useless. that is how I feel watching my mother crying. unable to move, i stare at her shivering and trembling figure. hot tears stream down her face, joining the glass shards on the floor. i don't know how this happened. she was standing there smiling, radiating with happiness. then, mere minutes later, glass is strewn on the floor. her laughter, full of love and warmth, is replaced by tears. the room is silent, i don't know what to do. the only sound there is, is my mother’s sobbing. the door slams. i can hear his footsteps, each step injecting me with more fear. i meet my mother’s eyes and see they hold so much fear and hopelessness. the footsteps grow closer. my eyes widen as I take deep breaths, attempting to calm my erratic heartbeat. i am desperate. my eyes search the room in vain. i look back at my mother and it is clear she had given up. she knows what is about to happen and has accepted it. her beautiful eyes, once lively and full of love, are now empty and void of feeling. staring back at me, tears well in her eyes. still looking at me, she whispers ‘i love you’. then, the door bursts open. he is home.