A Bullet to the Heart, ₗₑₑ Fₑₗᵢₓ

29.

⇝ ⇝ ⇝ My sweet mother had already prepared a spare bedroom in her new house; In the quaint, cosy room, the walls were adorned with cheerful yellow bee wallpaper, perfectly complementing the sunny yellow bedding on the comfortable double bed. A delicate ceramic lamp casts a warm glow from the bedside drawer, adding to the room's inviting ambience. A soft, earthy brown carpet adorned the floor, providing a comforting contrast to the sturdy wooden floorboards. The room boasted a window that framed a tranquil view of the lush back garden, infusing the space with natural light.

It was my room - obviously very different from what I'm used to and different from how I'd decorate but I thanked my mum anyway. It was small, I even had to duck a little bit to enter the room but I enjoyed the fresh space. It was enough to help me wake up this morning, feeling like a new person, fully refreshed and ready to head into my new life.

I showered, got ready and ate some breakfast with my mum. I felt like a new person, showering early with the knowledge that I was showering to feel clean to meet my boyfriend and not because of the grime of a mission. It had been so long since I had the chance to sit down and have breakfast with my mother - the simple act of enjoying her homemade food brought back such warm and comforting memories. I savoured every bite, grateful for this precious time together.

My mother was also dressed for the day, wearing a long summer dress, no doubt trying to look nice for my boyfriend.

"So, what time is he here for?" She asked, preparing the food for our tea later on in the day.

"He arrives in an hour, so I'm leaving in 20," I told her.

There were perks of leaving the government on an honourable discharge; one of the perks consisted of the government giving you a head start to retirement. As someone who joined at 17, they take it upon themselves to give younger retired soldiers a car if they need one, and they also provide free therapy for life and bonuses in shops etc, as many soldiers get.

They dropped off a car at midnight for me. Yesterday night, I learnt that my own mother didn't know I drove. I started learning to drive when I was in training under the government so she was surprised to see a car parked outside her front door so ominously. It was an electrical Bentley, quite expensive and I made sure to thank them for the surprise. I was due my last mission payment over the next 2 weeks, while they processed it and my retirement bonus.

"Okay, I'll leave then too," She told me and I looked at her.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

"Shopping, I need to get a few things," She said, "I'm taking my bike,"

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off?" I asked her, worried that she would be ages on her bike, and she had to carry a lot of bags, and was she going in her dress?

"I'm fine," She replied, "Anyway, if you drive anything like your dad did, I'd rather die,"

I laughed, "Was he bad at driving?"

"Oh honestly," She rolled her eyes, "He would drive 60 down a fucking 30 and say he could get away with it, used to give me heart attacks,"

"I promise I don't do that Mum," I laughed at her story of my father, surprisingly, I don't remember much of him driving.

"I'll take my bike, don't worry,"

I nodded in silent frustration, knowing that arguing with her would only lead to a falling out between us. Her stubborn nature meant that once she had her mind set on something, she would not budge. Reflecting on my dad's ability to tolerate her stubbornness, I realized that he was also quite obstinate. Their disagreements suddenly made a lot more sense to me as I grew up.