My Sunflower

thirteen

I burst through the door to the house, chucking off my shoes and charging down the hallway towards the front room, almost tripping over Doris who's decided to crawl into the hallway to greet me with a grin and a sing of Achoo!

Mum sits there with a cuppa in her hand, questioning eyebrow raising. "What's happened?" she asks sternly.

I let out a huff of air, feeling a little out of breath and no matter how hard I try to calm my nerves down, they won't settle.

"Mum, you'll never believe what," I squeal, not containing myself with jumping up and down on the spot before crashing beside her on the sofa.

"Should I be concerned?" she asks lowly, taking a sip of her tea as if she doesn't particularly care.

I shake my head, grab her arm and begin waving it around. "Mother this is serious!" I groan out with a pout.

She sets her tea down, grabbing my hands in hers. "Alright, hit me with it."

"So. Harry Styles, you know the one I always talking about because of his gorgeous hair and green eyes and adorable dimples that I want to live in forever? Yeah, well, he came into the shop a few times right and this is where it gets really weird because I'm so sure he dressed in purple and black because that was our uniform colour but I have no proof of that but that is completely besides the point. He rung the store up and told Jade and I that we have got tickets to his shows every month with two weeks off every month so we can cheer him on—"

"Louis," Mum tries to butt in but I continue without barely even registering her.

"—Obviously the strings attached are that we have to wear really good outfits and find the best jokes out there to make him laugh but that's easy and like this is an opportunity of a lifetime and I'm pretty sure we are—"

"Louis." Mum picks up Ernest and rests him on her lap when he asks to be picked up.

"—living in a Wattpad story or something because this never happens ever to anyone in the real world and it's like, I've found my future husband and he recognises me and that's so–"

"Louis!" Mum tries louder and I stop rambling.

My chest is heaving for breath after that, the smile on my face disappearing when I see the pity in her eyes.

Oh god.

This is the part I was dreading.

She scrubs her face with a hand. "Lou, love. I'm so happy for you, truly, I am." She pats my hands but I'm not feeling very comforted by it.

"But we can't afford it," she continues.

I shake my head. "Mum, you didn't listen to me! Harry is paying for it all, we don't need to pay for anything!"

She sighs deeply. "Louis, can you listen to me for one second, please! We can't afford this much time into something like this. Who's going to look after the twins when I go back to double shifts? How are we going to pay bills when Dan's company moves? We need you here, Louis. As much as I want to see you go and have a good time, we need you here." There's tears swimming in her eyes and it makes some spring into my eyes too.

I feel the anger bubble inside me, steaming me up like a kettle, cheeks and ears heating red. I abruptly stand, ripping my hands from hers. "Why can't you let me have this one thing? I have helped you get on your feet time and time again, Mum. I have always been there for you, given up everything I wanted and dreamt of for you. Why can't you just let me have this one thing? God, I hate you!" I snap, not being able to contain my tongue on the last sentiment.