The Daughter of The Goodmans

~ 27th May ~

I slowly open my eyes as I hear my alarm scream in my ear, I grab my phone and turn it off before burying my head back into the pillows. I don't realise I've fallen back asleep until mum knocks on the door, I jolt up and get up out of bed to open the door. I swing it open to see her looking slightly concerned.

"Talia, is everything okay?" She asks me.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" I ask her in a shaky voice.

"Well it's 9am and you were meant to be at school half an hour ago."

"Oh my god!! I slept in so late!!" I shout as I rush over to my draws, I start taking my uniform out but mum grabs my hands to stop me.

"Talia....are you doing okay?"

I look her with tears beginning to form in my eyes, I try to stop myself but before I know it I've burst out crying and I've fallen into her arms.

"Hey hey, it's okay. I'm here." She says as she rubs my back.

"It's just all too much." I tell her as I continue to sob my eyes out.

"What is?"

"Everything! School, life....just everything."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I just want a day away from it all."

"Okay, then I'll let you have exactly that. We can have a day of watching movies whilst we eat whatever crap we can find in the cupboards. Does that sound like a good idea?"

"Yeah, yeah it does."

I separate from our hug and wipe the tears that had fallen from my face, I put my clothes back in my draws, grab my phone and head downstairs with mum. She takes me into the living room and sits me down, she puts a blanket over me and passes me the remote to find a movie for us to watch. After about 10 minutes of scrolling I decide to put mums favourite film on, Excuse me, I love you. It's not my all time favourite but I do enjoy it. I wait a few more minutes before dad comes through and sees me still looking a mess, he sits next to me and takes me in his arms.

"Are you doing okay? Mum said you were struggling a bit."

"Life's just getting a bit stressful and I needed a day away from it all."

"It's not George is it? Because if it is I'll...."

"Dad I promise it's not George! It's just school and exams and just life in general. It's all a bit draining and I needed to take care of myself."

"Well please don't over work yourself and enjoy today off, watch whatever you want, eat whatever you want. This is your day and you can do what you want to make you happy."

"Thanks dad."

"Also make sure your mums okay, I think she's also very worried about you. She was just like you in school and she doesn't want to see you push yourself over the edge."

"Okay, I'll make sure she's okay as well."

"Here you are sweetie." Mum says as she comes into the room with two plates of pancakes.

"Aww thanks mum." I say taking a plate from her.

"I'll let you two have your little girlie day, I wouldn't want to be a burden." Dad says getting up.

"Are you not going to join us?" Mum asks him.

"I thought you two just wanted to have a mother daughter day?"

"Mum it's okay, we can have a father daughter day soon." I tell her.

"Okay fine."

"Have fun you two." He says before heading off into his office.

"So what have you picked?" Mum asks me.

"I thought we could watch Excuse me I love you." I tell her.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I haven't watched it in ages."

"Okay, sure."

I press play and start to tuck into the pancakes mum made us, absolutely divine as always!! Every so often throughout the film mum would tell me a fun fact about the film or the concert that she had told me a million times before but I let her tell me again because I loved seeing her so happy, her happiness is the reason I smile every day. As the film finished mum took our plates and I headed upstairs to put my phone back on charge, I went back downstairs and grabbed myself a drink before sitting back down to watch another film. For the next few hours me and mum decided to watch a hard days night, tangled and Monty Python's The life of Brian. As the last film finished I decided to head back upstairs and wake myself up a bit so I decided to put my Please Please Me vinyl on. As it began to play I jumped onto my bed and grabbed my phone, I had loads of missed calls and messages from George. Just as I was about to call him back I heard my mum call my name, I ran downstairs to see George was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh thank god you're okay, I thought something bad had happened to you." He says as I give him a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, my phones been upstairs all day as I've just tried to have a day away from it." I tell him as we go into the living room and sit
down.

"Are you doing okay?"

"I wasn't but having today off school has really helped me calm down, I've just been letting everything get to me and pile on top of each other. I'd just piled it up so much it all just came tumbling down on me and I couldn't handle the weight of it all anymore."

"Well you know there's so many people who care about you and would help you take that weight off of you, your family especially. I know I'm not a therapist but if you are having any problems I'm always here for you."

"Thank you so much George, I really do appreciate it. I do. As long as I'm not weighing anything down on you, I know how much you struggle as well and I don't want me putting all my problems onto you."

He pulls me into a tight hug and rubs my back gently before kissing the top of my head.

"You're here for me and I'm here for you, I wouldn't want it any other way." He says whilst still holding me close to him.

"Tell you want." I say as I release from his grip. "We're ordering KFC later, why don't you join us? I know you being here with me would keep your mind at ease."

"Are you sure? I feel like I'm always here. I don't wanna be a burden on you or your family."

"Georgie my family love you, I honestly think they'd rather have you here all the time." I tell him with a laugh.

"Okay, I'll stay."

"Thank you!" I squeal as I hug him.

I know life is hard at times but like my mum says, "as long as you're with the right people you can handle anything." And you know what?

She's right.