Beach Boy

Chapter 2

12 months later
Tillie sauntered to the phone, picked it up calmly and speed dialled number one. The line rang once and after a small crackle there was a voice. "Tillie?"
"Mum..." she took a deep breath in "here we go again."

7 Years Earlier.
Matilda and her mum got into the car they had struggled to pack the night before and headed off in the southernly direction of Cornwall. Only a 3 hour drive from where they lived. Not too bad really. Especially considering she was prone to travel sickness on long journeys.
There were songs blasting out from the radio and lots of snacks for the ride. Most of them left over from the night before, when they had their weekly movie marathon and trashy food night.
"I'm going to miss this." Matilda looked at her mum with admiration and love. She was after all her whole life. People say you can't get much stronger than a mothers love for their children, but I think a child's love for there mother comes very close.
"I know Tills but they'll have trashy food in Cornwall too!"
They both laughed.
They never could be serious when they were together. Their relationship was more like two best friends than it was mother and daughter. It was a great way to be.
Matilda thought of all the things she wouldn't be able to do now she'd be away from her mum. Really not much because she was quite lazy when she was at home. Always sleeping in, never leaving the house.
But it was the box sets she couldn't watch anymore. The daily shopping trips, the gossiping and putting the world to rights. That's what she'd miss.
As a girl who could very easily overthink everything in her life, Matilda found having another person around to speak to very useful. It was almost like a therapy for her.
But not everyone would understand her way of conversing. Not like her mum did.
With new people it's very easy to be misunderstood. And Matilda had always hated the idea of being misunderstood. Especially by a stranger.
She never wanted to be perceived as nosy if she asked too many questions, or judgmental if she offered her opinion without being asked for it or overpowering if she talked too much or self centred or pushy or a know it all.
So instead, she just never tried.
It's better to go unnoticed than be noticed for the wrong thing. That's what she'd always believed.
But Tillie was never any of those things. Never nosy nor judgmental. Never overpowering nor pushy nor sled centred.
She was well educated and socialised. She had a keen mind and interests in everything. People she was a great listener and a wonderful storyteller. Her insights were informative and she was always open minded and welcoming. That's why people really did love to be around her.

She just couldn't see that yet.
....