Love in Limbo

Chapter Fifteen

I noticed the shorts and the t shirts first, not the momentous awakening you would expect for eighteen months of sleep. No, it was their clothing that alerted me to something being wrong. A moment ago, or so it appeared for me, it was a cold November night with my friends, dancing, singing as loud as we could and laughing. We were happy, joyous even, it was thanksgiving night and we had spent the day with our families, but skipped out for a Friendsgiving get together.

***

My best friends Kelsey and Jess had begged me to join them for a night at Beaus, he was Jess's boyfriend, and he had his family's house in the woods to himself. It was remote, and it would be the perfect party spot for a friendsgiving, this being our first. My dad had said no, when I had asked to go, he wanted us together, but my mom however, she had a way of letting me get away with whatever I truly wanted. My Mom caved after only a few lip wobbles.

"Please Momma" I begged "I will be back by midnight"

My mom looked at me with her usual stern expression, her steel blue eyes squinting at me. She was trying to work out if I was telling the truth. "Momma please, Chase will drive us there and back...we will be fine" I had pleaded, grabbing her arms and pulling them round me whilst I had buried my head in her stiff upper arms.

My Mom was five foot six, blonde with shoulder length straight hair that fell immaculately. She herself, was always immaculate, and it was as if it was in her DNA. My Moms clothing was always matching sets, tailored shirts and trousers, pale pastel colours with white shirts and matching blazers or knits. My mom had a wardrobe to die for if you were into that 'conservative, yet chic, momma vibe'.

To the world she was all put together, my mom, and perhaps even snotty about it, but deep down she was just petrified to be anything but the perfect girl her own Momma and Poppa had expected her to be. My mom was a product of her strict, conservative and Christian parents. She played a role, day in and day out, and it must have been exhausting.

"Cassidy Colonel" she chastised "stop working me...I know exactly what you're doing" she says, leaning back and holding my shoulders. "What did your daddy say" she asks.

I roll my eyes "He said to ask you" I lied.

She smiles like she knows I'm lying, and she looks to her left out of our dining room window as Chase's car pulls up to our driveway. She glances back to me and runs her hand through my hair lovingly. I smile at her, and will her to say yes.

"Okay" she finally whispers, giving in. She kisses my forehead and taps my butt jovially.

I turn to run out of the room. I get to the front door and stop myself before I open it, I run back to the dining room and catch my mother off guard as I kiss her on the cheek "I love you momma"

She looks to me with a grin "I'm only letting you go because I adore that boy and he's come all this way to pick you up....it would be rude of me to not allow you to go with him now. Just don't tell your daddy" she whispers. She flings a wash cloth at me and I brush it off with a laugh and race back to the door.

I rush out to the car sat idling at the end of our drive. Blair and Cameron are rounding the corner of our street, and Blair lets Cameron's hand go as she rushes over to the car "where are you going" she asks.

I pull my bag over my shoulder and bend down and kiss Chase as he pushes his head out of the window, lips pursed jokingly. I look back to Blair who is waiting for an answer. Cameron approaches and begins to speak with Chase.

"Friendsgiving at Beaus" I reply, opening the door of the Lexus and getting in.

"Am I not invited" Blair asks, with arms flung in the air dramatically.