Two Strangers of Brothers

Chapter 14

"Oh, Andrew."

My mom avoids the broken glass and drops down to her knees.

She's old, salt and pepper hair pulled into a ponytail. Whispers of age are dotted across her face in the form of wrinkles.

Her dark forest green eyes take in Andrew's bent head and she reaches a hand out to touch his golden locks. Isaac looks like he's about to tell her to stop, but holds his tongue as he glares at her. He secures his arms around Andrew as if his arms are all he needs to protect him.

I watch through worried eyes as her fingers gently come down on the top of Drew's head, only to have him flinch away. He presses his side into Isaac and buries his face in the dark haired boy's neck. A look of pain crosses my mom's features as she stares at the shaking Andrew. Her eyes flicker up to Isaac's as if begging him to say something to her. He stares back. He doesn't cower. Their green eyes hold each other's, a silent war between them that not even time can fix. Finally, after a while of staring at him pleadingly, her tired eyes turn to me.

New mom looks at me with love.

My mom.

The one who I've grown up with stares at me, her face worn and wrinkles formed by the side of her eyes. She gives me a melancholy smile, her hands coming up to clutch my face.

"Oh, I was so worried about you, are you alright?" She brushes my wild sex destroyed mess of hair out of my face. Her eyebrows furrow as they go to look over each of us again.

"It's so late in the afternoon, why are you all half-clothed? And... is—is that a hickey, Jameson?" She turns my head to the side and jabs her finger at my neck. My eyes flicker over to Isaac in panic. A look of amusement flashes through his eyes followed by his half grin, but it's gone so fast I'm afraid I've imagined it.

"Um, M-m-mom why are you here? I mean... I've only been here for about a week. Why are you so worried?" I quickly try to change the subject, removing her hands from my face and neck and holding them instead. She gives them a tight squeeze.

"You called me, dear. Remember, a couple of days ago? You were having an attack? Then all of a sudden you disappeared. I was so worried. There was no way for me to get in contact with you. I had no idea what happened to you so I grabbed the quickest plane here. It was all I could get on such short notice," she tells me, taking a hand away from mine to flick a strand of her graying hair away from her face.

"I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't even think..." I trail off as I look at her. I totally forgot about mom. I called her that night then totally disappeared. Now she's here and Andrew is a mess. I've really messed up this time. This time I didn't say insensitive words that could be forgotten. No, I actually brought the monster from our past here.

I peek over at Andrew and Isaac again. Isaac has managed to bring Drew's face away from his neck and is now murmuring something in his ear. They don't seem to be paying attention to me. I really wish they would come to my aid right now. My eyes return back to my mom and she gives me a smile, going to brush my hair away again. I resist the urge to swat her hand away.

"Mom, thanks for coming, but that had to have been a lot of money for a flight, especially to just see me and then leave."

She shakes her head, the wrinkles by her eyes disappearing as she smiles hugely at me.

"Nonsense. I would do anything for you. Which is why I also got you a plane ticket. I think you would be much safer with me. I know how to handle your attacks, plus I've missed you so much. We'll leave tomorrow." She throws her arms around me and my mouth falls open.