ROTBFTD : Broken & Beautiful

24

Elsa pov 

As we finally arrived at the rehabilitation center, I felt like collapsing from exhaustion. It had been a long and arduous journey, but I knew it would be worth it to see my mom again. Jack, my boyfriend, handed me a bottle of water, which I gratefully accepted. It was around 5 PM, and I was parched. After giving the necessary details at the reception desk, we were told to head to the waiting hall.

The waiting hall was a drab and boring room with eight white chairs, each with a texture pattern on them. I sat down, feeling anxious and nervous about seeing my mom after all these years. Jack sat beside me, holding my hand in a gentle squeeze. As we waited, I heard footsteps approaching, and my heart skipped a beat. I looked up to see my mom walking towards me, wearing a white dress with a shawl covering her head. My eyes welled up with tears as I took in the sight of her. She looked frail, but her eyes still sparkled with love and warmth.

As she reached me, she asked, 'Elsa, is that you?' I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. I threw my arms around her, sobbing uncontrollably. 'I missed you so much, mom,' I whispered, my voice shaking with emotion.

She hugged me back, tears streaming down her face. 'I'm sorry for neglecting you all these years,' she said, her voice trembling. 'It's all my fault, please forgive me.' I held her shoulder, looking into her eyes.

'Mom, I forgive you,' I said, trying to reassure her. 'You're the only person I can count on. It's not your fault.'

I introduced Jack to her, and he handed her a box of cookies. 'Here, mom, these cookies were made by Anna,' he said. We sat down together, munching on the cookies and sipping hot chocolate milk. It was a small moment of normalcy in a sea of chaos.

As we sat there, I couldn't help but think of the times we used to spend together at the park. My mom smiled, her eyes sparkling with memories. 'These cookies are delicious, sweetheart,' she said. 'Tell Anna to make them with different flavors next time.' I giggled, feeling a sense of joy I hadn't felt in a long time.

As we chatted, I knew I had to talk to her about my depression and the things that had happened while I was living with Jack. I took a deep breath and began to open up to her, telling her about the dark days and the struggles I had faced. She listened attentively, her eyes filled with concern and love.

Just as I was getting to the part about meeting Fae, a new student at my school, my mom's expression changed. 'You mean that short-haired girl with black eyes?' she asked, her voice filled with a hint of surprise. I was taken aback. How did she know Fae?

'Yes, that's her,' I replied, curious. 'How did you know her?'

My mom's eyes took on a faraway look. 'I used to see her while I was in the hospital,' she said. 'Not only that, I used to have dreams about her. She told me that you're safe, and that we don't need to worry about it. She said I'll take care of everything.'

I felt a shiver run down my spine. What did Fae mean? And how did my mom know her? I had so many questions, but for now, I was just grateful to have my mom back in my life.

I sat on the chair, my eyes fixed on my mom's face as she began to tell me her story. Her eyes seemed to gaze into the past, reliving memories that I could only imagine. I had always known that her childhood was difficult, but I had no idea how tough it really was.

She told me about how she was raised by a rich family, but was treated differently because she was a girl. Her parents valued her brother more, and she was expected to do everything for him. It was as if she was invisible, with no rights or freedoms of her own. She longed to ride a bicycle, but her parents refused to buy one for her. It was a small thing, but it broke my heart to think of my mom being denied something so simple.

As she continued to talk, her voice trembled, and I could see the pain in her eyes. She told me about how she was married to my dad at the age of 20, hoping for a better life. But it only got worse. She was abused by my dad's family members, especially her mother-in-law, who seemed to take pleasure in making her life miserable.

I felt a surge of anger towards my grandmother, whom I had never met. How could she treat her own daughter-in-law so cruelly? My mom's parents were no better, telling her that it was a woman's lot in life to adjust and suffer. It was as if they had given up on her, abandoning her to her fate.

My mom's voice cracked as she told me about how she had given birth to me, hoping that things would get better. But they only got worse. My dad would slap her, and she would be so desperate that she would think of suicide. It was a terrifying thought, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

But then my sister was born, and for a brief moment, things seemed to change. My dad started taking us to the park and buying us toys. It was as if he had finally woken up and realized that he had a family to care for.

But it was short-lived. My uncle Hans came into our lives, and everything changed. He lured my dad into winning a lottery, and then got my mom addicted to drugs. I was only 10 years old when it happened, but the memories were etched in my mind like scars.

And then, the worst thing happened. My dad came into my room, closed the door, and...I couldn't bear to think about it. It was the first time I had experienced rape in my life, and it was a trauma that would haunt me forever.

My mom's eyes were filled with sadness as she told me that our family was turned upside down because of my uncle. I asked her where he was now, and she shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears.

'I don't know, dear,' she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. My mom's story was one of pain and suffering, of being treated like a doormat by the people who were supposed to love and care for her. But it was also a story of resilience, of a woman who had fought to survive and protect her children, no matter what.

As I hugged my mom tightly, I knew that I would always be there for her, to support her and protect her from the demons of her past. And I knew that I would never let anyone treat me the way she was treated, not as long as I lived.