Strawberry Ice cream

Chapter 10

After college, Mark rings me telling me we can go visit mum now. I must admit, seeing his name made my insides go to jelly that I could've sworn I was going to shit out my stomach. I sit in the car, composing myself and trying to work up the courage to open the door. 

Open the door, go inside, ask for Jay Tomlinson, see mum, tell her about college and the boys, kiss her tell her to get well soon, come out and go back home. 

So simple yet so hard. I breathe in, unbuckle my seat belt and open the door. I pinch at the flabby skin on both hands between the thumb and index finger, going through the automatic doors to front reception. A lady with a ginger messy bun and warm hazel eyes smiles at me as I walk in. Getting closer, I see the freckles dotting her button nose. 

"Hello sweetheart, how can I help you?" She asks, the keys on her keyboard tapping away. 

"I-erm..." I breathe out. "I'm here to visit Jay Tomlinson." 

She averts her attention back to her computer screen, her mouse clicking a few times until she looks back up at me. "Room 213. Up to third floor, turn left at the lifts and it's the fourth door on the right." She motions with her hand towards the stairs. 

I give her thanks and slowly make my way up the stairs, heart pounding from both anxiety and lack of exercise. God I'll definitely not have stairs in my house if I have anything to do with it. Finally reaching the third floor and my lungs on the verge of giving up, I check each number on the doors until I come across 213. Through the small window, I can see Mark and the girls already in there. Mark looks up and uses his finger to coax me in. 

I place my hand on the door handle and push on through. Mum glides her eyes over to me, half sitting up in the bed with tubes crowding around her, machines on and beeping rhythmically. Her face almost as white as a ghost and her once bright blues eyes look dull with purple circles surrounding them. I swallow hard and go over to her.

"Hey mum." I delicately peck her on her cheek and she grabs my hand, patting it. 

"How's my Loubear?" She asks, her voice sounding tired. 

"Fine. How are you, mum?" I ask, sitting down in the chair beside her. 

Phoebe and Daisy play with dolls on the end of mum's bed, brushing their hair with a small plastic comb. Lottie and Fizzy having another competition via Nintendo. 

"I'm okay dear. Won't be long now until I can come home." 

I look over to Mark. Surely she's not leaving with her in this... state.

"Jackie has agreed on doing full time care for your mum at home. She'll be there mostly all day except nights until we can sort out a spare room for her."

I look back towards mum, giving her a weak tight smile. "That's great mum. We've missed you at home. There's only so much tins of beans and pasta I can burn." 

She laughs at that which makes her go into a small coughing fit. She takes a sip of water from a white plastic cup and settles back down. "Maybe you should get cooking classes."

I shake my head. "Absolutely not. They'd sue me as soon as I walk through the doors, the place would go up in flames!"

"He did fine the other night," Lottie interrupts. "He cooked us tomato pasta and mixed veg."

I hold up a hand to silence her. "Correction. Harry made you tomato pasta with mixed veg, I simply just watched."

"How is that fine boyfriend of yours?" Mum asks and my cheeks dust pink. 

"Mum! He's not my boyfriend!"

"Then why did he ask you on a date?" Fizzy asks. 

"How did you- Fizzy, have you been reading my texts?" I throw daggers her way.