pretty little liars - 𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀 𝑹𝑬𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑺

five | 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

simone sat at the kitchen table, chatting with her mother, bethany, about her day at school. the warm afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow over the room.

"so, how was school today?" bethany asked, sipping her tea.

"it was good, mom. we had a surprise pop quiz in history, but i think i did okay," simone replied, nibbling on a cookie.

bethany smiled. "i'm sure you did great, sweetie. you always do."

their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. bethany glanced towards the hallway, her brow furrowing slightly.

"i'll get it," simone offered, standing up.

"no, it's okay. i'll see who it is," bethany said, rising from her seat.

simone watched as her mother walked to the door, curiosity piqued. she could hear murmurings of a conversation but couldn't make out the words. moments later, bethany returned with a piece of paper in her hand, her face pale and eyes wide with shock.

"mom, are you okay?" simone asked, concern lacing her voice.

bethany didn't respond immediately, her gaze fixed on the paper. she sank into a chair, her hands trembling slightly.

"mom?" simone repeated, moving closer to her.

bethany finally looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and recognition. "it's... it's nothing, simone. just... something from the past."

simone's worry deepened. "what do you mean? what does it say?"

bethany shook her head, trying to compose herself. "just an old reminder of something i'd rather forget. don't worry about it, sweetheart. it's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

but simone could tell her mother was shaken. she reached out and placed a comforting hand on bethany's arm. "mom, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

bethany smiled weakly, patting simone's hand. "i know, dear. thank you. i'll be fine. just... a little surprised, that's all."

simone nodded, though she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was on that paper was more serious than her mother was letting on. as bethany tried to return to their conversation, simone's mind raced with possibilities, wondering what could have caused such a reaction.

the rest of their chat was filled with forced smiles and half-hearted attempts at normalcy, but the atmosphere remained tense. simone knew she couldn't press her mother any further right now, but she silently resolved to find out more. whatever was on that paper had clearly dredged up something significant from bethany's past, and simone wasn't about to let it go without understanding the truth.

as simone sat back down at the kitchen table, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her. she kept sneaking glances at her mother, who was staring blankly at the paper in her hand. simone's mind raced with questions, but she didn't want to push too hard and upset her mother even more.

"mom, are you sure you're okay?" she asked softly, breaking the heavy silence.

bethany looked up, her eyes meeting simone's. she forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "yes, simone. i'm fine. just... an unexpected memory, that's all."

simone nodded slowly, trying to respect her mother's privacy while battling her own curiosity. "if you ever want to talk about it, i'm here," she offered gently.

bethany reached across the table and squeezed simone's hand. "thank you, sweetie. i appreciate that."

they sat in silence for a few more moments, the air thick with unspoken words. finally, bethany seemed to shake herself out of her daze. "how about we finish these cookies and then maybe watch a movie? something light and fun," she suggested, her voice a little brighter.