Stranger

Nora

I woke up Sunday to the sound of someone stumbling in the hallway on the way to the bathroom. I grumbled and turned over in my bed – not nearly as comfortable as my bed at dad's. My bedroom was pretty sparse at the moment. Just a bed, a dresser and a desk. I'd done a bit of unpacking over the weekend. A friend had luckily put our stuff in storage for us when mom got sent to prison. I tried to ignore the noise in the hallway, but after a few minutes, I couldn't. I climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to pee.

I finished and wandered out to the kitchen to get myself some Cap'n Crunch. I turned on the TV and plopped down in front of the coffee table. A couple of mom's friends had stayed overnight and they were hung over, looking like zombies. They grabbed a bit of breakfast and then headed out the door. Mom wasn't up yet. She actually slept until noon, so I was just hanging out on the couch by myself for a couple hours. She didn't have any good channels, so I was stuck watching news and crappy shows.

Dad texted me around noon to see what time I was heading home. If mom was just going to sleep all day, I figured I could probably just leave whenever. Finally, she emerged and immediately lit a cigarette and went to get some coffee. She collapsed onto the couch next to me, looking like she had the weight of the world on her.

"I'll probably head back to dad's in a few minutes," I told her as we both stared at the TV. She took a puff of her cigarette.

"Sick of it here?"

"Well, if you're just going to sleep all day I might as well go," I mumbled. She sighed tiredly.

"I have to work at 4 anyways," she said.

I took my plate to the kitchen and rinsed it off, then went to my room to pack my overnight bag. I brought it out to the living room and sat on the couch. Mom looked deep in thought.

"Nora," she began. "Do you want to live with your father?"

I wasn't sure how to answer it. Would she be mad if I admitted that I liked it there? I liked it with her too, but life was much easier and less stressful over there.

"I want to see him, yeah," I told her.

"I mean, do you want to be over there most of the time," she clarified.

"I don't know mom," I admitted. I hated being the kid in the middle of this. If I showed preference towards one parent, I was at risk of hurting the other.

"Well, you might have to make up your mind soon," she said. "We'll be going to court soon I guess."

Would the judge really make me say what I wanted? Because I really didn't know. I was a kid – weren't adults supposed to make the hard decisions for me?

Mom sighed and put out the stub of her cigarette in the ash tray. "Before you go, will you get me some McDonald's?" She reached down into her bra to pull out some bills.

"Mom, can you afford that right now?" I asked, knowing her money was tight at the moment.

"Don't question me," she told me, her voice showing annoyance. "I want a Big Mac and fries please. Get yourself something if you want."

I took the money and walked down the street to the McDonald's. Luckily there wasn't a big line. I bought the two items my mom requested and took it back to the house, stealing a couple fries on the way back. As soon as I'd given them to her, I headed for the subway. I texted dad to let him know I was on my way. I'm sure he'd be relieved I was coming home early.

I walked in to the sound of my little brothers playing happily in the living room, Daniel Tiger on in the background. "Nora!!" Sebastian yelled and ran over to hug me. It was nice to be welcomed back so warmly. I couldn't help but smile as I picked him and planted several kisses on his cheek.

"You smell funny," he told me, then pinched his nose. I set him back on the floor.

"Thanks buddy," I told him jokingly. It was probably the cigarette smoke. I guess my nose got used to it after a while. I hugged dad and Vanessa and then disappeared to take a shower, like usual when I got home from my mom's. It was like being at her place made me dirty and I need to clean myself up before I could fit in with the Mirandas again.

Dad was on me as soon as I came out of the shower. "Did everything go okay this weekend?"

"Yeah, it was fine," I told him as I got a drink from the fridge.

"No Larry?"

"Nope," I said.

He peppered me with a few more questions, making sure I hadn't been physically or mentally harmed over the weekend. After he was satisfied with my answers, I disappeared to my room to unpack and start my homework.

I tried my best to concentrate, but my mind kept wandering back to my mom's question earlier. Did I want to live with my dad? Would I have to tell the judge which parent I wanted to live with more? What would mom think? What would dad think? What would Vanessa think? I couldn't even figure out what I thought.

Throughout the rest of the day and into the evening, my mind kept churning and churning. I sat in my room, trying to do my homework but I couldn't. I didn't know who to talk to. I didn't want to talk to my parents or Vanessa because they were part of the issue. I gave up on my homework and quietly slipped out my room. I could hear the TV in the living room and knew Lin and Vanessa were watching something.

Not knowing what else to do, I pushed Sebastian's door open. The toddler was fast asleep, his little legs caught up in his blanket. For whatever reason, I thought being with him might make me feel better. I closed the door and quietly walked to his bed. I very carefully sat down on the bed, trying my best not to disturb him. I laid down next to him and just watched his chest go up and down. The kid didn't have a care in the world. He was born into a good family with two parents who loved him dearly. I just laid there watching him breathing for a long while before I finally drifted off to sleep.