Her life was far from perfect.
With an absent father, an alcoholic mother, and two younger siblings to take care of, Aurora never believed in an exemplary life for herself and therefore for others.
Everyone looked at her from their rose-colored gl...
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It was a tough morning.
Mia clung to me for fifteen minutes bawling her eyes out as I dropped her off at her new daycare. Jack was a whole different kid, refusing to get out of bed or eat the breakfast I'd carefully rationed for all of us. The kids then argued back and forth with me about not wanting to go anywhere. They didn't want to start over. They wanted their old daycare back, their old school back, their old life back.
My breakdown was near, clawing itself against my skin. I wanted to scream, wanted to pull my hair, wanted to say fuck it and just get back in bed and let myself rest for one lousy day. Just one...
Yet I couldn't bring myself to do just that. Instead, I let the stray tear fall down my cheek in front of the bathroom mirror before wiping it away, ushering the kids into my car and getting them to their designated facilities for the afternoon.
After Mia's meltdown, Jack's mood swung me lower as we stood in front of his school, kids passing by us. "I don't want to." I'd forgotten just how mature he was for ten. Well, it isn't really something you choose to do, kiddo." I sigh and bring myself to crouch in front of him.
As I sat there in front of him, his face down and demeanor even lower, I couldn't help but get angry. It shouldn't have to be this way: I shouldn't be giving my little brother these talks, not when his mother was perfectly capable of putting the bottle down and doing it herself.
"Why did we move? I had friends there, Rory. I want to go back. Please!"
"Jack, come on–"
"No, I want to go back!" Jack refutes. Mothers who pass by us turn to look at me in confusion. The last thing I need is another kid's meltdown in front of our new hometown, so I take my brother's face in my hands and gently press his head against mine.
"I know, okay? I get it. You're mad, and I'm sorry, but bear with me, you have no clue how bad I feel to have taken you from Cali. I'm just as mad as you are Jack."
Jack whines, brushing his foot against the pavement under us. "Then why did we go?" His question held so much weight, so much pain. "Do you trust me?" Is all I can croak out. Jack nods softly. "Then trust me when I say this was for the best. You're going to make new friends and you're going to do good in school."
Jack falls silent, pulling away from me to look back at the school. Students flooded in through the double doors as the beginning bell sounded. "If I go in can we go to the park after?" He asks finally, looking down at me.
"Yeah, sure bud."
I give Jack one final kiss on the cheek before he grips the straps of his backpack and makes his way into the building. My heart goes crazy, anxiety, fear, happiness, sadness, and uncertainty melting into one through my veins.
