Where We Began

chapter twenty-five

"Look who finally came home," my mom laughed as I came through our front door.

"Shouldn't you be at work it's only noon?" I asked. It was Tuesday which is usually her longest day of the week doing eye surgery.

"We only had one surgery at 4 this morning," she said, laying her sudoku puzzle down on the table and motioned for me to come sit across from her, "how was your little adventure?"

"It was actually really fun," I smiled, taking a seat at the table noticing all my acceptance letters in a pile beside my mom, "we went to the arcade and played mini golf and Eli beat everyone at the track again."

"Eli is the blond one right?" mom asked, sipping her sweet tea.

This time last year I would be sniffing that drink to make sure it was just tea not capitan and tea or bailey's with a little coffee. A lot has changed since then. I had called her out last year after she got sloshed at my birthday party and I had to carry her to my aunt's car and have her taken home. When I had made it home she was pouring another rum and tea and I snapped. I grabbed the bottle from her and threw her glass into the sink, shattering it. You think it's okay to sit here and drink yourself into a dark hole while I'm here just trying to hold everything and everyone together, I had yelled, I'm playing mother not only to myself and your other daughter but to you too and I am fucking sick of it. I work my ass off to keep food in this house, our bills kept up and yet you still just sit here and drink all day every day. Do you know how hard it is to keep up appearances in this small town? You pulling this shit around my friends does not help. I slammed the bottle into the side of the sink causing a shower of glass and rum to spill over me. I will bust every damn bottle in this house, I yelled, grabbing the rest of her stache she didn't think I knew about and started pouring them down the drawing watching the shards of glass swirl with the dark liquor. If you even think about buying another bottle, I turned to face her, I will take my sister and leave. She doesn't know about this but I will make sure she does if this happens again. With that I left her to think about her life in her drunken stupor. No liquor came into our house after that night and she returned to work the following week.

"Yes Eli is the blonde one," I laughed, she only ever bothered to keep Zane in her head, "Zane met a new girl. Her name is Mandi and her brother is a Marine going out to Jacksonville."

"Oh well maybe he will meet your brother when he gets back stateside," she smiled.

My brother had called from somewhere in the middle east on my birthday as he had every year since he deployed. He wasn't my blood brother - my parents had unofficially adopted him when he was in 10th grade from his crack addicted father and strung out mother- so he hadn't been allowed leave when dad died so we had the service broadcasted for him. I hadn't told him how things had got in the year following so he wouldn't worry while overseas. He was trying to come in for graduation but I knew he probably wouldn't make it and that was okay, maybe he could catch the broadcast.

"I found all your acceptance letters," mom said, pushing the pile to me, "why didn't you tell me about them?"

"I've just been busy with school," I lied. I hadn't told her because I knew exactly what she would say.

"Where is Zane going?" she asked calmly. Of course she had this future planned that involved me and Zane being together but that was never going to happen and I had told her that a million times.

"I don't know yet," I replied, rolling my eyes, "Probably either UofA or NorthArk. His dad said he just needs an associate degree to run one of the restaurants."

"Oh no he needs to get a bachelor's," she waved her hand off like she knew best, "the two of you should go to UofA together so you'll both know someone there and you can focus on your nursing studies and medical school."

"Maybe," I said dryly, there was no need to repeat that it didn't matter where he went I would go where I wanted, "I'm not sure I want to do nursing anymore."

"Oh," she looked as if I had said I boil puppies for fun, "that's just the nerves talking, Of course you want to. Medicine is in your blood. Now, no more of that now. Would you like some food?"

"No thanks," I said, getting up to head to my room, "We just ate. I think I'll grab a nap."

"Okay well your stepdad will be back this afternoon and he wants to take everyone out to eat for a late birthday present for you," she said, "we're going to Ally's."

"Sounds great," I yelled down the hall as I reached my door and crashed on my bed grabbing my phone to text Cole.

Are you working tonight? I sent and watched the dots pop up to show he was replying.

Yeah why? He asked

My stepdad is bringing us all out to eat and I thought you may meet my family? I replied. The dots were replaced by his name popping up with the incoming call screen.

"Did I scare you?" I giggled into the phone.

"Me scared of family?" he laughed, I could imagine his smile through the phone, "Never. Besides, I've met your mom."

"Not as my boyfriend you haven't," I taunted, he wasn't Zane so I'm sure that would be brought up.

"True," He teased, "but moms love me. It's the hair I think."

"Oh it is?" I retorted, I knew I loved his hair amongst other parts of him.

"I can hear your dirty thoughts, you know?" he taunted me through the phone, "You're making me feel like I may need a shower."

"I know I need a hot shower or maybe a long soak in a bath with bubbles everywhere," I replied trying to paint his dirty mind a picture, "I wonder how many bubble it would take to cover my-"

"Damn it Brooke," he growled, I had succeeded with my words, "now I have to shower."

"You could come shower with me," I tempted him, "my shower is big enough for both of us."

"Don't tempt me," he said, "you know it wouldn't end well."

"I think it would end exactly the way I want it to," I laughed, as I grabbed clothes to change into after my shower.

"Oh and just how is that?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"With you finally touching me the way you would have if Zane hadn't barged in our room," I whispered as I turned on my shower so he could hear the water.

"I want to do so much more than just touch you BG," He said in a low husky tone that gave me goosebumps all over my skin.

"Please do," I moaned back into the phone, craving his touch on my skin again.

"Fuck," he growled, "I will but first you got me needing a cold shower."

"Think about me in the shower," I taunted as I slipped my clothes off to step under the hot water.

"Usually do," he laughed, "I'll see you tonight loser."

"Bye Cole," I laughed while hanging up the phone. I couldn't wait to see him tonight.