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Chapter 86 Frames and Bathroom Floors

Smith returned and sat opposite me again and looked me in the eye, hiding something behind his back. 'It's not much, and I can't take all of the credit I did have a little help to think it up in the first place.' I looked at him, I think you all know what I was thinking it might be and I can tell you I wanted it more than anything it what he showed me was worth so much more. He produced a picture frame with an envelope on top. 'Abbey, this is your father. He wasn't some drunk, he didn't abandon you and your mum. He met your mum when he was on leave from the navy but he got called back not long after they found out they were having you. He didn't come back because he couldn't. His ship was off coast monitoring a suspect missile location when his ship was hit by a extremist group missile. The whole ship was lost and there were no known survivors. A letter was sent to your mother this is that letter and she couldn't live in England, it tore her apart and she left for the US. Anything else you know is lies that your uncle made up in spite. There was no lover boy, no American dream.' he said holding my hand. I had tears streaming down my face, most of my life and knowing was a big lie. 'How do you know all of this?' I managed to say. He looked over at the doorway of the room. 'I told him.' There was a tallish blonde woman with a white t shirt and blue jeans with her arms crossed across her chest. I recognised her but I couldn't place her until it clicked, she was the waitress at the cafe. 'How did she help you? She's the waitress right?' I asked and the woman chuckled, 'That I am.' she said and Smith said it, 'She's your mum Abbey.' it took a second to sink in. 'What?' I started shaking and it felt like the world had stopped. 'My mum?' I staggered. Smith nodded, and my mum smiled at me. 'I know it's a lot to take in and you need time to process it and you probably have so many questions.' She said walking towards me. I stood up letting go of Smith's hand which I had made slightly sweaty. 'Your my mum.' I whispered with tears now being a consistent resident on my cheeks. 'I am sweet pea.' she said and I remembered that's what she used to call me. I hesitated to hug her but did it eventually. I don't know if any of you have ever experienced the feeling I had just now but it feels like the opposite to an existential crisis. The whole universe felt right, nothing else in the world mattered at that one moment when I hugged my mum for the first time I for what felt like forever.

When we stopped there was not a dry eye in the house, I sat back down next to Smith and rested my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me. 'So am I a good present?' she asked and I laughed and nodded. 'Who else knows about this?' I asked the two of them my crying stopping. 'us and Lewis and Hannah.' My mum said I nodded, 'are you coming with us for dinner?' I asked her, 'Only if it is alright with you honey, Hannah and Lewis said it was fine.' Smith said and I nodded, 'let's get going then.' I said getting up,'But I haven't opened your present.' Smith said holding my neatly wrapped present. 'Oh yeah.' I sat back down and he unwrapped the present it was small and delicate. He looked down at the picture frame, I had found an old picture of him, his brother sister and mum from not too long ago and I had put it in a weathered rustic wooden frame with the word mum engraved in the bottom. 'See, we both got our mums for Christmas.' I joked as Smith looked at the frame. He sniffed once and adjusted his slightly hunched position. 'Hey, hey, hey I have done enough crying for the two of us.' I said hugging him and he huffed, 'I am sorry I don't want you to cry.' i whispered and he just whispered that he loved me, 'I love you too honey.'

Once we were all sorted and ready We, us three, me my wonderful boyfriend and mum, Smith mum and I went to Lewis and Hannah's. We parked up and walked into the building and went to the apartment. Smith knocked and I was talking to my mum about Lewis and Hannah. Hannah opened the door and instantly smiled at us three, 'hey, come in.' I smiled at Hannah and she smiled, 'we were worried that you were not all going to be here.' Lewis said coming from the kitchen. 'We are all here.' I said not being able to shift my smile.

We all sat around the table, Hannah had done your traditional Christmas lunch with Turkey. I sat in between my mum and Smith, everyone was talking when I realised that this situation was slightly awkward. I had completely dismissed my mum, in my head Hannah and Lewis were the replacements and it was pretty much the normal for me. Now I had my real mum and if course I loved her but I felt like Hannah had been there for me far longer than my mum which is far from the truth. I squirmed in my seat slightly. I was suddenly taking it all in today I had learnt so much about mum, about dad and so much of what I thought I knew was fake. My breathing started getting faster. 'Excuse me.' I said getting up, 'you ok?' Smith asked and the conversation stopped. I nodded and picked up my bag from the sofa and went into the bathroom.

I sat in the edge of the bath and rummaged through my bag and found my anxiety pills and swallowed two and slid onto the floor, looked up and closed my eyes. The knock on the door made me jump. 'Abbey, you alright?' I heard Smith say, I got up from the floor and walked over to the door and opened it letting Smith in but shutting it behind him. 'Have you taken your pills?' he asked and I nodded before sitting back on the edge of the bed. 'It's all a lot to take in at once. My whole life felt fake, and now my mum is sat at the table with a man have come to think of as dad and a woman I have come to think of as mum.' Smith sat on the floor next to me and sighed. 'I never thought gaining another mum would do this.' he said and I looked at him, 'I haven't gained a mum. I have got one back.' I told him, 'at least she can come back.' he said and I looked at him. 'Honey I am so sorry. Oh god I bet I sound so stupid.' I said putting my hand on his leg. 'No I understand, you finally felt like you had your life sorted and now it's all screwed up again.' he said, 'listen, this is the best present you could have given me.' I put my hand in the back of his neck, 'you have shown me the truth, you have knocked down all the lies and the fake and told me the truth and facts. It's what I need. I can move on With my life knowing exactly what happened.' I told him and he smiled at me, 'so I didn't dock Christmas up then?' he said and I chuckled, 'no, it's perfect.' I said, 'well we are sat on the floor in a bathroom but it can't be the worst Christmas ever.' he said and I rested my head on his shoulder again and smiled and he kissed the top of my head and held my hand.