The Girl In The Dirty Shirt

Chapter 80

Mom of course found everything wrong with our flat. It was too dusty or the dishes were in the wrong cupboard or the towels were folded wrong.

I tried really hard not to let it get to me, but it was.
Peggy, Paul and Noel had come over and our little flat was now packed with people.
Mom and Peggy were having tea in the kitchen, Liam, Paul and Noel were having beers on the couch watching TV, Noel and I still weren't on speaking terms. I was hiding out in the bedroom; it was Christmas Eve and mom was leaving on Boxing Day, Liam had shows in Glasgow and Brighton and Middlesbrough and straight from Middlesbrough we were flying out to Toronto for New Year's. I don't know why he was so set on going back to mom's, but he wouldn't take no for an answer

I laid on the bed with my eyes closed and heard the bedroom door. I sighed hoping it wasn't my mom.

"Babe?"

Even worse

I opened my eyes, but stayed still. Liam came over and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Y'can't hide out in here forever"

"Not forever" I sighed "Just until she leaves"

"Is this because of what she said yesterday at lunch?"

"No," I shook my head

"Lyla..."

I sighed rolling over on my back and staring at the ceiling. "Nothing in my life is ever good enough for her"

"That's not-"

"Yes, it is" I interrupted "I've lived here for almost a year and this is the second time she's ever been here, before I met you I talked to her once a month, if that"

"So this is my fault?"

"I'm not saying that, there's a reason I don't talk to my mom a lot, because all she does is criticize everything I do. My leaving Nathan, moving here," I looked up at him. "You"

"Me?" He frowned "You're mam loves me"

I nodded "Now she does, remember when I told her I was moving in here?" I asked "She freaked and when we got married, when she found out I was pregnant?"

"Lyla, this is ridiculous"

"No, it's my mom, it's what she does; she always has"

"Well she's leavin' on Monday and we're headin' out to Glasgow, are y'gonna come with us?"

"Does Noel want me there?"

"Who cares, it ain't just his band, you're comin' with me, won't be any inconvenience t'him"

I wouldn’t’ be so sure

**

Christmas came and went without much drama, which was surprising given that it was both my family and Liam's under one roof, both with unbelievable amounts of tension between our collective group; I was the common denominator in all of it.
Tension with my mom, my sister, Liam, Noel, it's a miracle I got through the day in one piece.

We took mom to the airport on Monday and Sally made a huge deal about staying until we came to Toronto in a few days.
I refused and Liam said sure, so of course she got to stay.
I glared at him as we stood at the gate and he just smiled.

"She'll be stayin' with Guigs anyway" he whispered

It was like mom had read his mind.

“And I don't want her staying with Paul either"

"Then take her with you because that's where she's going to end up"

"Lyla" she said in that warning tone that set my teeth on edge.