The Promise

seven

Year 2014 - Spring

Lydia's POV

Paralyzed.

For the past 24 hours I have been paralyzed.

Everything I've done has been without feeling, without emotion. I hardly remember it. I've been a walking zombie.

It's been like this since I saw Louis and Eleanor at the bistro yesterday. How am I supposed to watch them get married this fall?

I continue to look up at the ceiling above my bed. More importantly, how am I supposed to get up and go see my mother this afternoon when I can't even get out of bed? I roll over, facing my bedside table and see the old polaroid of Louis and I that I've kept over the years. We're both looking at the camera and doing huge, open mouthed, laughing smiles. I huff, and roll over to my other side.

What happened to us?

---

"Lydia! I'm so glad to see you!" My mom exclaims and brings me in for a tight hug, as if I don't come see her every week.

"Hey, mom." I slip my shoes off onto the mat, shutting the door behind me.

"I made your favorite," she walks back towards the kitchen of my childhood home and I follow. "cherry chip cake." She smiles pridefully and reaches for the cake's pan from the counter to put on the kitchen table.

"Thanks." I reply, my tone monatoneous. I really tried hard to put some feeling into that response, but it didn't show. I add a false, closed-mouth smile to assure her that I'm glad.

She cuts me a piece, and watches me eat in silence for a couple of minutes. That is, if you could call me barely picking at it eating.

"Honey, what's wrong?" My mom looks across the table at me, a look of concern shown wide across her small face.

"It's nothing," I smile another fake one, "really."

She sighs and stands from her chair. She walks over to her mail basket on the counter and places an opened envelope on the table.

"Is it about this?" she asks, sliding it towards me.

I recognize the neat calligraphy anywhere. It's what I've been staring at for days.

The invitation.

I sit my fork down on the table and force myself to swallow the fraction of a bite that's in my mouth.

I try to tell her, Yes, that's exactly why I'm upset. That's the reason I can't eat, sleep, or think straight. But what ends up coming out is nothing.

I only nod, staring at the creamy white envelope still yet.

"Oh, honey, it's all gonna be alright," She wraps her arms around me, and starts to stroke my long hair.

I feel the tears begging to escape my eyes, but blink them back.

"Yeah? And what if it's not? What if he's my one great love, my one great friendship- my one soulmate, and he marries this other woman?"

She chuckles. "Do you honestly believe you only get one of each of those? There are 7 billion people in the world, and you're only twenty-two years old. You're going to meet hundreds more people in your life."

This is meant to reassure me that yes, everything will be fine, but instead it only scares me. If he's not my one great person, then why have I been thinking about him nonstop since I first saw him?

-

After leaving my mom's house, I stop by the grocery store before heading back home. I grab the essentials- cereal, milk, eggs, and chocolate bars, and start making my way, basket in hand, to the registers.

The crowd was massive. Note to self: don't come to the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon.

After waiting in line for a few minutes, I stop staring at the rack of celebrity gossip magazines and look up to see I'm two people away from checking out.

I look to the register where a middle aged woman with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail is swiping her card to pay. I'd recognize her anywhere.

Louis' mom.

I quickly turn my attention back to the gossip magazines but it's too late.

"Lydia?" She calls over the shopper in between us.

I lift my head and pretend to look surprised.

"Ms. Tomlinson!" I wave slightly, unsure of what to do. What are you supposed to do when you see your ex-boyfriend's mother out somewhere?

"Come by the house soon, I'll make you some tea and we can catch up," She hurridly grabs her bag so the next shopper can make their way through the line.

"Absolutely," I smile and nod. When she turns back around to go on her way, I let out a huge sigh.

I'm no expert on these things, but isn't it odd that my very much engaged ex-boyfriend's mother just invited me over to "catch up"?

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A/N: I'm sorry for such a short update and such a long wait! But the next chapter will make it worthwhile, I promise. :)