Porcelain [ ᴊᴏᴋᴇʀ ]

Chapter 11: Cravings

A/N: I'm sorry for the late upload, I've been focusing on my other story. But I hope this satisfies hungry readers!

(Originally written: October 2020)

(Rewritten: November 2024) - I've added about 1000 more words, just a little bit more dialogue and more description. I'm really happy with my rewrite so far :)

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Crime & Chaos

" CRAVINGS "

by alwaysgeia

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A camera rested on Julie's lap, her legs hanging off the edge of the couch. The familiar weight of the device was a small comfort to her, but nothing could stop the lingering feeling of dread that pulled her down.

She glanced at the wall clock, the seconds ticked by slowly, so slowly. Her mum was due to be discharged from the hospital any minute now. Julie tapped her fingers on the edge of the camera, anxiously waiting for either a mousey-haired woman to walk through the door, or a clown surprising her with a 'heya, doll!'

The front door opened and slammed shut. Julie shot up from the couch and stood in the doorway, listening. She sighed at the sound of keys.

"Hey mum," she peeled her hands off the door beam and walked to her mum—who looked pale and tired—and picked up the bags to carry them into the kitchen. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Julie." Her mum waved her hand dismissively, her expression irritated. Her eyebags looked worse than Julie's. "Nothing permanent."

Biting her lip and facing the kitchen sink, Julie was unsure of what to say. Sure, she missed her mum while she was in the hospital, but she hadn't missed the tension that left with her.

"Do you need anything?" she asked, turning around. "I can fill the kettle, or—"

"No. I said I'm fine," her mum interrupted, tone stern. "I just want to rest."

Julie nodded, watching as her mum walked slowly to the living room, sitting down heavily in the armchair with a restless look. Her mum closed her eyes for a moment before looking around the room like there was something missing.

"Where's your sister?" she asked bitterly. "Why isn't she here?"

With a sad sigh, Julie sat back on the couch and leaned her elbows on her knees.

"You know she lives in another city, mum. She couldn't make it back in time."

Her mum scoffed. "Of course. Always too busy for her family."

"That's not true," countered Julie, frowning. "Belle calls us once a week."

"You mean, she calls you once a week." Her mum corrected. "She does fuck all with me. She never bothers."

There was no point in arguing. Julie knew her mum's resentment wasn't just about her sister's absence—it was about the fact that her dad was gone and Julie was still here; her dad was gone, yes, but her mum wasn't that upset about that. It was more that she was upset about the child support she didn't get, the extra money that could fuel her drinking and smoking habits. Her sister, Belle, had blamed everything on their mum for the way their dad's life ended. That because of their mum kicking him out of the house, he had been driven to take his own life—the final nail in the coffin of rejection.