Baby Mine: a historical drama set in late 1940s America

By Kellyn Roth

Detroit, USA, 1948

 

Amaliya Preobrazhensky lives with her mother in a tiny apartment. They don't have much except each other, but that's all right. Every day, God provides.

 

When Amaliya's father, who hasn't been around since before she was born, returns and a custody battle begins, it's hard for her to understand. Can a man she's never met really take her away from her beloved mother? Why would God let such a thing happen?

 

Sensitivity Warning: this novella features mistreatment of characters based upon their ethnicity (Russian) and other prejudices (unmarried mother). Though good triumphs in the end, it is not before a mighty struggle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kellyn Roth
• Release date: May 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393109945

Book preview

For all the broken homes, and the forgotten little ones who suffer most from them.

Chapter One

March 1948

Detroit, Michigan

Baby mine, don’t you cry ...

MOMMY WALTZED ABOUT the room, holding me tight against her shoulder and singing my favorite song. It was from Dumbo, a movie I adored—all the more so because seeing it had been a gift for my fourth birthday.

It was the only movie I’d ever seen, and I didn’t want to see another one. Not when it meant Mommy pinched and scrimped and deprived herself so for it. It wasn’t fair.

At last Mommy’s soft voice faded off, and she lowered me to the bed.

Mommy, one more time? I whispered.

Oh, Amaliya, you’re supposed to be asleep! She smoothed my hair back. It was the same shade as hers—a soft brown. I didn’t like my hair on me, but on Mommy, it was beautiful. She was the prettiest lady in the whole world, after all—or at least in Detroit, which was as much as I’d seen.

Hush now. It’s time to close your eyes. She rose from the bedside and tucked herself into the twin across the room. We had matching beds, Mommy and I.

Sweet dreams, baby mine.

I closed my eyes and was soon asleep.

THE NEXT MORNING, MOMMY was already up when I opened my eyes. She was dressed in a simple dull green suit with her hair pulled back and her glasses perched neatly on her nose.

Mommy didn’t have new, fashionable clothes, makeup, or a stylish hairdo, but I still thought she looked like the boss of a big company instead of just a telephone operator, as Mommy always said.

Time to get dressed, sunshine! Mommy said. We’ve a full day of work ahead of us.

I hopped out of bed and pulled on my dress and shoes. Mommy combed my hair and added a kiss to each cheek for good measure.

There, baby mine, you’re ready to face the world with a smile. She playfully tugged on one of my now-smooth locks. Let’s go to work!

Some days God sent a babysitter—but we never knew which days those would be. And sometimes God told us we’d just have to grin and bear it—and that meant sitting very quietly next to Mommy or in the break room for hours with nothing to do.

I hoped God would send someone today. I could see through our cloudy little window that it was a lovely spring morning, even in Detroit. I wanted to run and jump!

Mommy and I left our tiny apartment behind and walked down the stairs. We greeted everyone we met coming up as well as folks we met in the lobby. As usual, we especially took time