AMOUR

Chapter 29.*

ROYA

It's 6pm now. 9pm back home. I'm in the balcony of the suite. A huge gorgeous balcony. Jordan and Denver gave me privacy to make the phone call. Jordan knows I don't talk to mom much since I've left. But it's not because I love her any less or that I'm mad at her. We've just never talked much. Back home mom and I just used to stay with each other the whole day with the minimal amount of talking. She'd be cooking and I'd be doing homework on the kitchen table just to be in her presence. We just understand each other without saying anything.

It's still sunny outside. But there's movement in the air making the heat bearable. I stop noticing the weather and just hit the call button.

Mom picks up on the second ring. We don't say anything at first. It's silent for more than a minute I guess before I speak up in my voice a little over a whisper, "Hey mom."

"Hey baby," her tone matches mine and I close my eyes to just focus on her voice.

"I miss you," I tell her.

"I miss you too," she tells me.

Our words are slow and clear. We're savouring each of them.

"How are you?" I ask, not knowing what to talk about anymore.

"I'm good," she tells me.

"Mom," my voice says 'don't lie'.

"I really am, I really am," she assures me and she founds truthful. Maybe she wanted this all along.

When I don't say anything, she continues, "trust me Ro, if there's anything that I don't like right now then it's the fact that you're 4000 kilometers away."

She has always called me 'Ro'. Not Roya or sweetheart like Dad or Anderson like Ian and Jordan. I've always been Ro for her and that nickname is only for her to use. This tells me that she's alright. This makes me feel lighter, as if a burden from my chest is lifted.

"I'll see if I can come soon," I really do want to meet them.

"How's dad?" I ask, I haven't talked to him since that night.

"He's better but he thinks it's his fault. It really isn't," she says, she has always been understanding.

"Yeah," I don't know what to say.

"Talk to him Ro," she tells me, she's concerned.

"I'll call him after this," I tell her, meaning it.

"Good," I can hear the small smile in her voice. She likes it when I agree to her without argument.

"Alright, I'll go now," I say.

"I love you Ro," she says.

"I love you too mom," I smile.

After her, I call dad and talk to him. I tell him I'm okay and that I called mom. I tell him that he has nothing to be worried about and I tell him to take home Chinese takeout. We end the call on our usual love yous.

When I enter the living room I see Jordan and Denver in the middle of a push up competition.

What are they in? Highschool?

"What are you doing?" I ask, walking towards them. They moved the small glass table in front of the central couch aside. To do this. And I thought they were the parents.

"We're catching fishes Roya, what does it look like we're doing?" Denver says sweetly and I laugh. Wow, he does not take losing well and he's about to lose.

They keep going together and I can clearly see that Denver will time out first so I go next to Jordan and sit on him, making him lay flat on the ground.