Billie White

Chapter Twenty Three

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

I slipped on my flip flops, and crept into my mom’s room. She was sitting in bed, sipping a mug of what seemed to be pink lemonade, and with a classic in her lap.

Jane Eyre.

Her favorite.

“Hey, mom,” I whispered. She looked up, and pushed a couple of her stray strands, out of her eyes. “How are you?” She smiled, and placed her mug on the bedside table. She beckoned for me to come over, and I kicked off my flip flops, and clambered onto the bed. I kicked the white sheets away, so I lay in bed with her, and she placed her book on the floor.

“I’m okay darling,” she said gently, and started to twirl a lock of my hair, in her finger.

“How about you?”

“I’m okay, mom,” I smiled, and closed my eyes. Her fingers ran through my hair, and I felt myself relax in her safe embrace. “I’m going out with Courtney, Roman and Tom today. We’re going out to eat, at the seafood place down town.”

“The Crab Shack?”

“Yeah,” I smiled, “the Crab Shack.” There was another long silence, and then my mom sighed.

“Billie, you’re happy about Roman, being your boyfriend, right?” I nodded, and smiled again.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Well, I’ve got something to tell you.” I stiffened, but my mom carried on coiling my hair, and I relaxed again. “I know, that you really like Roman, and he likes you, but you make sure not to throw yourself into him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t rely on him, to make you happy. He can be part of what does make you happy, he can help you gain happiness, but overall it’s you who has to make you happy; first.”

“Okay, mom,” I said quietly.

“Remember honey, life isn’t all about boys. Do you think Oprah Winfrey or Angela Merkel depended on a romance, to get to where they got to now?”

“Uh-”

“Rhetorical question, honey, we both know the answer. Roman is kind, and he does care about you. But remember that his life isn’t your life. The most important person of your life is you. Not Roman, not me but you. You understand?” I nodded, and smiled slightly.

“I understand, mom.”

“Okay, I just needed you to know that, before you and Roman start getting serious.” I looked up at her, and she was now smirking down at me. “Are you planning, on getting serious?”

“He says that we should sort of, go with the flow, and see what happens.” My mom chuckled, and began to coil my hair in her finger again.

“You shouldn’t always go with the flow, Billie. You know that.”

“Yeah,” I said, then we said together. “Sometimes you just gotta be the black sheep.”

“Yes, exactly right,” she said fondly.

“But, I promise to be careful,” I said, then smiled cheekily up at her.

“You better,” she said and pulled me up into a hug. “I don’t want to be wiping away, any unnecessary tears.”

“You’re not gonna have the talk, are you?” My mom chuckled lightly, and then ended it with a sigh.

“I may speak to him tonight, if that’s alright with you.” We then fell silent, and my mom slowed down, and began to draw small circles on my scalp. “Your dad would’ve had a shotgun in hand, whilst questioning him. He even had his own sort of questionnaire for the lucky guy who would date you first.”