Forsaking Lilly

Chapter Twelve

Over the course of two weeks, I'd fallen into a strict routine.  Weekdays, Cooper picked me up at seven or so, I went through my classes, at lunch I ate with Eadie, went through the rest of my classes, got a ride from Cooper and went home.For the most part, I didn't have a problem with this at all. Well, except for the fact that it was so...bland. What teenager do you know that enjoys being cooped up with their mother all the time, with a little to non-existent social life? I kept these feelings quiet of course, seeing as they probably wouldn't be that important anyways.

I sighed to no one in particular, using a key my mother had given me to let myself into the house. I heard my mother's voice as soon as I walked through the door and took note that she was laughing. Better yet, she was conversing. Much unlike myself, my mother's social life had taken off like a rocket over the past few weeks. Thanks to her friendliness, we constantly had people over and she seemed to be on her phone all the time. You would think that, since we were on our own now, that she would get a job, but instead my mother decided to be one of the social elite. How sensible of her, I thought sarcastically

I shook my head and shrugged off my, brand new, backpack by the door and kicked off my shoes. I neatly aligned them along the wall with my mother's and hung my key chain on the key rack. Once that little task was done, I shook out my hair, sending long strands of dark, glossy, hair around my shoulders. This was always the first thing I did when I got home. Well, at least now it was.

Hearing my stomach growl, I went off towards the den so that I could find a snack. My mother's voice grew louder the closer I got to the den. It was now hard to ignore her conversation. " Oh, that's so nice of you to offer." There was a considerate pause in the conversation in which time I figured the caller, seeing as I could see she was on the phone, had replied. " No, it's fine. I'll think about going. Thanks again. Alright, bye now."  Another pause. "Oh, you  too." And then she hung up.

I tsked at my mother as I sliced up an apple and a pear and put the slices in a bowl.  With expertise, I salted the fruit and shook the slices around to spread the salt. " Who was it?" I couldn't help but sound..bitter. I hadn't had much of a good day, and I was generally irritated with my mom for having more of a life than I.

" Oh, just Lynette. She wants to go out tonight." I looked at my mother with sheer unbelief in my eyes. Out? Since when did my mother go out?

" Are you going?" My voice strained and my eyebrow shot up as I walked over into the den and took a seat on the couch beside her. My mother looked at me and chuckled, she dropped her head and rubbed her temples a while before she answered me.

" I don't know yet, Cal." When she looked at back at me, her eyes were sad. Reluctantly, my mind traveled back to her breakdown the other day. Did she think it was too soon to go out? Was it hurting her to even consider it? Uncomfortably, my eyes darted away from her and I stumbled around in my head for words to say.

I wasn't really mad at my mother. Actually, maybe I was just being jealous. Truth be told, I didn't want my mother in the house all the time. I wanted her to be out, enjoying herself, be around other people. Not just because I knew it put her in my element, but because I knew all of these things took her mind off of my father.

I sighed and sucked in my breath, hoping that  I could word this right. " Mom, I wouldn't be...upset if you went."  I popped a pear slice in my mouth and shrugged my shoulders.

My mother stared at me, shock written all over her face. Sure, if this situation had occurred two weeks ago, I would have been beyond upset. But the truth was that I was slowly coming to terms with my father's death. Of course it hurt still but I understood that it was unreversable, my father was gone.