One year later.
"Yeah dad I'm okay." I say for the millionth time.
"I'm just making sure pumpkin." My dad laughs.
"I've talked to you everyday daddy I'm okay." I laugh back. There's a knock at my door a half hour later right in the middle of my dad telling me about his new girlfriend. She seems sweet.
It's my nurse.
"Dad I have to go to therapy. Tell Mary I said hi and that I can't wait to meet her."
"Will do pumpkin."
^-^
"So you haven't spoken to your mom since the incident." Dr. Jones says. She's pretty. She has this short red hair and big brown eyes. She's a little on the heavier side but she's still pretty.
I shake my head. "No I haven't. I mean sometimes I miss her, I mean she's my mom, under all that mean she's still my mom somewhere. She's still the one who taught me how to ride my bike, no training wheels or anything. I don't have a bike anymore though." I add thoughtfully. The pills make me feel and talk weird. I kick my legs up and down.
"Do you want to try and call her now?" Dr. Jones said. "Maybe invite her to come visit?"
"She doesn't like me very much anymore." I say sadly.
"Do you still wanna try?" She asks and picks up her phone. I reach out for it and dial my mothers number. My palms are sweaty and my knees are weak but I'm sitting so I won't fall or anything. She answers on the third ring.
"Joan Herons line." Her voice is hard.
"Mommy?" I choke out.
"Kat?" Her voice is shocked.
"Yes mommy it's me." I say.
"Where on earth are you!" She asks. "It's been months not a phone call or a text the only time I hear anything about you is on a magazine and even then it's not much!" She sounds different. Not the same as when I left.
"What happened mom?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" She seems confused.
"You don't sound mean. And you're not yelling at me or anything. I thought you hated me." I say and my voice catches. The pills make me emotional too.
"Kat I am so sorry." She says her voice sounds sad too but also a little awkward. "It was only after you left I realised how horrid I was to you. I didn't even know you were gone until you called on your birthday. I never treated you right. I'm an awful mother." She starts crying.
"I mean you weren't the best but you never hit me so that's good." I try to make her feel better but it comes out strained and awkward. I hear her sniff. "I have something to tell you mom." I say quietly and play with the cord on the phone.
"Anything sweetie."
"Remember Max?" The other end goes silent. She's not even breathing. "H-he found me out in London. He and his friend. They jumped me. They touched me," my voice gets small and a sob escapes my throat, "everywhere." I whisper. "I died on the way to the hospital but I came back and I'm getting better. I'm in Whales now at the doctors. They're helping me mommy. I can touch people without crying now. I hugged one of my nurses. Dr. Jones says I should invite you to come visit. So will you? You know, come see me? I wanna let you know I forgive you for everything and that I just want my mom back. Please give me my mom." I end. There is no noise on the other end. Until
"Joan? What are you doing?" A voice asks. It's high and shrill. Grace and she sounds no different from when I last spoke with her.
"I'm going to see Kat, Grace." My mom answers simply.
JE LEEST
Remember That Summer
Fanfiction**excerpt** "I'm moving." I mumbled, "What when?" His eyes were filled with shock. I should have told him sooner. I shouldn't have waited so long. "To-tomorrow." I felt a lump form in my throat. "You mean to a different house right? One closer to mi...
