That Sexy Librarian and Me

30th

30 m i s s e d calls

& voicemails

His mother had been calling him.

Relentlessly.

“Remy, call me back.”

“Remy, are you getting these?”

“I think this has gone on long enough, Remington. Call me back this instant!”

And the last one to seal the deal.

“Happy New Year, Remington Howsham.”

On the first of the new term he walked into the same shit he’d walked into the last first day of a new term: a bunch of broody professors, exams, assignments, the codes. It was endless. Added to that was the inevitable question.

What happened when he returned his mother’s calls?

As he ate with Maddie and Athenia that night, Maddie still her quiet more-irritating-than-usual self, he thought of all the things that he could gain by picking up her call.

1.    He could buy Athenia nice things.

2.    He could... ask her to live with him. Officially.

3.    He could...

Was there more to do with establishing a relationship with his mother again, other than the fact that he wouldn’t be cut off anymore? Was he going to miss them, his father, too, when they cut him off the next time?

Which, of course, they would. He was going to buy Athenia the moon, after all. People would figure that would cost a pretty penny.

Maybe this time would be different. It was possible his mother wouldn’t be so... condescending and irritating as hell now, seeing as she missed him and all that. He was sure if someone had died he’d have heard about it from other means.

It was such a dirty thing to think about so easily and yet, it barely bothered Remy. Knowing that he’d probably have to part with Athenia made his heart ache in ways he hadn’t known.

“Come back. You’ve been gone all week.”

Her quiet sullen whispers brought him to turn around, the couch far more uncomfortable than ever before. Now that he’d had a taste of the bed, and Athenia on it, he couldn’t even think about falling asleep any other way.

“I’ve been right here,” he told her, himself. Haven’t I?

For some reason, the way her lips fit into his made him wonder if she was scared. Of what? Losing him? Losing this? Just like he was?

Then that would mean that she missed him being more attentive, which he hadn’t at all in the week that went by.

“I have to call my mother,” he whispered to her as she placed a hand on his face. “She’s...”

“Been calling, then?”

Silence.

“Family is everything, Remy,” her voice was gentle, and so, so sad. “Call her. She misses you.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d call mine back if they called me. I’d give up anything for that,” she told him, almost broken heartedly, he felt. “I wish they’d think of me, call me.”

I wish this didn’t have to change, he told her silently as he kissed her face, salty and wet, I wish that everything always stays the same.