Shades Of Blue

Chapter 23|Better Left Unsaid...

After the phone had slipped through her fingers, my mother had raced to collect her car keys, said a quick; be back soon then left. Drove off faster than we had a chance to question her actions.

So, Eris and I stood by the kitchen archway and slowly turned to face a pale looking Zander still sitting at the table. Despite his colour, he continued to eat, somewhat casually as if my mother didn't just zoom out of the house and off to who-knows-where.

"What did you mean by; he's back?" I ask, crossing my arms and taking a few steps closer.

Zander doesn't look up from his plate of food as he clears his throat, taking his time.

"Zander?"

"Dude, my sister asked you a question"

Eris and I share a look before our focus is back onto the mysterious boy sitting in our kitchen.

He sighs as his head raises, making eye contact with Eris and then with me, he contemplates his answer for a moment before saying, "My father, he's back"

I furrow my brows as I reply, "if you're father is back then why was my mother pale as a ghost and why did she just speed right out of the house?"

"There's something you're both are not telling us and we want to know why and what it is" Eris steps forward, leaning against one of the dining chairs with a look of pure determination to find out what the hell is going on.

"Look, I'm sure once your mother gets back, she'll explain everything"

I bite my lip in frustration as I roll my eyes and begin to make my way to the family room. I begin to tidy up, folding blankets and fixing the cushions all to try and pass time. I end up feeling it all too much, the curiosity, the stress, the determination to figure out my mother's secrets.

Zander's secrets.

Eris enters the room slowly making his way to the seat next to me. The silence consumes us as we both stare ahead.

Hundreds of thousands of thoughts pass through my mind per millisecond as I cower, placing my head in my hands and groan.

I feel a hand being softly placed onto my shoulder with a light squeeze, "I think that maybe, Zander is right. Mom would tell us as soon as she returns, if she's in some kind of trouble, she'll let us know..." Eris says as though he's trying to convince himself more than I.

"She has to"

A few minutes pass as footsteps begin to approach and out of the corner of my eyes I can see the faded black Converse' of the one and only, Zander.

"There are just some things that are better left unsaid, for your sake, your mom knows that" he says in a serious tone, "that's most likely why she hasn't been upfront with the both of you"

"But, why? What is it that she's running from or hiding from?" I ask with a deep sigh as this situation is somewhat intensely irritating and frustrating.

Zander looks around with another sigh as he takes the couch across from Eris and I.

"Well, are you gonna tell us something or not?" Eris leans back in irritation of being left in the dark any longer.

"Patience Eris, god" Zander tangles his fingers as he leans forward a little, "My mother had told me that, before I was born, she had taken a short trip from Philadelphia, where she and I are from, to Laguna Beach. She told me that while she had been exploring the sights here, she had met a guy by this old diner called Philly B-"

"Philly Bay" Eris and I say in sync with Zander as we all share a look.

Zander chuckles in what I assume is irony and chews his bottom lip, "yeah, Philly Bay. Anyway, she'd been ordering and the guy was attempting to pathetically flirt with her and although she declined multiple times, he was adamant on 'scoring' a date" he smiles lightly as he recalls his mother's story, "He uh, he managed to convince her and so, they had began seeing one another throughout her trip, they were twenty one and it was basically a summer love"

"Where does our mother fit into this story? I don't get it" Eris asks as his leg begins to bounce impatiently.

"Yeah, I'm getting to that, don't worry..."

Before Zander can continue there's a series of knocks at the door and I look between the two boys as if to ask what move I should make.

"You can answer, we can continue once you've settled with whoever that is"

I nod as I stand and make my way to the front door. As I undo the locks and turn the handle, I can just see the outline of the person on the other side. Tall.

"Hello?" I say as the figure is turned to facing the other way, "I'm sorry can I help you with something?"

I repeat as I reach out my hand to tap their shoulder but, before I can even move an inch the tall figure turns around to face me and when they do I can see dark features much like Eris and Zander. Eyes as blue as my own and hair as soft too.

A slight gasp escapes from my lips and behind me I can hear two sets of footsteps. Eris and Zander.

"Who is that?" Eris asks with a slight raise to his voice.

They both stand behind me and Zander is quick to speak up to the strange man standing in front of us on our porch, "What are you doing here?"

He knows this person.

Of course he does. They look exactly alike.

Maybe this is his father.

But, why is he here?

Just as the stranger was about to speak, the swerve of my mother's car is heard as she swiftly pulls into the driveway. Turning the ignition off as she gets out, slamming the door and charging straight for us.

"Mom?" I ask.

"What the fuck are you doing at my house?! Why are you here? You have some fucking nerve, fucking asshole"

I'm taken aback by her tone and her explicit language. My mother has never sworn in front of us. I thought she never even knew how to and yet, here she is. Guns ablaze and firing.

The stranger turns just as fast and takes a calm step towards her, "My lov-"

"Don't you dare fucking call me that, you fucking fuck. Fuck you! After all these years of leaving me and then having me lie because I had no fucking idea whether or not you'd come back!"

By now her cheeks are tear stained and her hands are held to the man's chest as she cries in agony. Sadness washes over all of us at the sight.

I bite my lip to conceal the hurt I feel for my mother and I take a deep breath, "mom? Who is this?"

The air feels heavy as her head raise and she takes a step back now realising the we're here. She wiped away her tears and covers herself with her cardigan.

"Let's go inside, we have a lot to discuss"

.｡*♡✧*。