Once you walk in the library, you spot him sitting at a table. Once he sees you, he waves. He looks nervous, just like you. You walk up to him and say hello. He tells you to sit down, and the whole time he talks to you, you realize something- he looks at you like nobody ever has; in a way that makes you extremely shy.
“I don’t want you to think this is awkward or anything like that, I know we never really talked before…but it’s never too late to befriend someone right?”
You manage to make find things to talk about, and once the bell goes, you’re still wondering how that could be.
After school, he says he’ll stay with you, because he wants to get to know you better, so you spend some time together at the library, talking about random things once again.
You don’t get home until four o’clock. The house is quiet, as usual and you notice there are a few new messages, since the phone has been flashing.
You press the button to listen.
“Hello?”
“Honey, are you there? It’s mom. I’ve been calling you at least forty times now, but you haven’t been answering. I know you hate it when I call so much, but I really need to talk to you right now, please, just answer the phone.”
“Boo, it’s momma, I love you alright.”
There’s a long silence. You check the house phone and you see the 50+ missed calls.
“What could have happened?” You wonder, but the answer doesn’t come to you.
When you look at in your pockets for you cell phone, you realize that just today, you had forgotten it at home. You run to your room and grab it.
15 missed calls.
And they’re all from the same number.
Mom.
You start to panic; I mean is there a reason why you should not be right now anyway?
You call her cell phone, but it goes to her voicemail.
You call her work number, but voicemail again.
So, you call your dad.
No answer.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t she answering? Is she driving home? When did she even call?”
You go around the house, trying to find if there’s another number that you can call. On the kitchen table, you notice an envelope.
Addressed to you.
It’s in your mom’s handwriting.
As you start shaking, a million thoughts come to mind. You don’t know what to think and what it could be.
“Has she run away? Is this it? Did I do something wrong? What’s going on?”
As much as you don’t want to open it, you bring yourself to it, slowly.
You unfold the letter inside, and you start reading:
“To my lovely child,
You finding this means that I’m dead and gone. It’s too late. It also means that you will never see me again in your life. It was a pleasure raising you and having you as my child. You are the reason why all these years I’ve been strong, but one can only stay strong for so long.
You have been there for me through so much, and for that I cannot thank you enough. This letter is the last time you will hear from me. I just wanted to make sure I say thank you. Thank you for always loving me, for always being there, even if I couldn’t do the same for you. I’ve been a horrible mother, I am aware of it. We aren’t best friends like we used to be- your father is never home; it doesn’t even feel like we’re a family anymore. And I found out why today. I cannot tell you that. There’s so much that I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. I haven’t talked to you because I just didn’t want you to see how broken I was. I just didn’t want you to become like me. And now, everything I know, I just cannot reveal it to you, because I want you to be successful. As I leave, I’m taking everything bad and all the pain. Please hang in there, you’ll do great without me, and I know that you will make me proud.
