Happy Hope (Book Two)

Chapter 24:

I sat in front of my kids nervously. I hated disappointing them and I knew this would. They’d probably hate me for the rest of the day.

            “We aren’t going on tour anymore. Connor you’re staying at your school. I’ve already told your teacher,” I said quickly. Connor’s face transformed into a fit of anger.

            “I hate you!” he screamed out before storming upstairs to his room. The words broke me. They say when your kids tell you they hate you it means you’re doing a good job but this didn’t feel like I was doing a good job.

            “We’re not going to Disneyland?” Sophie asked sadly.

            “No, I’m sorry baby,” I said but Sophie got up slowly and dragged herself upstairs too. I sighed in defeat. My kids hated me.

            “That sounded tough,” Amelia commented walking in.

            “They hate me. I am the worst mother ever. Like ever!”

            “No you aren’t. One day they’ll understand,” Amelia assured me.

            “What if they don’t?”

            “They will,” Amelia repeated.

            “Urgh! This is so hard! I never know what I’m doing. I’m scared I’m always putting my needs above theirs and it’s not fair to them.”

            “Hope!” Amelia sat down next to me. “You are the best thing those kids have. They know you love them and sure they’re a little mad at you now but they’ll get over it eventually. Don’t forget who you also lost, who we all lost because of him. Jake wasn’t the only one to die because of him and it’s time you started acknowledging that.”

Amelia got up and left me alone walking to some other part of this small house. I didn’t want to think about who else had died in that accident. It hurt to much and I couldn’t take it any of it.

            “Amelia! I’m going for a drive!”

Whilst I was driving my phone rang.

            “Hello?”

            “Hope, it’s Georgia.” She was the last person I wanted to talk to at the moment.

            “Hi, how’ve you been?”

            “Good, good. I was thinking you should bring the kids over, Peter and Demi are over and they haven’t seen them for months. Con has got the barbeque going, you could bring Amelia as well!”

            “Umm, now’s not a great time,” I told her trying to keep my voice polite.

            “Oh, are you sure?” she said a little too sweetly.

            “Yeah, I’m not even home and the kids,” hate me, “aren’t in the best mood.”

            “Where are you? Who’s minding the kids?” she jumped on me like a bull rammed into a red flag. It’s none of her business where I was.

            “Amelia is minding them, I’ve just gone to get some groceries,” I lied about the last bit. I didn’t even know where I was going.

            “Oh, are you sure that’s safe?”

            “Are you trying to say my sister isn’t capable of minding my kids?” I asked with a daring nature.
            “No of course not!” Georgia said with a laugh. I despised this woman.
            “Look I’ll bring the kids over when I can. I know you haven’t seen them in a while and I’m sorry but I’ve been busy.”