Reuniting with the Past

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"Dems, it's time to go. You need to get up," said a hushed voice.

I felt someone rubbing my arm, trying to get me to respond. "Alright, alright,"I grumbled, hesitating to open my eyes as I tapped the arm to stop touching me.

He backed off, waiting for me to get up as I took forever to stretch and rub my eyes open.

"You don't want to be late, do you? We can't have your mom waiting," John said, looking at me seriously as I started to sit up with the blanket still wrapped around me.

Instantly, the fogginess from sleep faded off and I remembered what day it was and exactly what I was doing before John and I fell asleep. "Is the cake ready?"

John laughed. "The cake's been ready, Dems. I took it out an hour ago. You looked pretty tired so I decided to let you sleep. It's all frosted and ready for when your mom gets here. But we need to go so she actually will get here."

I dismissed him, knowing John was one to worry and be early to everything. "I know, I'm comin'."

John held out his hand as I stood up, and I took it firmly in my grasp as we walked towards the door.

"Wait, how does my hair look?" I asked all concerned, remembering I had just slept on it for a couple hours.

"Fine," John smiles,"Absolutely perfect."

And I smiled as we drove away to the airport where I'd finally be reunited with my long and distant past.


"So what's your mom like, exactly? She quiet, loud, serious, goofy? She like you?" John asked as we were driving.

I paused for a minute. Thinking about my mom was like going through memories past. It seemed as though she hadn't been a part of my life in forever. But still, the memory of her was fresh inside me as if I had seen her just yesterday. "My mom... Well, she's absolutely beautiful for starters. She has this rich, brown hair, hazel eyes, and her smile can comfort anyone. That's probably one of the best things about her, her ability to comfort. She's just so strong and has this air of calmness about her that you can't help but feel better when she's around you. I mean, when I was a child and I was in trouble, she knew very well how to put me in my place. But to those who deserve it, she knows how to lift them back up. And, "I continued after a slight pause, "you won't believe me when you first meet her but she can be very loud and very weird."

"So that's where you get it from!" John exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh, shut up! I'm not that weird," I cantered, hitting him in the arm.

John gave me a judging look, one eyebrow raised. "Okay, fine, maybe a little. But wait 'til you meet my mom. She takes things to a new level."

The rest of the car ride, we just discussed my mom and what we thought we would do. Maybe we would show her around town, maybe play a game together, or maybe we'd just talk so John and my mom would get to know each other, while my mom and I could catch up on things. There were so many possibilities and so much excitement that neither of us could make up our minds.

"Wait, I just got a message from her," I said, looking down at my phone,"Just landed. Kinda loud in here so I figured I would wait to call. I need to pick up my bags and then I'll wait outside. Can't wait to see you."

"Alright," John said, pulling into the pick up line," Guess we'll just wait here until she gets here. You wanna sit in the back with her?"

"Yeah, sure. You'll have enough room in the trunk for her luggage, right?"I asked, putting my purse in my lap so I'd be ready to hop out when my mom came.

John put the car in park,"Oh, definitely. I'll put it in too so you two can just get in the car and we can drive off. Wait, about how tall did you say your mom was?"

John's gaze was passed mine, looking out through the window over my shoulder. "I didn't," I replied, as I looked out the window and saw a familiar woman, holding a suitcase in one hand and a bag in the other, looking hopelessly lost.

I opened my door with a quickness and moved fast as my gimp leg would carry me, my purse beating against my side as I ran. It took a few moments before my mom saw me running after her, and I saw the tears form in her eyes. "I've missed you so much,"I sobbed as I pulled her into a tight hug, causing her to drop her suitcase as she pulled her warm arms around me.

"I've missed you too, Demi. So much," she replied, and I could feel her tears hit my ear as she pulled out.

"Umm, our car is over here," I began, wiping my tears as I drew closer, my mom trailing behind me, picking up her suitcase again. "And this, " I said, outstretching an arm to John, "is John. He's the one who got me a place to stay and has been helping me through everything."

John stepped forward, holding out a hand towards my mom,"Ms.?"

"Gruden. Kate Gruden," my mom finished, shaking his hand.

"Well, Ms. Gruden, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm John, Demi's friend. Could I take these bags for you?" he asked, motioning towards her suitcase.

"That would be great. Thank you, John. I can tell you're a good man already."

John carried her luggage and put it in the trunk as I opened the back seat for my mom to get in. "Thanks, hun," she said as she got in, and I followed behind her.

It took a moment before John got to his seat, turning his key in the ignition. "Everyone ready to go?" he asked, turning around to the two of us.

"Yeah, we're good. Let's go home," I said, and John pulled out as we exited the airport.

"So, " my mom began, starting the conversation as usual, "What's been going on?Why haven't I heard from you all this time?"

I sighed, fumbling my fingers before looking up at my mom. I hated confronting this part of my past, and sharing it almost hurt more. It stopped me from pretending it never happened and brought me back to reality, and I hated reality. "Well, after the ceremony, Mike took me away to what he told me was our honeymoon. He wouldn't say where exactly, just that I would like it. Turns out, he was taking us home. Well, his home, back in the town he grew up.

"I didn't mind it at first. I mean, it was a nice town and it's where Mike had work and knew people, so I figured it would be for the best. That's what he told me, anyway. But I began to realize that my husband Mike was different from my boyfriend Mike. It was like, because of the wedding, he owned me, or something. And that possessiveness never ended.

"That's why I couldn't call you, Mom. He wouldn't let me. I couldn't call anyone, besides him. He tracked all phone calls, all purchases, everything. I couldn't even leave the house without his permission. He told me that my duty as a wife was to serve him, and that's what I did. He gave me chores and I did them. I obeyed his rules. I took his beatings-"

"He beat you? Demi..." my mom said, looking almost dissapointed.

I bit my lip as I could feel myself begin to cry. "I was all alone, Mom. I didn't want it to happen. I had no friends, I was in this strange town, I couldn't even have a job. He left me completely reliant on him and I had no other choice. I couldn't find a way out."

"Sshhh, it's okay, honey. Just calm down," my mom hushed, rubbing her thumb across the back of my hand until I relaxed. "So how did you get out?"

I wiped my eyes, taking a deep breath before reluctantly continuing. This time, I was much calmer. "Well, after one night of a really bad fight, Mike threw me down the stairs and essentially put me in a coma. Turns out, the police had been watching him because he was a suspect in a coastal drug chain. So, police had been watching the house and would check up on it. John ended up finding me on the floor and took me to the hospital, where I stayed for a month, while detectives tried to apprehend Mike. He's currently in prison for selling and being a widespread dealer of illegal drugs, and we are getting a divorce because I just can't take it anymore.

"John let me stay at his apartment and he is helping me get back on my feet again. And here we are," I said as we pulled into the driveway.

John hopped out first, getting my mom's bags before opening the door for us. "Need help, or do you got it?" he asked me as I hesitated to get down.

"I've got it, thanks," I said with a blank expression, still trying to burry the memories I had just reopened. I slowly stepped out, my mom waiting behind me.

"What happened to your leg?" my mom asked as we walked into the house.

"Just the effects of paralysis. I couldn't walk when I got out of the coma because my muscle cortex was damaged, plus I had been out for a while. This leg just never really relearned how to work properly again. It's nothing major, though. The doctor said I'm doing just fine," I explained. "Want to sit down? John and I made some cake for your arrival."

I led my mom to the couches, where we took a seat, and John was bring over the cake from the kitchen.

"Well you know how much I love myself some homemade cake," my mom laughed, taking a seat beside me.

John placed the cake on the coffee table in front of us, saying to me, "I'll just let you guys talk. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"No, John, " I said, grabbing him by the wrist," It's fine. I want you to stay."

Reluctantly, John gave a forced smile and pulled up a chair opposite of us. "You two want to eat this now or later? I can go get some plates and forks if you want it now."

"I think cake now would be great. Do you two make this together?" my mom asked as John got up to head towards the kitchen.

"Well," I smiled, "Sort of. I mean, I cracked some eggs. It was actually mostly John. I ended up falling asleep before we could even ice it together."

John was smiling at me as he walked in with the plates and forks, clearly recounting our flour fight from earlier. "He's quite the cook, Mom. This cake was his own recipe."

"My mom's, actually," he interjected, slicing the cake for us as he sat down.

"Your mom live around here, John?" my mom asked, taking the plate of cake John was offering her.

"No," he said, handing me mine," she actually died some years ago in an accident."

He sat down, taking a seat for himself as he took a bite of the cake, leaving frosting on his upper lip.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know," my mom responded, holding her plate in her hands as she looked up at John sympathetically.

"It's fine, really. She was a good woman, my mom, and I know she's in a better place now, watching over me. It's comforting, in a way. It's like she never really left."

John took another bite of the cake, clearly hungry, while my mom said to him," That's very true. You know, you're quite a wise young man, John. And I'm glad you were here to take care of Demi. That's comforting to me to know she wasn't alone when all of this happened."

"Well, she didn't deserve any of that, you know?" John said, looking down at his plate awkwardly," I just wanted to be there to help."

I finished my cake, setting my plate down. Surprisingly, I was the last one done. Seemed as though everyone was hungry. "He really was the greatest help I could ask for. I don't know where I'd be without him. Oh!"

Inside, I felt my baby girl kicking. "She's moving again," I explained.

"Who is?" my mom asked, looking very confused.

"Mom, I thought I told you last night, I'm sorry. Umm, I'm expecting," I said, smiling brightly.

I could see the joy on my mom's face grow as she said," My baby's having a baby! I'm gonna be a grandma!"

Tears formed in my mom's eyes as she grabbed my hand and looked at my stomach. "How far along are you?"

"Five months," I gushed, and I could see John's face beaming as well.

"She's beautiful, "John said, drawing our attention to him, "Here's a picture of her."

John pulled out the wallet-sized copy of the ultrasound pic we got and handed it to my mom.

"Aww, she's sucking her thumb! She looks just like her grandma," my mom joked, handing the picture back to John. "Does he know?"

Immediately, I thought of the man pacing the interrogation room, and I realized how removed he was from my world. "No. I didn't tell him. I haven't said anything to him, actually. Our court date is in two days and he'll find out then. There's no way he's getting to see her. He may be her father, but I will not let him be her dad. He's done enough damage already."

"So," my mom said slowly," She won't have a dad?"

"No, she'll have a dad. Someone who will actually care for her and respect her. Like John," I said, smiling at him.

John blushed, and I could tell he was happy to hear those words from my mouth. "We made a little bet on whether it was going to be a boy or girl," he explained," and Demi placed her bets on a boy. The deal was if I were right, I would get to be a part of her life. And, I was right. So Demi just had to give in."

He was looking at me the whole time, not breaking his stare, and I could tell he was really in love with me; and I couldn't deny that I was too.

"So you two, you're..." my mom trailed off, looking at the two of us.

"Waiting for court hearings to be finalized and over with. Friday we'll be officially divorced. They haven't set the court date yet for his criminal conviction," I explained to my mom.

"Actually," John said," they have. Tomorrow morning is the official date. It'll be fast, the evidence is far too against him for any real debate. Quick and easy, the sheriff said."

"But I won't-"

"No," he interrupted," you don't have to be there if you don't want to. I figured you and your mom could spend some time together while I go, unless you want to be there. You won't be asked to speak, though."

I nodded, staring at my lap," I wanna go. I wanna know he's gone. I wanna see someone see him for who he really is, for once."

"Okay," John whispered," Alright. We'll go together tomorrow then. I'll just ask the judge if we can add the divorce onto our session and we can be done."

"Okay," I whispered, trying not to think about it too much in fear of crying,"Okay."

John put our plates in the sink and then we headed upstairs to show my mom her room.











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