Rain....Is it really that good?

Gotta Love Mom

My mother was not the happiest person in the world when I was younger. Most of my memories consisted of her crying and being beaten till she couldn’t leave the house. When my dad left us mom finally got the nerve to get a job and to give us a better life then my deadbeat father was giving us. She made something of herself and she got her college degree. She’s now one of the top lawyers at her firm and is about to be remarried. My mother was 17 when she had me. She’s turning 35 and is as happy as any 17 year old should be. I pull up to our 2 floor house and see the roses growing in the garden. My mother loves roses as much as she loves me. I grab my stuff and knock on the front door. It hasn’t changed much since I left a few months ago. The porch swing still has a little swing to it and the entire front law is green and has flower beds anywhere they would fit. I didn’t realize my mother had opened the door till she gave me a huge hug. I look down at my mother and smile since I’m taller then her. I give her a hug and tell her I miss her. I get my looks from my mom she gave me my black hair and my dark eyelashes. The only thing I got from my father was the black eyes. I smile and shake my head, “Happy birthday mom”

“You really are here! Tony said you might not make it with all the rain but your really here!!” she says literally jumping up and down. I laugh as I hear Tony come up behind my mom,

“Calm down Jen you might scare him away before the week’s done with” he laughs and gives me a man hug. Usually I don’t do man hugs but I’ve grown to like Tony and wouldn’t mind him as a step father. He’s the only one of the men I’ve approved of as a child and eventually he learned what happened to my real dad. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man cry until my mother told him what happened. He took my mother in his arms and just hugged her. A few days later he asked her to marry him so we could be a happy family. Of course, with me she couldn’t say no. Tony is about as tall as me with geeky glasses and a head of platinum blond hair which makes my mother look like night compared to his hair. He works at a bakery which he owns. Thinking of his job makes me think about Sapphire. Maybe he knows her. I should ask him, I think to myself. I get distracted as my mother goes and hugs another guest showing up. Oh crap. Of course it had to be Alexis, my one and only ex that has never gotten over me. She has re-dyed her hair to its bleach blond look that makes her look like a hooker. Of course, we never told her that but she seemed to know it and has a rep for it. She’s wearing tight miniskirt and a low cut top. Oh God. I’m in so much trouble. I put a fake smile on as she comes and hugs me saying she missed me and should have taken her with me. As if you were too busy sleeping around to ever care about me, I think to myself. I get pulled into the house by Alexis, who is really laying it on too strong, and brought up to my room. I groan inwardly I was so not doing this. Not anymore. I had too many pregnancy scares that I gave up on doing this shit. But if she wanted to humiliate herself it’s her loss.

I count to ten then sit on the floor. She looks confused for a moment but shrugs thinking she can get me back. Thing is I’m so far gone that there’s no chance of me coming back. I push her away and think of what I saw in her in the first place. Oh yea now I remember, she was easy. I hear the front door open and close multiple times and hear more and more voices making it louder. I sigh and push her slightly and run for the door. I make it and escape downstairs to find my mother. I see her talking to a delivery person from the bakery. I sigh and step closer to my mom and smile at the deliverer. My heart stops for just a second as I realize that it’s her. Sapphire. She nods in my general direction and hands the box over to my mother who opens it on the spot. She pulls out a bag of fresh baked cookies. She gives Sapphire a hug and goes to go show Tony. I meet Sapphire’s eyes and see a little bruise underneath one of them.

“Sapphire what are you doing here?” I ask finding my voice even if it is a bit shaky but I wanted to know why she came here and how she knew where my mother lived.

“My mother wanted me to bring cookies to Jen” she says in her angel voice which sounded a little scared as if something bad was going to happen.

I nod and look at the bruise under her eye. If I had to guess I’d say she was punched by a guy who had a lot of control so I ask her where she got the shiner. She touches her face where the bruise is and turns away. She says she has to go and runs out of the house. I watch her until I can’t see her anymore and I realize that I was holding my breath. I look around the room to see if anyone else noticed the girl that was changing my heart. Nobody was looking in my direction which pisses me off. Sapphire could have been having a heart attack but none of these people would care. I look out the window and jump when Alexis touches my arm. I look at her and follow her gaze to nothing. She starts explaining Sapphire and how she was only 16 and just moved here. She tells me that Sapphire’s mom is seriously sick and a town local who moved away with her husband before she had Sapphire. I look at Alexis and bout to say something when my mom calls me into the dining room. Must be cake time.

*          *          *         

As all the guests leave I walk with my mom and sit on the porch swing. I ask her about Sapphire’s mom. She looks at me for a moment then out at our yard. She explains that she was her best friend. Her name was Jade and everyone thought she was going to be the most famous person coming from this small town. Until Trevor came along. It was love at first sight for the two of them and he eventually knocked her up to make sure no one could have her. So after graduation they moved away and she lost touch with Jade. Not knowing what happened to her best friend she started freaking out until she heard that Jade gave birth to a baby girl. Of course, this was also the time when my dad was beating my mom. My mom stops the story and I can tell she’s ready to cry. I give her a hug and kiss the top of her head telling her she’ll be alright. When Tony comes to help I stand up and go to my room. I lie down on my bed and think of what my mom told me. I eventually drift off to sleep thinking of the angel girl that is taking my breath away. Then I think, what the hell is happening to me?