Chapter 2: Secrets Behind the Smile

Daisy woke up before the sun every morning. Her small room had no alarm clock. But her babies had their own way of waking her up—soft cries that cut through the cold air. She kissed their cheeks and whispered, “Good morning, my little hearts.” Her hands were tired. Her body was weak. But her voice stayed full of love.

The apartment was old. Water leaked from the roof. The walls were cracked. Some days, there was no light. But Daisy never let her children see fear. She smiled at them every morning, even when her heart was breaking inside. That smile—warm, strong, and full of lies—was the only thing she could afford to give them every day.

Daisy worked hard. She took a cleaning job at a rich woman’s house. The woman’s name was Mrs. Charlotte. She had gold rings, soft hands, and a voice like ice. “Don’t touch the piano,” she once said. “Don’t sit down.” Daisy only nodded. She had no time for anger. She needed the job.

At lunchtime, Daisy sat outside in the cold. She ate dry bread and drank water. Her hands shook, but she smiled. She smiled for the world, for the children she loved, and for the life she was trying to rebuild. But behind that smile were nights without sleep, a heart full of fear, and a soul that cried in silence.

One evening, Daisy was walking home from work with two heavy bags. A man followed her. He whistled. He said, “Hey, pretty girl, come with me.” Daisy walked faster. Her heart beat loud. She reached home and locked the door. She held her babies and cried. “Why is the world so cruel to women like me?”

But she didn’t stop working. She couldn’t. Liam and Lily needed diapers, milk, warm clothes. Some nights, Daisy skipped dinner so her children could eat. She told herself, “I’m not hungry,” even when her stomach screamed. That was the secret behind her smile. A mother’s love that chose hunger, pain, and fear—just so her children could sleep peacefully.

At night, she talked to herself. She said, “You can do this, Daisy. You are their world now.” She looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the face. Pale, tired eyes. Rough hands. Dry lips. But she still smiled. That smile was her armor. Her shield.

One day, she went to a small local school to ask about admission. The lady at the desk looked at her clothes and frowned. “This is a good school,” she said. “It’s expensive. Can you pay?” Daisy looked down, then said, “Not now. But one day, I will.” The lady laughed. Daisy walked out with her head down but her heart burning. She promised herself, “Liam and Lily will study here. One day.”

At the park, she saw parents with toys, snacks, and time. Daisy had none of that. She brought her children old bread, and sat on the bench with her shoes torn and her heart heavy. But again, she smiled. Her children were her light. She would not let them see her break.

At work, Mrs. Charlotte once asked, “Why do you always smile?” Daisy didn’t answer. What could she say? That her smile was fake? That she cried in the shower? That she feared the next day? No. Daisy just said, “Because life is still beautiful, ma’am.” She turned away and cleaned the floor, her eyes full of quiet tears.

One day, her son Liam fell sick. His skin was hot. His voice was weak. Daisy rushed to the hospital. The doctor asked for money first. She didn’t have it. She begged. She cried. “Please save my child,” she said. A kind nurse helped secretly. Liam got the medicine.

That night, Daisy sat by his side and whispered, “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll fight the world for you.” Her tears fell, but her voice stayed strong. That was the secret behind her smile—love stronger than pain.

Many people saw her smile. But no one saw the nights she walked without shoes in the cold to save on bus money. No one saw how her fingers bled after scrubbing floors. No one saw how many times she was insulted and told to “go back where you came from.” She heard it all. She felt it all. But still, she smiled. Not for herself. For them.

She was alone. But she was not weak.

She had nothing. But she gave everything.

She was Daisy. The mother who smiled through storms.