I Do Not Dance

Chapter 16

The days were starting to blur into weeks. My thoughts kept me on edgeabout my mother. it had been two weeks since we had gotten back to NewJersey and my mom was just getting worse.

"Kaewyn" George came over and handed me a toy plane, he wanted to play hisfavorite game "vroom vroom". I myself was still trying to figure out what thatgame consisted of. All I was able to figure out was that we ran around thehouse going "vrooom! Vrooom!" and if I didn't do it with enough enthusiasmjust like he did, he would stop, put his hands on his sides and very loudly go

"No!Vrooom!"

" Not now George, I have to finish dinner." By finishing dinner I meantreheating the left overs the Booker's had been leaving for us lately. Ilooked out to the porch we had and saw my mom still laying in the exactsame position as an hour ago. her hands on her lap and her gaze starring offinto the yard. The emotion in her once bright, joyful eyes had all butdisappeared, leaving behind a ghost of a mother. Her eyes had started to sinkin and heavy, purple under eye shadows had appeared. I couldn't blame herthough, she wasn't the only one with sleepless nights in this house. I put in alasagna in the microwave and got three glasses out. I stopped as I heard thefamiliar jingle of my phone go off. I walked over, Liam had texted me. A smallsmile formed on my lips, he always had great timing. Lately he had beenchecking up on me and George to make sure we were surviving ok.

"You guys should come over for dinner this week...? Ya know, a change ofscenery might help you guys."

My fingers danced over the keyboard as I typed back.

"Sounds like a plan! tell me when we can come over and I'll convince mymom:)"

Since Montana had left for horse camp for 2 1/2 weeks things had been a littlequiet lately. The timer for the lasagna went off and I walked over to retrieve it.

"George! Dinners ready!" I served the lasagna and got some milk out of thefridge. I went over to the porch and brought my mom her lasagna.

"Try to eat it, It's really good."

~ ~ ~

"Kaelyn!" I heard a familiar voice, and then I saw a familiar face.

"Hey James!" I waved over. I had been going on a run that afternoon andhadn't expected to see James.

Of course, I had to be all sweaty and gross looking.

"How are you?" James asked.

It wasn't your usual "how are you?" as if askinghow your day's been. It was more of a "How are you holding up with takingcare of your mom and your little brother.

"I'm hanging in there." I looked away trying to forget everything that hadbeen happening lately.

I felt strong warm arms wrap around me. It was like for a little bit, I didn'thave to carry the weight on my shoulders all by myself. He let go of me andstarted speaking again.

"I'm going to Chicago for the weekend, we got a performance there." Hehesitated.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to come..." He looked at the ground almost ifknowing what my answer was going to be. He knew it wasn't a choice if Iwanted to go or not. I had people here that needed my constant care. Icouldn't just leave them. I grabbed his hands into mine.

"You know it's not a choice of whether or not I want to. I hope you guys dowell though." He kept looking down at the ground, I could see a mixture ofdisappointment and understanding plastered on his face. I grabbed his chin,gently but firmly making him look into my own eyes. I formed a smile on myown face and kissed him. It was really the lightest peck ever, but enough tosend that message that I really wanted to go with him. He and I had gotten alot closer lately. I was trying to be open to the idea of whatever we might havegoing on.