Misalignment | ✔

Flory

I end up deciding
to get my visit
to Grandmother
over with
this afternoon,
so after affirming
that Matty will
come with,
we leave school together.

She rode her bike
to school today,
which is a bit
out of the ordinary,
since she's told me before
that she hates biking
and that there's no use
riding to school when she
lives so close.
When I ask her about it,
she shakes her head
minutely,
and I drop the topic
soon after,
just like always.

Our first stop
on our way to
the city hospital
is my house.
"I'm just going to
drop my things off
and tell my mother
where we're going,"
I say as we
stop on the front lawn.
"Maybe we can
borrow her car, even.
It'll be just a minute,
but you can come in
if you want."

"I've never met
your mom,"
Matty muses as she
hops off her bike
and leans it against
the porch
beside mine.
"She sounds nice,
from what you've said."

'Nice' is probably
an understatement,
all things considering,
but I just nod
and open the door
for her
to enter first.
All we can hear
for a moment
is the clacking of
computer keys,
but as we round the corner,
I see my mother
at the kitchen table,
typing away at her
work laptop.

She still hasn't been able
to go into work -
the storm last week
hit her building
pretty badly,
as it turns out,
and the repairs are taking
longer than expected.
As such,
she's been working from home,
which involves
interrupting almost everything
with conference calls
via Skype
and hurried emails
to her higher-ups.
She even ruined dinner
a few nights ago
because of a 'work emergency'
that required her to abandon
her meatloaf
all of a sudden.

I think it was
much more of an emergency
when said contents of
the oven
caught fire -
but maybe that's
just me.

She's staring intently
at her computer screen
now,
garbed in an ensemble
of sweats and with
her light hair up in a
messy bun
that fits her
scatter-brained personality
perfectly.

"Hi, honey,"
she calls out distractedly,
her gaze still fixed firmly
on the screen.
She looks especially
stressed out
today, and I
can't help but feel bad
for her.
She always works herself
so hard -
too hard for what
she's paid to do,
in my opinion.
I'm surprised she
doesn't have a more
stable job
for the dedication
and loyalty
she's shown to
her company
over the years.

Matty and I
wait quietly
until she finally
finishes what she's doing
and sits back,
sighing wordlessly.
She turns to offer me
a tired grin -
and then catches sight
of Matty.
Her smile turns to
a questioning frown,
but I answer her
before she can
ask anything.

"This is Matty,"
I tell her.
Matty gives
a tiny wave
in conjunction with
my introduction.
"We're going to see
Grandmother
in a minute-"

"Matty!"
my mother bursts out,
catching both of us
off guard.
"Cam has told me
so much
about you!
Hello there!"

"I have?"
As I groan
at her antics,
Matty just laughs,
taking my mother's
outstretched hand
to shake.
"I've heard a lot
about you, too,
Mrs. Shills,"
she returns,
graceful as ever.

"Please, call me
Flory,"
my mother beams.
"I'm not even married -
'Mrs.' makes me feel
like an old, married coot."

They seem to be
getting along well,
so before my mother can
embarrass me any further,
I make my escape
to my room
to deposit my bag.
When I return,
the girls are whispering
to each other
in the way that females do
that I've never understood.
When they see me,
they both pull back
and smile -
Matty with her polite grin
still tinged with sadness,
and my mother with her
excited smile
that can't contain all
of her
bubbly happiness.

"I could teach you how
to bake cookies!"
she bursts out,
I assume picking up
from where their conversation
had left off.
"Cam never does
anything like that
with me.
I need a
cooking buddy."

"We have to get going,"
I pointedly remind her,
"before visiting hours
are up.
And besides -
don't you have work
to be doing?"

"It's nice of you
to offer,"
Matty tactfully intervenes.
"Maybe some
other time?"

My mother looks
disappointed
to be losing her proposed
'cooking buddy'
so soon, but
nods all the same.
"Next time,"
she agrees.
"You'll bring her back,
won't you,
Cam?"

I think my mother
has found
the daughter she's
never had -
or, at least,
a replacement for
the one she'd thought
she had.
The thought makes me
cringe
just a little.
I can't help but wonder
how Matty feels
about my mother's apparent
clinginess,
and if it's
weirding her out
as much as it is me.

When I nod
my agreement,
my mother settles back
in her seat
with a satisfied sigh
and returns to her work.
Matty and I leave
moments later,
just as soon as I
inform my mother
that we're taking her car.
She makes some
noncommittal noise
in response,
already lost in her
workload.

It's not until we're
settled in the SUV,
keys in the ignition,
that Matty speaks.
"I wish my mom
was as nice
as yours..."
she murmurs -
and when I glance
over at her
in the passenger seat,
I almost think I see
the beginnings of
tears
hanging against her
dark lashes.
She turns away
before I can confirm
their presence.

Sighing,
I push it
out of my mind
and set my eyes
on the road ahead.

×

Alright, here comes more drama... I mean, any time Cam's grandma comes in, drama is basically guaranteed, lmao. But this is gonna be great, man.

Aside from that, Matty and Flory finally met! They actually have a bit more of a history than either of them realize, though. I'll probably go into more detail on that in either Unparalleled or Undeniable - not quite sure yet.

If you guys liked this chapter, I would love if you would take the time to vote and leave me some feedback! It would mean a lot to me! c: