Prelude

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13 years ago - July 14 - 10:36pm - Rye

A dark road illuminated by car headlights. Her eyes red, tears threatened to spill. A strong will, a strong face, put up for her only son.

We drove. Going seemingly nowhere. Wherever the road would take us.
She pulled up at a convenience store and shuts off the engine.
Her wallet opens with a button click and she pulls out a note, "Go buy yourself something."
Her smile was weak. I didn't refuse.

A purchase of some orange juice and a small pack of chips for myself, a bottle of water for her.
I see her, from a distance. Tears streaming down get face, red and mostly heated. She refuses to sob yet allows herself to cry.
She sees me, and quickly grabs a tissue to save whatever else she has left.
Seated again in the vehicle: I hand her the bottled water, she gives such a pathetic smile, "You didn't have to."
But she drinks it regardless. I take a sip from from my own orange juice. The liquid sickens me, with its sour-sweet taste. I have to though: vitamin C is good for bruises.

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13 years ago - July 15 - 05:40am - Cammie

It was a silent drive between the two of us. A slither of sunlight shining past the small mountains in the distance. Dawn.
Ma at the wheel, her eyes show that she hasn't been getting much sleep. I sit beside her, waiting for anything to break this unbearable silence between us.
"This move will be good for us, you know. I'll have a better pay and that'll mean I'll be able to spend more time with you stop you're not so lonely!" Her voice cracked as she attempted to be cheerful: for my sake.
"Don't worry, it's fine if you can't. I'm used to it," it came out colder than I intended.

Her grip on the wheel tightened. I'm sure she feels regret. She wasn't the best mother around. But she tried. That's what matters, right?

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