The stars flooded the dark sky and surrounded the brightest star of all, the moon. It was full and could be seen for miles.

In a deluxe apartment laid a female with long, silky brunette hair, bright jade eyes and had soft, smooth and tan skin. She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours before giving up. Clearly the sleep train has left her at the station.

Seconds turned to minutes before a knock was heard from the white painted door of her large bedroom. Without an answer the door pushed opened to reveal a five year old girl with long curly brunette hair, dark skin and brown eyes. She had on green and white pyjamas with a brown teddy bear held tightly in her right arm.

Flora saw the young girl and moved over to the left side of the bed to make space for her. Patting on the available space, the older female cooed. "Come little one."

The girl gladly jumped onto the bed before positioning herself underneath the pink sheet. "Momma, I can't sleep. Can you tell me a story about a Prince and his Princess?"

"The sleep train left you too, Layla." Flora sighed sadly, thinking about which Fairytale story to tell her. "Okay, how about Cinderella?"

Layla shock her head before it onto the fluffy pillow. "Cinderella is so overdone."

"Okay, how about Snow White?" Flora asked.

"Sure." Layla chimed, hugging her teddy bear tighter.

"Once upon a time there lived a girl with skin has white as snow, hair and eyes as black as fire ashes and lips as red as cherry. Her mother dubbed her Snow White." Flora stroke Layla's right cheek. "Her mother died shortly after her birth, leaving Snow White to be raised by her father. As the year passed Snow White grew into a beautiful woman and men all over wanted her as their bride. Her father thought she needed a motherly figure and remarried."

"To a wicked witch right?" Layla asked, becoming more interested in the story.

"Yes to a wicked witch." Flora smiled. "The new Queen was beautiful and vain. She would go to her magic mirror and say, 'Mirror, Mirror on the wall! Who is the fairest of them all?' The mirror would usually reply, 'You are my Queen'. One day the mirror gave her a different answer."

"The mirror said Snow White is the fairest of them all." Layla mumbled before a yawn escaped her lips.

"Yes, it did. The Queen became jealous and hired a hunter to kill Snow White." Flora smirked, kissing the child's forehead. "The hunter carried Snow White to the woods and let her go. Snow White wondered the woods till she found a cottage. Entering the small building she fell asleep in one of the seven beds. When night came seven dwarves came in and was surprise to see such a beauty in their home. Do you know the dwarves name, Lals?"

"Doc, Grumpy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, Sneezy and Dopey." Layla called out while using her hands to count off the dwarves.

"Correct." Flora applauded her. "They found Snow White in one of their beds. Once the black hair beauty awoke and saw the short men, she asked to stay with them. They agreed in favour of her cooking and cleaning for them. Days later at the Palace, the Queen asked her magic mirror who is the fairest of them all and it surprised her by saying Snow White. The evil Queen found out where her step daughter was and transformed into an old lady. Heading to the cottage, the Queen gave Snow White..."

Flora saw Layla yawning and decided to summarize the story even more. "The Queen gave Snow White a poisonous apple. The black hair beauty took a small bite of the fruit before falling into a deep sleep. The Queen managed to escape before the dwarves came. The seven men tried everything they could but could not wake up the Princess. They then placed Snow White into a glass coffin and placed her upon top of a hill. A year or so passed before a handsome Prince came by on a house. He was captured by Snow White's beauty and wanted her. The dwarves explained what happened to the Princess. The young man removed the cover of the coffin and gave Snow White a kiss. The small piece of the apple came out and Snow White awoke."

"Snow White fell in love with the Prince at first sight?" Layla questioned as her eyes closed.

"Right. They got together and eventually set to get married." Flora informed her, knowing the girl was about to fall asleep. "They invited the Step Mother to the wedding. The Queen was surprised to see that Snow White was alive after thinking she was dead for so long. After the wedding ended Snow White and the Prince gave the evil Queen hot iron shoes to wear. The Queen put them on and began dancing in them till she died. Snow White and the Prince lived happy ever after."

"Fairytales are so unrealistic." Layla yawned, preparing to drift off to sleep. "I like the ending though. The couple always end up together and I like that. Momma, I want you to find your Prince Charming like the Princesses in the stories. I want you to be happy like my real momma and papa."

Flora sighed, hearing soft snores escape Layla's lips. The young one was out like a light. Flora was Layla adoptive mother. The young one biological parents, Aisha and Nabu passed away two years ago in a car crash. Flora had agreed to become Layla's legal guardian at the time of birth.

Now at age twenty-two she was a mother without actually giving birth.

Getting comfortable, she thought. 'I like the idea of a happily ever after. This is the real world though and there is no such thing as a happy ever after. Besides it's not like I have guys lining up by my door begging for a date.'

Flora was deep in her thought before sleep came over her.

Have had this story in my mind for years and debating on whether to put it up or not. Tell me what you think and open to honesty.