Haley was sound asleep. She heard the bell. "Come on the sleepy head!" Her mom said. She was groggy. She started to come to. Her mom hugged her and lifted her out of her bed. She sat down on the floor.
Within a few minutes, the guard arrived. Her mom took her hand. They stood several feet away from the door. "Open it up!" The guard said to the technician. The door opened up. Her mom picked her up and they joined the line.
Mothers and children had separate shower facilities. Keri was grateful for that. There were separate stalls.
They returned to her cell. In the daytime, the cell door could be unlocked. Keri put on her blue jeans and teal prison-issue shirt. She helped Haley get dressed. She combed her daughter's hair. Like Keri, Haley wore her hair down. Keri had dark black hair.
They got ready for breakfast. They walked to the mess hall. The families had a separate mess hall. Everyone in the family mess Hall we're a non-violent offender. It was a privilege that could be revoked at any time. Some infractions put you on the danger list. Other infractions were instant revocation of the privilege. Once you lost this privilege it was almost impossible to get it back although it did happen now and then.
Keri was a model prisoner. She had nothing to worry about. She was well. liked but the staff made sure to follow the rules. She wanted to be a good example for Haley. She wanted her to know that lemonade could be made from the worst lemons. She was careful to follow the rules of the letter. She had been to solitary. She never had an Infarction. She always passed room inspections. Her room was made by protocol.
They arrived at the mess hall. She grabbed a plate and helped Haley with hers. They had a cereal bowl for Haley. They had something similar to fruit loops. That was her favorite. The prison got a generic brand. There were expired but they were fine. They did not taste stale. Even if they were, Haley probably would not know the difference. She had eggs, bacon, and toast. The eggs were a bit runny but she still liked them.
They sat down with other moms and kids. Shannon was someone she considered her best prison friend. Shannon was in prison for fraud. She had been embezzled from her company. She was sentenced to two to five years. She had her six-year-old daughter Emmy and two-year-old mia with her. Haley was close with her kids.
Shannon was funny. She was very creative and artistic. She was known for being artistic. She had the most decorated cell. She volunteered in the drug treatment program for inmates struggling with...