Key To My Heart [Chase Davenport]

Chapter Thirty Eight

The afternoon sun comes through the window in my room, falling in a square where Rabbit and I are sitting. He's snuggled against my right thigh, his little head lifted slightly. His eyes are shut, and I assume that he's sleeping. He deserves it; his last few weeks have been awful. I'm surprised he still wants to be near me since I let him go with Carla at the beginning of this vacation. 

My eyes flutter shut as the weeks replay in my head. So many different emotions hit me at once, but this time, I allow them to flood through me. It's been a bizarre few weeks, and some parts of it, I would like to change, but others, I wouldn't. Finding my new best friends is the best part of this trip, but having Mom and Tasha and myself be kidnapped is the worst part. If they hadn't been kidnapped, though, I wouldn't have found my best friends, so, as much as it pains me to say this, I would never change a thing about what has happened to me. It has made me who I am, and I'm proud of where I have come from as well as who I'm going to be.

A knock on my door startles me. I guess I had been dozing off slightly while sitting in the warm sun with Rabbit. Mom pops her head into the doorway of my room and says, "Are you busy?"

"No," I tell her. I stretch my arms above my head as she walks over to me and sits down on the ground next to me and Rabbit. "Since I don't have a lot of schoolwork right now, I haven't been busy at all."

She laughs slightly, nudging my shoulder with hers. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," I say, and it's the truth. I'm not worrying about anything anymore, and things have been much better. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," she says, and then hesitates. I look over at her to see her staring down at Rabbit. "I'm still a little worried about if I'm a good mother to you, Emmie. I don't want you to miss out on your culture now that Carla is gone, but I don't know what I can do to help you with that."

"Research about things, Mom," I say, shaking my head. "We can try new things together so you don't have to feel like it's all on you."

"Are you sure that I'm a good mother?"

"Positive."

A real, true smile appears on her face as she lifts her gaze up to me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight. "How did I get the best daughter in the world?"

"Because you got to choose me."

Mom bursts out laughing, making me smile. Rabbit stirs slightly, but he doesn't open his eyes. "You're one funny kid." She shakes her head, looking at me. "So, how are things between you and Chase? He didn't stay the night with you the other night, did he? Because if he did --"

"Okay, Mom," I say, rolling my eyes. "I get it. And no, Chase didn't stay the night. He was a true gentleman and listened to what my mom said to him."

"He's a good guy, Emmie. I'm glad that you found him." Her smile turns strained, which is weird. I didn't think she'd be happy with me per se, but I didn't think she'd be upset either. "I wish I had someone like him."

Oh. She's lonely. "You'll find someone soon enough, Mom. I can feel it in my bones."

She waves her hand in the air like it is preposterous that she'll find someone. "I'm fine," she says. "Seriously. I tried dating when I was younger, and it didn't work out. That's why I adopted you so I wouldn't be as lonely."

"That's the only reason why you adopted me?"

"And you looked so sad, so I just couldn't leave you there."

I squeeze my eyes shut and try to picture my life without Mom. She adopted me when I was a baby or a toddler, so I know I can't remember much from then, but I do remember the deep sense of sadness that I used to feel.