❝Leave out all the rest❞

9.

❝I've never been perfect, but neither have you❞

▬ ☪ ▬

I turned the doorknob as quietly as possible and tiptoed passed the couch, around the table, to the stairs.

Mom slept on the couch. If I managed to get to my room and change into my pyjamas, I could pretend she was already sleeping when I got home a bit late last night. There was no way she would know I spent the night out, right?

The third step creaked under my foot and she jumped up in a slip second.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Shit.

"THANK GOD YOU'RE OKAY! WHERE WERE YOU?" Mom ran towards me and stood at the bottom of the stairs. She had blood in her eyes.

"I fell asleep at Julie's." I replied slowly.

"And you didn't think to call?!"

"I fell asleep! How in the world was I supposed to call you?"

"Do not raise your voice at me right now!"

"What do you want me to say mom? I said I'm sorry!"

"Stop shouting."

"I can't help it when I'm being attacked!"

"Attac-" Her breath faltered. "I spent the whole damn night worried sick, I had no idea where the hell my daughter was, and you're feeling attacked? I don't know what I did in my past life to deserve this punishment."

"Oh, am I punishment to you, mother?" I climbed another step up the stairs.

"Sometimes I feel like you are, Lucine."

"Well, I'm sorry about that, too, mom. At least I'm trying to do better. I've never been perfect, but neither have you."

I tuned on my back and began climbing the rest of the steps to my room.

"I almost called the police on you" I heard her say, quietly.

I looked back and saw her sitting down at the bottom of the stairs, her hand in her forehead. I came down and sat beside her.

"You scared me half to death." Tears filled her eyes.

"I know. I woke up and I came running, as fast as I could."

"You promised you wouldn't be home late. We agreed on that. You don't just change plans without letting me know."

"I know mom. It was this one time..."

"That's exactly why I was so damn worried, honey." She looked at me, sadly. "You're never late. That's why I thought for sure something had happened to you. Don't you ever do that to me again, Lucine."

"I won't."

"You know I love you more than anything in this world, right?"

"I know, mom. I love you too."

We hugged.

After a couple of minutes, we got up and I went to my room. I took a hot shower and fell deeply asleep in the mess of pillows, stuffed animals and blankets I called 'bed'. No nightmares this time.