Sane

21

Nicholas's POV~

I heard shuffling from the other side of the large door after I rang the loud and deep doorbell.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Brown." My mother's caretaker greeted me and opened the door wider so I could step into the large mansion.

"Your mother said she would be down in just a minute." She spoke softly as she went back to the kitchen to finish doing whatever she was doing before I arrived.

After a few minutes of waiting, my mother made her way down the split spiral stairs and unlike her usual self she wasn't dressed extravagantly like she usually would be. Instead, she wore some Capri pants with a simple button up shirt and some socks rather than any shoes.

"Well, it's nice to see you again Nicholas." She pulled me into a hug while a soft smile adorned her face. I'll give it to my mother, she's older than she looks and many business women that worked with or for my father couldn't help but be jealous. A part of me couldn't help but wonder why my father couldn't see that like everyone else does.

"Good to see you as always, mother." I hugged her back before making my way towards the dining room as she walked ahead of me.

"Surely if your here there must be a reason." Rose set down a cup of tea for my mother, and a small cup of coffee for me just the way I like it.

"There's some things I need to talk to you about. Mainly about dad." She sighed loudly before stirring the soaked teabag.

"I knew the questions would come sooner or later." She propped her chin up on the palm of her hand as a rather bored expression took over her features.

"So, why does he insist on making me work so hard for a promotion I'll never get?" Her face softened once she realized how upset this all truly has made me.

"Honey, your father has been the same way since we first met. Back when we were in highschool I used to compete with this girl over him. I worked so hard to try and make him happy, but in the end he gave his relationship status to her. So, you see it's never really you Nicholas...it never truly was."
I couldn't imagine my mother going out of her way to get my father even after being rejected.

"How did you get with him if he wanted the other girl?" An amused huff of air left her nose.

"We met outside during prom and according to him she only wanted him for the status. Of course my dumbass fell for it and well...here we are now." I couldn't help but feel bad for my mother for being in her situation.

"I know this is typically something someone's child doesn't ask, but why didn't you ever divorce him?"
She looked off into thought for a few seconds as if she thought about the same thing.

"A part of me felt like I could have, yet I never did. All if this is his so I would be flat broke if I did. I guess I never tried as hard as I could have. You know how manipulative your father can be." She took a small sip of her tea, I did the same with my coffee before it gets too cold.

"Wh-why does he cheat?" She was caught off guard by my question and almost choked on her second sip of tea. At first she seemed shocked, then started laughing for no apparent reason.

"Since when doesn't he? Sadly, I spent most of our marriage trying to fill the hole he left in my heart with expensive jewelry and designer dresses. At first it works, then you realize just how pointless materialistic things are. I would do anything to go back in time and at least not marry that man. I, of course, never regret having my handsome Nicholas." She leaned forward and pinched my cheek before smiling softly.

I noticed the more we talked about my father, the more he seemed like a stranger. I knew our family relationship wasn't the best, but I never truly realized how wrong his motives are.

"If I were you I would try my hardest to take his position when the time comes." I raised my eyebrow quizzically.

"You mean the institute?" She nodded and blinked slowly while taking another sip from her tea.

"I don't know if I could do that. I just wanna hurry and become a licensed doctor. I knew if I was under dad's wing everything would go by quickly and smoothly (or so I thought)."
She shook her head in a shameful matter.

"Son, have you ever actually taken a look around the place?" I furrowed my brow, unsure of where she was going with this.

"If you haven't noticed I never go where y'all work. The place is so glum and I feel claustrophobic, I'd go insane if I were ever taken there. Your father may have on a white coat and the credentials, but he can also be terrible. The way they have to live there is ridiculous and inhumane. Someone has to step up and out that place to an end."

"I knew it was bad, but like is it really to those extremes?" She looked at me in disbelief as she continued.

"It's worse if you ask me or anybody else there. You'd think the most expensive mental institution would be like glory compared to a lot around the world. Turns out all that fancy money went to security updates for the building." She shook her head in shame as she smacked her teeth.

Once mom was done with her tea, Rose came through and picked up her empty cup and my still half filled now cold one.

"Can't believe how much I truly didn't know about it all." I said in disbelief. I sighed and stood up while my mother did the same. She wiped her hands against her Capri's before she leaned forwards for a goodbye hug.

"Do one thing for me." I was halfway out of the door with my nurse scrubs still on from earlier. Going home and sleeping sounded amazing right now, especially after work.
Mom looked at me with such seriousness unlike any other.

"Some lie, some don't. If you so happen to feel that someone is telling the truth then listen to them. Help them. Professionals are human too." I already knew she was talking about patients at the institute and a particular case popped into my head.

Before I walked out of the door I looked into her dark orbs, nodded, then made my way out as Rose closed to large door.

I've got some investigating to do...