Second chances Book 4/6

Chapter 27

Clara-Rose looked at Julia, circling, pushing away, tapping her palms. She was beautiful, far from the roommate of the first days. She had always enjoyed watching her mother practice on the dummy, finding beauty in her gestures. Wrapping her hands around the center section, Julia knees the center, then, stepping back, she kicks out, shouting "This is L.A." before laughing out loud. She can't help clowning around, having fun.

"I would have liked to have played in 300", she says, typing again, it's a beautiful film, the graphics are magnificent.

— That's right," acknowledges Abigail, swirling the mannequin, one of the uprights patting Julia on the arm. "Always stay focused. Use your peripheral vision, not just focus.

— Hi! Here I am!" interrupts Clara-Rose as she enters the house.

"Hey honey, did you have a good day at work?" asks Julia, taking on a devoted woman's voice.

"No honey with my daughter!" laughs Abigail.

"Come on Miss, we've been sharing the same bed for months, is it really inappropriate to give her a sweet nickname?

— Go take a shower, you stink of sweat, sweetheart," laughs Clara-Rose.

"Will you come with me my dear? smiles Julia.

"I'm going to give you a diploma of perseverance," says Abigail, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulder. "How are you?

— FIne, mom, my session is almost over, I'm going to see Harper, everything is fine. You know that I love you, mom," she asks, stepping in front of her, surprising her.

"Yes, of course," replies Abigail, looking at her daughter curiously.

"Don't forget it. If I ask myself questions, it's because I love you more than anything. Don't be sad or angry.

— Why do you say that, CR?"

When Abigail's phone rings, Clara-Rose walks away, one hand on her heart, whispering I love you. Bethany wasted no time.

"Hey Beth! Why don't you... Ah... I understand. I believe it is time, yes."

Hanging up, Abigail sits on the couch, crying softly, alone.

"Are you ok, mom?" asked Clara-Rose, who had remained at the bottom of the stairs, hidden from her mother's sight, sad and crying to see her mother crying.

"Come, my darling, sit next to me. Beth told me you're wondering. I apologize for not having told you everything, it's just that I erased all that because it's a sad story. Do you really wanna know or do you trust me?

— Will you tell me your name, my name, Mom?

— Cartwright, my name is Abigail Cartwright, I was born in England. Bethany and Kara saved my life while I was in France, providing me with a new identity so I could live here.

— Ok mom. It's enough for me. I love you," she said, hugging her. "It must be a long time since you've been called by your real name, it must be weird, right?

— I've had the name of Mary Abigail Stone longer than my real name, darling. I'm not a wanted criminal or anything. I am your mother, Bethany is the woman who saved my life, whom I call my sister and whom I love.

— Thanks Mom. Your secret is safe. Uncle Sean asked himself a lot of questions, I searched his house and found a notebook with a lot of notes.

— Did you search Sean's?" gets angry Abigail.

"I really had a lot of questions," explains Clara-Rose.

"It's my fault, sorry, my love. Mom was sad when she was a child, she suffered a lot. I ran away, living on the streets for almost a year, until I met Mom when she was about to be assaulted. We left together, fleeing to France, wandering for two months before Kara and Bethany found us and helped us.