Viridescent Flares

26

The next morning, after getting ready, I waited for Lauren to finish taking a bath whilst I was brushing my hair. I groaned in frustration, dropping the brush onto the bed because I couldn't comb my hair properly with one hand. Crazy as it is, I liked the idea of having a cast because I thought it was cool, but having these struggles is making me feel bad about myself. A soft knock rang around the room and I yelled at them to come in and in a minute, Clara was walking inside my room.

"Hi, Clara," I greeted, standing up from the bed as I tried hiding my confusion since I didn't expect her to come. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine," she replied, smiling warmly at me as she padded closer. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh." My heart started racing as possibilities of what she might want to talk about came flooding my mind. I didn't do anything, did I? "Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Yes." She chuckled, and I offered her to sit. "It's about Lauren."

Of course it is.

"W-we're back together if that's—you know—if you're wondering," I stuttered, and somehow I felt guilty because I haven't talked to them last night when they got here. I should be catching up with my girlfriend's family instead of isolating myself with my siblings.

"I know," the older woman said, chuckling at me. "But it's not about that."

"It's not?" I questioned, even furrowing my brows from thinking what I could've done wrong.

"I shouldn't be bringing it up again but it's about the reason why the both of you broke up," she said, almost shyly.

Another "Oh."

"I wasn't able to apologize to you ever since we left and now that I found the chance, I wouldn't risk losing it again," she admitted, reaching for my right hand to give it a squeeze. The cold silver band made contact with my finger and I almost shivered.

"It's okay, Clara. Lauren and I fixed it already," I reassured her, the corner of my lips quirking up to a small smile.

"I know, but after hearing what you've done to yourself, I couldn't help but feel someone to be blamed," she replied, and I clenched my jaw upon the confession. "You know I didn't like the both of you going on your own ways, don't you?" I only nodded, waiting for her to continue. "I'm sorry if it isn't my business anymore but when you started dating my daughter, we immediately considered you as a part of our family and I wanted nothing more but to make sure you're okay and I don't want you doing those things again."

My heart swelled up from the revelation and being accepted in Lauren's family is nothing more than what I wanted.

"I can see how happy you make my daughter, y/n," Clara continued, her thumb running like a windshield wiper against the back of my hand. "And I know how much she's hurting when you do those things to yourself. I'm not saying that you should stop it only for Lauren's sake but also for you of course. I'm just saying that the both of you make each other happy and you shouldn't be feeling like this. With the time you've spent with each other, you should already know what the other is feeling and you should trust them because that's how you know them. Am I making sense here?"