Clothed in our grief

Chapter sixteen

"Her name's Madame Xanadu, isn't that neat?"
"Yeah mom, neato."
"Have you heard of Zatara the great? His daughter is here in the bookstore! I think it's very interesting-"
"Mom I'm really busy...you can talk to me as soon as I get home, okay?"
"Oh of course sweetie, is somebody walking you home? I'll call your dad to come and pick you up when you let me know it's time." Your mother was smiling into her words, and you could practically feel it in her voice. It's always nice for her to listen to herself call him your dad. Especially when he may not be your biological father, he practically helped raise you since your actual father left the picture. Right now, she was telling you that the fortune teller who she rented out the second compartment of the building to finally arrived earlier. Julian's been helping her out, moving boxes, un-boxing things, shifting around furniture.

"Mom I can walk myself home-"
"Oh no, not in this city."

"I got home perfectly fine last time, It's just a twenty minute walk from the school to the house. It's not from the bookstore.." You mumbled, hating lying to your mother but it's not as though you had actually gotten yourself hurt.

Right now, you were sitting in the hardwood and mirror surrounded room on a bench. Changed out of the green and blue leggings and the blue tank top for a pair of grey sweat pants and a green T-shirt. Keeping the messy braid in, though. Just waiting for Damian to show up, wondering if he is. If not, then you'd have to skip going over routines today and just go straight to trying to memorize lines.

"You wouldn't eat dinner last time, and went straight to bed. You only do that when you don't wanna talk about something-Oh." You listened to her cut herself off with a surprised yelp, which caused you to stand up from your seat on the bench out o shock.

"Mom?" You asked, raised eyebrows and a serious and stern tone covering your features, looking to the door when you heard the knob rattle gave off the indication that Damian was here now. And when the door opened to reveal his face? Yeah, Damian's here and at a very concerning time.

She didn't answer back, but made another surprised yelp before you heard her let out a wry laugh over the phone. Easing your back into a calmer state. Closing your eyes and sighing before sitting back down.

Damian looked over at your with narrowed eyebrows, and a large bag under his arm making him look at you even more suspiciously. You only shook your head at him as if not to ask or bring up any questions.

"She's kicking again-"
"Or he, y'know you didn't want the doctor to tell you. Don't say she because I really don't want a bratty little sister and you'll just jinx it." You replied, trying not to laugh in your words. The last thing you want is a younger sister, you barely wanted an older one even though you know you'll never see her. Never meet her, never even know her name. Maybe not wanting a little sister is a problem with that root, but other than that? No bratty sister, please. As much as most girls would want a younger sister, you sure don't.

"So having a snot nosed little brother would be better?" She asked, a laugh evident in her cheery voice.
"Imagine all the bugs he'll bring into your room, all the dirt he'll track in the house too." She added, voice loud enough for even Damian to hear from outside probably. And as he walked closer, you turned the volume on your phone down a little bit.

"Oh I so hope he does, then I can buy a microscope and a bug catcher kit and we can look at them." You shrugged your shoulders and smile, closing your eyes and leaning back a little back.