Saving Bagel ↠ Editing

Chapter 13: L for Liars

My heavy eyelids that must have weighed at least a million pounds miraculously lift and let me peer through a tiny, slim window of blinding white light and a white sterile room around me with two blurred figures. My vision wavers then clarifies, exploiting me to an unhappy Mom and Dad arguing at the foot of the hospital bed. Just shoot me now, she's here.

I couldn't hold onto that thought very long- scared it would be written across my face- because they turn around. Mom has tears streaked down her face, while Dad is basically boiling over with fury. What is going on? But while I look between the two, I felt some sympathy towards Anngelina. Something starts tingling inside me as I realize I'm being soft towards her. I pity her. I feel ashamed because that is not what is supposed to happen. She is supposed to pity me, it shouldn't be the other way around! She raises her hand to grasp a-locket?- that ends at her collarbone and opens her jaw that seems to quiver with more tears and says softly, "I should be leaving. Goodbye, David. Goodbye Bagel." She starts to back towards the door slowly, staring at me as though it was the last time. Maybe it is, but it shouldn't be. No Mother should not able able to see her child no matter how much they had actually despised and abused them, because maybe, just maybe, deep down inside she loves them.

"Annge- Mom." I swallow down the jumping joy of saying the name outloud in what seems like forever. Because it has been, I remind myself. "Don't leave me. Please stay."

She drops her jaw while holding the metal doorknob. But then more tears prick her eye's while she smiles so wide and bright and pure. God, I didn't realize until now how much I missed those smiles that used to make my day. Even through the pain and abuse it caused me.

Second thoughts tear there way through me, why should I be kind and forgiving to her? Dad looks at me as if I grew three monster heads, but tries to bury his negative thoughts inside a knuckle as he paces in a little circle. Mom rushes towards my bedside as Dad tries not to hurtle another chair into a wall. But as she smiles above me as if I was just the cutest little mewling kitten on the face of this Earth, Joby's words come back to me, "I'm so sorry for everything Bagel. I just wanted to give me and you a second chance, I want us to start over. To leave the past behind us and start afresh."

But should I even be this lenient towards her? Maybe, but maybe not. I'll just need to ask her. I begin to speak, but she holds up her finger and pulls up a metal, uncomfortable looking chair and reaches towards my forehead as she sits down beside me. I flinch away from her warm touch, as a flash of pain saddens her face. But she just manages a tight smile and begins. She pulls her hand back, leaving it to rest in her lap. Second guessing the next step I'm willing to take, I make the decision I never thought I would do. I reach out towards her and grab her hand, lacing our fingers together as I never had before.

All movement stops in the room, Mom just sits there beaming at me and our entwined hands while Dad stares with the word jealous written all over him. I look at him and realized this hurt him, me and mom. Because we have never done this after Mom divorced the both of us and left. I'm holding hands with the traitor. I try to make him understand, pleading with him with only my eyes, but he just mutters what sounded like a string of curses and strides out of the room with hurt and jealousy making his body hunch, slamming the door right after him.

I snap my neck towards Mom to see her reaction, wishing I didn't. Her smile released and she cleared her throat. "Bagel, we should talk."

"I know. I've been wanting too." I admit in a whisper.

She nods with sad smile, and stares at our entwined hands as if it would help with what she was going to say next. "Bagel, I'm not here to destroy your relationship with your Father," What?