𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞| 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗎𝗌 𝖻𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

( 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗍 , 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗍 )

GWEN NEVER REALLY understood the nature of recovery, let alone the reason people relapse. Even now, Gwen saw it with her mother. Anne would go to meetings, get better for a few months, and then relapse.

Everyone on the internet said relapse is apart of recovery, it's normal, let it happen, help them.

Relapse is apart of recovery.

Gwen thought it was bullshit. Everything was bullshit. Her mother was bullshit, her father was bullshit, Marcus was bullshit. And Gwen? She was the shittiest of all. According to her account.

Gwen couldn't sleep that night, couldn't sleep at all. Staying up all night, looking out her window, watching how quiet the world was at this time, how it was all so peaceful, like time stoped and she was the only person in the world. The last one, and she liked it. She found it serene.

Being alone sounded better than living in a world filled with bullshit people. So when Anne walked knocked on Gwen's door and walked in, only seeing her starting outside of her window, did she realized how much her daughter needed a mother. She wasn't wasn't there.

"Your first therapy session is at 4 today, I called Joe telling him you won't come into work today" Anne said and Gwen turned around.

"Okay" Gwen said softly and then turned back to look outside her window.

Anne was about to leave, but stoped herself. "Did you sleep at all Gwen?"

"No" Gwen responded as she looked down at her fingers.

Anne sighed. "I'm sorry Gwen, I really am"

"I know"

"Give me a true answer Gwen" Gwen looked over at Anne and for the first time in her life, Gwen had never felt more like a stranger in her own home. She didn't know her mother like most daughters do, and Anne didn't know Gwen like most mothers know their daughters.

Relationships were strained, much like theirs. But the question is, can they repair what was broken from the beginning?

"How can I forgive a person I don't know" Gwen confessed. Anne felt it shoot in her heart, the words of her own flesh and blood, tell her she's a stranger.

"Don't know?" Anne questioned. "I'm your mother"

Gwen scoffed "A mother who wasn't really there and is a drunk"

"I've been two weeks sober" Anne defended, but Gwen looked at her.

"Congratulations"

"I don't need the sarcasm" Anne said with narrows eyes and arms crossed around her chest

"I needed my mom" Gwen said softly, Anne paused as she tried to gain back control.

"Get dressed for school"

"I will never understand my mother" Gwen complained as she walked to her locker with Shawn.