A Righteous Love

Chapter Thirty-Three - I Think We All Need Someone Like That

Chapter Thirty-Three - "I Think We All Need Someone Like That"

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"Lindsay. Hey, Linds," my mom was shouting at me, her tone so loud but so far away.

I was standing at a payphone in a police station, holding the phone up to my ear and crying hysterically. Tears were falling down my face too fast, making it hard to speak. I tried to keep mumbling words into the phone, but I don't even know who I called in the first place.

It somehow all made sense. And then I woke up.

"Lindsay," I heard her say again.

I gasped as I came out of my deep slumber and jumped up.

I felt around me; my bed. I looked up and my mom was standing over me with a worried look on her face. Her hand was on my shoulder; she was gently shaking me to wake me up. My room was dark and I had no idea what time it was or what day it was either.

"What?" I wheezed, placing my hand over my heart.

"Are you okay?" She asked, knitting her eyebrows together. I nodded my head and swallowed hard, trying to tell myself that it was only a weird dream and I had no idea what it meant. "I came up here to tell you that you don't have school – the power is out."

I nodded again and looked around my room as my eyes went to my phone. I pressed on the home button to light up the screen and saw 6:58 at the top of the screen. It was three days later, on Thursday morning.

"Okay, thanks," I sighed as I caught my breath. She nodded, then turned to walk out of my room when I realized something. "Hey, Mom?" She turned back around and faced me, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" She asked, a little amused. She came over to my bed and sat on the edge, resting her hand on my leg that was under my covers.

"I've been really moody and mean to you lately and I just wanted to apologize. I've been doing a lot of thinking," I shrugged, glancing down at my bed.

"Oh, sweetie, I know you can't help it," she said.

"Yeah, it still sucks. You know I don't really mean any of the things I say though. It just comes out and I can't stop it," I said quietly. "Mood swings suck."

"I've put up with it for awhile, I can handle it," she smiled lightly. "It's okay, hun. Don't worry about it. I love you no matter what."

"I love you too," I smiled back. Then she leaned forward and hugged me, and I squeezed her back. I haven't felt a hug from my mom in a long time, and I forgot how nice it was.

"Enjoy your day off, I'm gonna head into work," she pulled away, still smiling at me as she tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Okay," I nodded. Once she left my room and shut the door, I buried myself into my bed again and fell back asleep instantly. It was still early, after all, and knowing I had the day off, I could catch up on some sleep.

Even though my mom was... difficult, I still loved her. She was a bit of a perfectionist, she was hard to convince of anything, and she thought she was better than everyone else sometimes; but she was my mom. She was my crazy, difficult, annoying and ridiculous mother that I still loved.

And if that wasn't real love, then I don't know what is.

A few hours later I was woken up again, but by my sister this time instead. She had knocked on my door and let herself into my room.

"Linds, someone's here to see you," was the first thing I heard from her.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, yawning loudly and lighting up my phone to check the time- 10:06. "Who?" I asked.