in the eyes, with his hand still on the light switch. "Will our love get all tangled up too?" She asked. She didn't want to lose her daddy forever.

"No baby. Our love will last forever, just like this." Her daddy smiled, sticking out a straight hand. He shut off her light, sending her into darkness. He quietly shut her door and walked back downstairs. Anna listened to his footsteps creak, getting softer and softer the further away he got. The crickets chirped as she thought about how different her life was now.

Eventually, they pulled up to her momma's house. Anna ran up to her momma. She tightly wrapped her arms around her pink skirt. She was happy to be home. She heard her daddy's car pulling out. She quickly stuck her head out the window. Her braids were dangling out the side. "Bye Daddy!" She called as she waved him goodbye. He smiled and waved back at his sweet, little girl.

Anna's momma's and daddy's love ran out in '94, neither one saying a word to the other after that, but that didn't stop her from having a wonderful childhood. She spent days baking with her momma and going bowling with her daddy. Anna didn't get stuck between picking sides and talking bad about the other parent. She grew up in a tangled love triangle, but it help her grow as a person. Anna knew how the real world worked.

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