Just Add It On

Chapter 7 - I move my hand and feel something moist.

"Ok, can you get the towels from the bathroom and put them in my basket?" I ask from the kitchen.

"Why do you pick Sundays for cleaning days?" Mason groans going to the bathroom.

"Because I don't work late and it's the easiest," I say back hearing him mumble something. I laugh while putting all the stuff on back onto the counters.

"Ok, I put the clothes in the basket. What other rooms are there to clean?" He says looking tired.

"Just one," I say and he motions for me to continue. "The basement."

"What? You guys have a basement?" He asks and looks around like it's going to magically appear.

"Yeah, where did you think I did laundry? Come on." I say and walk to the front room and point to a door.

"That's a closet." He says and I shake my head and open the door. I flip the light on so he can see the wooden stairs. "Your house has secret passages." He whispers causing me to laugh.

"Go down," I say and he turns back to me.

"Lady's first." He says stepping aside.

"Oh, is Mason scared of basements?" I ask in a high voice.

"Nooo, just don't care for them." He says. I laugh and shake my head. I make my way down the old staircase listening as it creaks. "It smells funny in here," Mason says once we're on the cold concrete.

"It's a basement," I say looking to see if there's a lot of cobwebs. The basement is full of boxes with my dad's old junk. "I don't think we need to clean it this week," I state and turn around right into Mason.

"Sorry." He mumbles and continues to look around. He sees an open box and walks to it. He pulls out an album of something. "What's this?" He asks and opens it. I walk up to him and see old pictures of me and my family.

"That's Ashley when she was in middle school," I say pointing.

"No way." He says and I nod. I continue to point and tell him who's whom in the pictures. "Who's this?" He asks as I'm looking through some other pictures that were in the box. I look and feel my stomach twist.

"Lilly, my Mom," I say and feel his eyes on me. The picture is of her holding me in her arms when I was first born. My Grandma is on the other side of her smiling. I stare at my mom. She was happy then.

"She looks like she was really young." He says and I nod my head.

"She was 18," I mumble and look to other pictures. I feel Mason's eyes on me, but don't say anything. He continues to watch me and it's getting harder for me to keep my emotions off my face. "Mason, just ask what you want to ask." I sigh turning towards him.

"Why do you call her Lily?" He asks looking down at me. I look back at the picture.

"She changed and wasn't really my mother, so I call her Lily," I say going back to the pictures in my hand. I know Mason wants to ask more, but he looks back at the album.

Before I can get through two pictures I hear the door. I put the pictures down and make my way up to the door. I open it to see my Aunt Sheryl and Hailey sleeping in her arms. "Here you go. Loved having her." She says handing her over to me. She stirs but rests her head on my shoulder. I smile and take the bag she hands out to me.

"Thanks again," I say. She nods before walking back to her car. I closed the door with my hip and walk to her room. Once she's in her bed I walk back down to the basement.

"Hey, I need to go get groceries. Would you mind staying here and just making sure Hailey doesn't wake up? I mean she most likely won't, but I don't-"