Tell Me It's Love

Tell Me It's Love - Part 2

Chapter two.

The next few days went past in a blur for Bailey. It had all been arranged so quickly. Her school had been informed about the move, removal vans had been hired and most things in the house had been packed up into cardboard boxes.

Bailey still didn’t like the idea of moving and leaving behind all the good times. But for some reason her mum wouldn’t change her mind. Her excitement had taken over, forever talking about the different things Holmes Chapel has and how nice the house looks. Bailey couldn’t help but notice how much her mum was repeating herself. She would constantly say how lovely the neighbourhood is, which Bailey had heard so many times already. It was almost as if her mum was convincing herself rather than Bailey.

Bailey sat on her bedroom floor, a bin bag to her right side and a cardboard box to her left. In front of her was a big pile of things that she had brought out from under her bed, things that she had put under there months ago when she had tidied her room. She was sorting through the pile, things that she wanted went in the box and anything she didn’t want would go in the bin bag.

Reaching forward, she picked up a small book that was peeping out from under a jumper. She smiled at the front cover, it was one of her favourite books. She loved to read, it was something her friends teased her for. She wouldn’t go out every night, instead she would stay in and read or study. It was just who she was.

She opened the book to where her bookmark had been placed. She smiled down at the photograph she used to keep her page. It was taken on her last birthday. She was smiling with her friends.

Her own smile faded and tears formed in the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. She quickly wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

“How far have we got with the packing?”

Bailey looked up to see her mum entering her bedroom, a soft smile on her face.

“I’m getting there, I guess. I never realised I had this much stuff” Bailey said, looking around her almost empty bedroom.

Her mum lightly laughed and walked over to Bailey, kneeling down next to the pile.

Bailey looked closely at her mum. Her eyes looked red and puffy.

“Mum, have you been crying?”

Her mum swallowed, “A little. I was just..thinking of old times. Got a little teary, that’s all”

Bailey wasn’t all convinced as her mum plastered a smile on her pale face. 

“So..there isn’t anything else that you’re upset about?”

Her mum looked away from Bailey and swallowed again. A single tear slowly strolled down her cheek.

Bailey quickly reached forward and placed her hand on her mum’s, gently squeezing it.

“Mum? What’s wrong? You know you can tell me”

Her mum looked back to Bailey and opened her mouth, attempting to speak but no words escaped her mouth.

“Is this about us moving? You know that we don’t have to, if you want to stay then we will.”

Her mum’s features softened, she looked relieved. Again, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Here you are! I’ve been looking all over for you, the vans are outside”

Bailey looked up to her doorway to see her step dad stood with his hands in his pockets.

She looked back at her mum who was wiping away her tears and smiling once again. 

“Right. We better start loading them then.”

Bailey watched as her mum stood up and walked over to her doorway. She turned around slightly and looked back at Bailey, a lost look in her eyes.