Take Me Away | ✓

» 6

K A D E N

"Mom, I'm home." I called out but there was no response.

The hallway was strangely quiet. There were still boxes strewn across the hallway where they'd been left from yesterday. My steps were quiet on the wooden floorboards and led me towards the living room where I saw my mom sat on the floor. Her back was towards me but even then I saw her shoulders shaking.

"Mom?" I was by her side in an instant. She didn't look up. Her hands covered her face as she leaned into my shoulder.

"Mom." I tried again softly.

"Oh, it's nothing." That's when I saw what was laid out in front of her.

"I thought you were going to sell these things." I picked up a snow globe and put it back into the box it came from. I remember it was the one she'd brought from Disneyland.

"I know it's silly of me to keep holding onto these." She wiped a final tear away and picked up a black hairbrush. Her fingers ran over the individual bristles in a longing gesture full of pain and absence.

I hated seeing her this way. It made a lump the size of a tennis ball form in my throat because I knew she wouldn't be this way if it hadn't been for me. Right now I wanted to be as far away from this room as possible but I couldn't. Maybe before I could've walked out that front door without a care in the world but things had changed since then.

I took the items from her hands and carefully put them back into the box. After sealing it up, I took it to the hallway and shoved it into a far corner where it'd get lost among the other cardboard boxes.

When I returned, my mom was up on her feet, a grin now replacing the saddened line on her face. "How was your first day?"

"Mom, you don't have to pretend."

"Did you make any new friends?" She said, just proving my statement.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. It was pointless getting into an argument. "It was fine. And if Sam counts then yes, I made a new friend."

"That's great. I'm really happy you're settling in again." I shot her a sceptical look but she ignored it. "Your father's talked to the principal so if anything goes wrong then it'll be sorted."

I remembered this morning's events and wondered if she knew. Principal Vandenhoff must have talked to my dad instead. Either way, I decided to play along. "Nothing's going to go wrong." I reassured even if I wasn't quite so certain about that concept myself.

"I know, sweetheart. We're just trying to keep you safe."

"You and dad shouldn't worry so much. I'm going to be fine."

"Saying that just makes us worry more."

"Well, take a holiday." I recommended.

She laughed but it turned into a choking sound in the back of her throat. She turned away from me.

"Mom--" I stepped forward but she held out her palm to stop me.

"I need you to give something to Ms Johnson next door. It's in a blue bag in the kitchen. Could you do that for me, please?"