Eleanor heartland

21

Inhaling shakily the amount of air she could to reduce her stress Juliana mentally counted from one to ten before pressing the button near the door she was dreading to enter through, checking the wall clock hanging in the kitchen Sandra frowned sure it wasn't the kids.

Stepping out of the kitchen where she was cooking her daughter lunch she wiped her hands on a kitchenaid she hung earlier in her back pocket to make it easier if she had to go to her daughter while working.

After straightening herself in front of the small size all length mirror near the door she sighed satisfied of her imagine.

Taking a look through the peephole she froze a moment leaning her weight on the door her face hardening, she didn't knew what to do but was force to opened the door if she didn't want all the noice the woman was to wake her daughter, taking a big breath she slightly opened the door her eyes directly meeting the other woman ones.

Juliana knew straight away that she knew base on the way the brown orbs which reminded her of Eleanor send daggers at her, the sweet smile she came to like nowhere to be seen.

"Hi..." Before she even finished what she was about to say Sandra shook her head positively.

"She is alright, you can go now."

Not wanting to hear whatever she had to say the brownish hairs cut her pushing the door closed. As it progressively closed panicked placing her foot in the way, Juliana understood that she had to fight her way to be let in.

"I just..."

"Mrs Harris let go of the door, I already told you that she was doing fine. Now you can go." Not looking at her, Sandra said just waiting still for her to remove her foot from the way.

The situation would have been hilarious if it wasn't her facing it but to see how she reacted like her daughter with indifference Juliana sucked her pride away.

"I just want to speak with you, can you let me in to do that?" The pleading voice did nothing to ease the mother who had a firm grip on the door.

"We have nothing to discuss together Mrs Harris can you..."

"We decided that it was Juliana don't you remembered? Please let me in."

Looking straight at her face making sure to never lowered her gaze she could see how Sandra did her best to ignore her by looking at her left but her head moved to allow her to stare at her in disbelief, like she said something terrible that she shouldn't have said her mouth slightly opened for a moment then she shook herself out of it.

"Why? So you can hurt my daughter again?" The distress in the woman voice caught Juliana off guard meeting the woman hurt stare was a difficult task to do but she knew she had to.

"I'm so sorry, so... Can you let me in please? Just for a moment you would not know it when I'll be out of your way."

Voices coming from the flat not far away from her had her pleading knowing it would not be a good thing if someone took a picture of her in this hallway begging above it.

"San... thanks you."

Walking in at the same moment the people of the other flat went out, she sighed relieved looking around the living room for a moment while Sandra was closing the door behind her she noticed that out of her phone on the small table Eleanor was no where to be seen.

"She is sleeping in the bedroom... What did you want us to talk about? I'm busy if you don't mind us to finish with whatever this is."

Following her lead Juliana who was casually clothes for the occasion, a dark brown pants with a shirt complemented by a stylish leather jacket sat where the other woman showed her which was to the other side of the couch.

Taking a break from her stare wandering her eyes around for a moment, she exhaled like when you just decided to go for it then looked back at Sandra, more determination visible in hers.

"Sandra I know what happened between me and you daughter certainly looks bad from the outside but I am really, truly sorry for it." Her left hand on her chest her right hand palm up in the air, she plead praying for the the woman to believe her.

"That is not the point Mrs Harris, we get that you are sorry... You paid for the hospital and all the others stuffs because I wouldn't guess wrong if I said that you are the one we have to thanks for the changes around?"

At her silence Sandra shook her head not understanding why she was there if her daughter meant nothing for her.

She wasn't specifically a genius but she knew Eleanor walked a great deal that night a lot of things could have happened to her, her feet was totally sore, she was badly hurt and her, her own mother wasn't able to protect her from that.

To see all the emotions flowing on the frail woman face Juliana mask broke letting out hers, she could see disarray on that face the feeling of not having been able to do something, scooting closed she placed her hand on Sandra who removed hers mostly by reflexes, hatred visible in her eyes.

Unabled the concealed her emotions anymore a single tear rolled down Juliana face having Sandra double checked if she saw right. Gripping her hands that she took back in her trembling one, Juliana shook her head like it was able to stop the tears.

"Slap me, yell at me, do whatever you feel like doing, call me names. But, please, do not look at me like that." Shaking her head from side to side she smiled through her tears. " My own sister slapped me you know, you can go ahead. Because I'm not going anywhere."

Suprised by the way she closed her eyes to wait for a slap that will likely never happened for Sandra was taken aback by the situation. Having a well known woman asking her to slap her because of her daughter was something else.

She could take advantage of it the thought was appealing for z spilt second, as a payback it could be that but that wasn't her, she could see that the woman really care for her child, to know that she was a woman in a way didn't affected her though she always knew that her daughter swing that way.

Opening her eyes back Juliana met Sandra questioning gaze and was even suprised when she wiped the stain of tears on her cheeks sighing.

"I don't know what happened between you two but as much as I am angry, I cannot put it all on you. She was bound to get sick. We all know that, she didn't had the healthiest of eating habits. I was there and did nothing, so I can be blame too."

Holding hands for a long moment none of them talking just letting the silent place have them swallowed in theirs own thoughts. Untill Sandra let go of her hands.