Raura's Daughter

twenty six.

Laura's POV

A storm rattled against the kitchen windows as I stood by the cupboards searching for a bowl to put my cereal into. It was my third day at the Lynch's household and for the most part it had been a very peaceful experience for me. Ross' parents had barely been home and when they were they didn't ask any questions that I didn't want to answer. They just treated me like an extra child in their household and welcomed Isabella and I with open arms, just like they said they always would.

I was still numb from finding that man and my mom downstairs together, dancing to an old piece of music that seemed to very much fit into the romantic category of their generation. I was only angry because I wanted my mom to stay loyal to my father. I knew deep in my heart that if roles had been reversed my father wouldn't have dared to move on from my mother, especially after barely a year of her passing away.

Cece's phone chimed from beside me and with a groan she turned on her chair and tapped her cold spoon on the back of my shoulder. "Laur, if that's Great Aunt Cecilia tell her I've moved... to the other side of the world."

I glanced down at her cellphone and chuckled to myself in enthusiasm. "Well... unless Great Aunt Cecilia calls you babe then I'm pretty sure it's not her and your safe to reply to this text."

Cece let out a sigh of relief and grabbed her phone from my hands with a huge smile on her face. "Connor is the sweetest!" She cooed before quickly typing a message back to him. "I'm so glad he's mine."

I smiled at her and nodded in agreement before taking a seat opposite her with my own bowl of cereal in my hands. "He's a good guy. I'm glad you're both happy."

"I'm kind of worried that someone better will come along and he'll decide that I'm not good enough for him anymore."

I sighed knowingly at Cece and took her hand in my own. "Cece, you're a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful girl. If he isn't ready for a woman like that then let him be a boy and walk away from this beautiful relationship the two of you have created. Besides... they always come back once they realise they've messed up."

"Like Ross?" Cece asked with a snigger.

I nodded my head at her with a wink before taking a sip of my highly caffeinated coffee. "Like Ross." I repeated with a smirk on my lips.

"So... when do you think you'll be going home?" Cece asked me nervously.

Nobody had asked any questions about my mom and I since I arrived here. I was surprised that Cece had found the courage to ask me.

"Simple." I said sarcastically with a smile. I folded my arms across my chest and leant back into the creaky wooden chair I was sat in. "I'm not."

Trisha appeared from beside me in a pair of blue satin pyjamas. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun and a yawn escaped from her lips as she took a seat beside Cece, stealing some of her cereal in the process. "You need to go home Laur, your mom is going insane being by herself."

I rolled my eyes and picked at my own bowl of cereal which had now, to my disgust, gone soggy from all of the milk I'd poured into it. "Whatever Trish, I'm not interested. I need time to clear my head and that's exactly why I'm here and not at home."

I wasn't usually so bitter or rude to those around me, especially my own family but my mom had hurt me, badly. If there was anything I'd learnt since giving birth to Isabella and losing my father it was that pain matters and you should be able to hold grudges and grieve within your own respectable time.

"She made a mistake... so what? All of us make mistakes. You're overreacting over this, Laura and you know it." Trisha murmured with a sigh. I pouted my lips childishly to myself realising that my younger cousin, yet again, could be right. "You love her and she loves you. She would never try to purposely hurt you... she just wants closure and she wants to feel loved again. There's no harm in that."

Cece stood up from her seat and placed her bowl in the sink, glancing at me with curiosity dancing in her eyes. "Who was that guy with your mom anyway?"

I paused with a mouthful of cereal and shrugged my shoulders at the both of them. "Uh... I... I don't know."

I hadn't even bothered to ask her who he was or where he'd come from. All I had been focused on was the fact that there was a strange man in my home dancing with my mom who in my personal opinion, wasn't ready to move on yet.

"Connor is going to be picking me and Trish up in a couple of hours. Why don't you let him take you home?" Cece asked with a smile on her face.

I bit my lip and glanced at Trisha who nodded her head in agreement with Cece. "I'll come with you. I haven't really heard from Jesse today so I guess I'm on my own for now."

I smiled and nodded my head anxiously at them both. "Okay... sure. Isabella could stay here for tonight whilst I talk to my mom and figure some things out."

"Exactly." Cece encouragingly said with a smile. "Go pack up your stuff, we'll be waiting for you."

Quickly finishing up my bowl of soggy cereal I sat up from my place at the table and headed to the creaky wooden staircase. I gently padded up the stairs with gentle movements to make sure I didn't wake anyone else up. I slowly tip toed down the hallway to Ross' bedroom and smiled as I peered through the gap in the doorway to see Ross and Isabella curled up together on his double bed. "What a pair of cuties." I murmured before entering the room and closing the door quietly behind me.

I began to rummage through the top drawer with all of my clothes and personal belongings inside of it, emptying it into my rucksack. I was happy to finally be going home to see my mom, despite the argument we'd had just days before. The love that you have for one of your parents is completely unconditional, no matter the circumstances you may face or the challenges you may go through. It was exactly the same in terms of Isabella. She was always going to be my little baby girl, no matter how old she gets or where she ends up in life. She will always be my baby.

"Laur?" Ross' deep and croaky voice asked me from the other side of the room. He was still curled up with Isabella in his arms and one of his eyes was wide open when the other one was closed shut. I raised my eyebrows with a smile as a response to my name and with a yawn he sat up from his place on the bed, stretching his arms out and glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table. "What's going on? Have I done something? It's so early."

I crept to the end of the bed and held Ross' hands in my own. "I've been tossing and turning all night... I heard Cece getting up so I decided I'd join her. I'm going home Ross, I need to see my mom... I need to apologise for my actions."

He stared at me with a neutral expression on his face. "Okay... I'm glad but... I was really enjoying our family time together. We've waited so long for this and now-"

"Our family time isn't over yet." I whispered, quickly cutting him off. I cupped his chin in my hands and we both smiled at one another. "Are we still going to go partying for my birthday?"

"Of course baby." Ross whispered with a chuckle before laying back down in bed with Isabella in his arms. "Am I keeping her for the day?"

I nodded and threw my backpack over my shoulder. "Is that okay?"

"Of course babe. I'll sing some of my songs for her, we'll see if she enjoys R5."

I giggled and placed a kiss on Isabella's head and then Ross' cheek. "I love you both so much. Stay safe okay?"

Waving Ross off, I closed his bedroom door behind me and headed back downstairs where Cece and Trisha were waiting for me with smiles on their faces.

"Are you ready to go see your mom?" Cece asked with her arms folded across her chest.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

***

a/n

hey guys! I've had a lot going on lately so I honestly haven't felt in the right state of mind to write or upload a chapter that I wasn't completely satisfied with for you guys.

i love you all so much and i'm so happy that you are all enjoying this book!!

all my love,

b x