Before Eden's point of view, that part was supposed to be in the last chapter; I guess it got deleted. I don't write my chapters on Wattpad, so I copy and paste from the website I do use. I had made some changes on the other website, and I guess I forgot to post the new version.
XXVIII.
"Are you on drugs right now?" I asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to see if she would lie to me. I honestly did not have the time to deal with her, and it would be a matter of time before everybody came downstairs to see why I was taking long.
Her eyes detached themselves from mine and onto the ground, "yeah."
I groaned in annoyance, "Mom--"
"I know what you're going to say, baby, and I just want to tell you this will be my last time before I head over to a rehab center after Christmas."
The look on her face made me believe her. If there was one thing that I learned from watching my mother, it was knowing when she was being serious or not. She was. My mom told me she would stop drinking; she did up until I left for college. She stopped drinking when I was fourteen and stayed that way for a long time. A smile appeared on my face as I approached her. a
Wrapping my arms around her neck and pulling her into a hug, I breathed out in relief.
"You're serious, right?" I asked to make sure, pulling away for a second. She nodded with a smile on her face, making me hug her again.
"I'm going back to the house to grab some more of my things and sneaking out before your father gets home. I just came by to tell you in person that I do want to change."
"I know you do, mama. I'm proud of you; you know that?"
She nodded as she hugged my waist tighter. For so long, I had lost hope in my mother and believed she would never change. The moment I was waiting for was finally coming, and I couldn't hide the excitement. I was finally going to have my mother back.
"I'm sorry that it took a long time,"
I kissed the top of her head before pulling away from her, "I forgive you, Mom. You need to leave him and be clean for us, but you have to commit fully."
"I will. I promise. I actually called my friend that works in the facility, and she could only fit me in after the new year, so in January, I will be gone for as long as I need."
"That's good."
Just as I expected, Chase, Aaliyah, and Eden rushed downstairs to see what was taking me so long. The moment Aaliyah and Chase locked eyes on my mother, a look of disbelief and confusion peaked on their faces. Eden, on the other hand, watched their reactions. She was confused about how they looked at my mother, and I wouldn't blame her because she had no idea about my past.
Aaliyah and Chase hadn't seen my mother in a very long time, unlike me, who sees her when she's traveling to Austin. Those were one of these days, I guess. They knew about my mother's growth and how she was trying to change, but I knew Aaliyah and Chase were still confused.
My mom looked at them-- feeling awkward and knowing why they were shocked to see her-- and she cleared her voice before approaching them.
"I haven't seen you two in a minute," my mom greeted them, wrapping each of her arms around their necks.
"what the fuck?" Aaliyah mouthed to me as she tapped the back of my mother. Chase looked over to me, confused. When my mother pulled away, they sent her fake smiles.
