Orange Blossom

Chapter 5

It's been 5 days since my mom had that private conversation with my abuelo and I've been anxious ever since. My mom never brought up any of the problems she was dealing with and it bothered me.

What is she trying to protect me from? Who is she trying to protect me from?

Why is she keeping secrets from me? Besides not telling me everything about my father, she's been honest to me about everything. What she was going through at work, her thoughts, her best friend's drama, my drama, her dreams, but now she's been distant.

"Hey, Mom, can I invite Jessica, Tara, and Leila over?" I asked walking into her bedroom.

"I'm in the bathroom. I'll be out in a minute!" she replied.

I decided to sit and wait at her bed. As I waited, my eyes landed on my mom's jewelry box. I looked at the bathroom door then back to the jewelry box and decided to take a look.

"Wow, I haven't seen this in a while," I said to myself tracing the intricate designs of the gold jewelry box.

I slowly opened it and admired all the pearls, silver, and gold inside. When it comes to jewelry my mom does not play! My mother will always have on earings, bracelets, necklaces or rings. I looked over everything admiring the shine and sparkle. I reminisced about the times when I was younger pretending to be a princess and wore all the jewelry she owned. I laughed to myself and sighed. Before I shut shut the box a familiar engraving caught my eye. Without thinking, I took it out from under all the rings and was amazed at what I saw.

It was a oval crest with three pure gold V's inside of a rhombus shaped shield. The outline of the shield was silver and surrounding the symbols was burgundy velvet. It was gorgeous! The crest was around a long gold chain along with a gold ring beside it. I didn't realize that I've been admiring it for so long until my mother walked out of the bathroom.

"Blossom, what're you doing?" she asked.

I turned around facing her with the necklace still in my hand.

"Mom, where'd you get this from again? Didn't you used to wear this all the time when I was younger?" I said looking down at the crest then looking back at her. Her eyes went wide once she seen it in my hand.

"What're doing looking through my things!" she yelled snatching the necklace from me.

"I was just looking, I wasn't going to take anything!" I said defensively.

"Well, don't. Not this one," she said putting it back in the box and shutting it.

"Where'd you get the necklace from?" I pushed waiting for her to answer.

"It used to be your grandmother's, okay? Now go," she said hesitantly.

"Wait, can Jessica, Tara, and Lei-"

"Yes, they can come over, sleepover, whatever," she said cutting me off grinning.

"Okay... Thanks," I told her before leaving her room.

I walked down the hall to my bedroom and group messaged my friends that they could all sleepover my place tonight. Tomorrow we are all going to go shopping and watch a movie together. During the day of my birthday, I am going to have quality time with my mother until it is time to leave for "Jessica's house". Most likely, since it'll be my birthday, my mom would let me sleepover and so I couldn't get in trouble for drinking when I come home.

Within seconds, they all reply 'okay :)' and so I began to clean up around the house to pass time.

~

"I'm serious, she really just stuck her fingers into her ass and smelled it!" Leila explained.

The girls ended up coming sooner than I thought and we were all in my room laughing about Leila's day.