Severing Ties (Book 2. Ties)

27. Mom

The elevator took us up. Like a herd, we walked outside with the rest of the people to observe the city around the Empire State Building.

Since Mike stayed for the weekend, I took him sightseeing. I made him walk around everywhere, so he could get the full on New Yorker experience. We had already gone to Rockefeller Center and Madame Tussauds. By the time we arrived to Empire State Building, Mike looked like he was ready to drop.

I smiled to myself as I observed the tired frame of my best friend. We stood outside looking at all that made up New York City. My surroundings always took my breath away. Maybe to a lot of people, New York was just a city full of old tall buildings, but to me it was a place full of history. Hundreds after hundreds came to America so many years ago for a better life. People still migrated to New York, but the past was different. The past brought people who had to travel by ship, hoping to survive the trip. It was harder back then.

"How do you like it, Mikey?" I had sneaked up on Mike, so he jumped slightly.

His face told me he was in awe. "It's beautiful up here. I feel untouchable."

One side of my mouth tugged up. "I know the feeling."

"Is that the Hudson River," he asked.

"Yes."

"Wow."

Once we finished oohing and admiring, we went back to the first floor to leave. I took him back home and cooked him a meal myself.

"This is so good. Oh my gosh, wow. This is a surprise. You are amazing." I was not fetching for compliments, but he kept throwing them at me, and there was nothing I could do but take them. Ooo what a pain.

I sat back in my chair. "I can make cookies for dessert."

His blue eyes widened. "With chocolate chunks?"

"Is there any other way?" I smirked.

"I love you," he yelled at the top of his lungs.

With him around, I giggled excessively.

Like promised, I made chocolate chunk cookies. So there we were, adults having their milk and cookies in the kitchen. We laughed at our unamusing jokes like children. I felt relaxed being with him. That only made me realize how hard it was going to be to say goodbye on Sunday.

After finishing our share of cookies, we decided to go upstairs to my room. But right at the moment that we stepped out of the kitchen, my mom walked through the elevator. She looked like she had been crying a lot.

"What happened," I immediately asked.

She continued walking to the couches in the living room, so Mike and I followed. "I finally told Elena about Lucius and the baby."

I shared a look with Mike. "And what happened?"

"Kind of like you, but a hundred times angrier. Which makes sense, since I have kept these secrets for so long. I think I lost my best friend." Tears began to cascade down from her eyes.

Mike sat across from where my mom and I sat on the couch. "She's just upset. Give her some time. You didn't lose her."

"But you should have seen her, Mackenzie."

"She needs some time think is all. Just wait, Mom."

She buried her face in her hands and mumbled through them. "I don't know why I chose to do so much in one day."

"What did you do," I asked hesitantly.

"I called your grandmother to tell her." Mom raised her face and wiped at her tears. "And well you can imagine how she reacted." She chuckled dryly. "She said she would have never expected me to have a child out of wedlock. She yelled for a minute, saying that she had raised her kids right. Eliza and I had no reason to behave the way we did, et cetera et cetera. But then, she calmed down."