Fears To Face

∞ Chapter 20 ∞

~ Kayley ~

I watched as my mother walked through the living room, mumbling in wonder how it was possible that her laundry was gone and why everything was so clean, with a smile on my face. Not only because of her baffled expression, but also because she was my mom again, the most important woman in my life. She had slept till dinner yesterday, ate with us in silence and went to bed close after it, and slept until this morning, when she woke up and had her energy back again.

Later during yesterday evening, close to twelve o’clock, Rayne had called to thank me again for being so patient with him while he was behaving like an idiot, his words, not mine. After a short conversation with both laughing and talking, he yawned more and more, and I told him to go back to sleep and we would talk again tomorrow. He’d tried to appear more awake than he was, turning away from the phone when he’d yawned, but eventually gave in and wished me good night. 

My mother was still admiring the empty laundry basket and the clean room when I said, “Mom. Stop gaping like that. You’re not the only one who can clean,” with a smile on my face.

She came to the couch and sat down next to me. “You cleaned up?”

“Yeah, a girl walked into me downtown and she threw a blue slush-puppy on my shirt, so I washed it and figured I could do the rest as well, since I at it anyway and I had made homework in the morning.”

Her gaze went far away for a second before returning to me, murmuring, “Yeah, I saw a blue spot on your lovely shirt.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t get it out anymore. That sucks honestly, I liked that one.”

“I did too. Maybe I can try it again.”

“Sure,” I smiled.

She settled herself on the sofa then and I knew we were going to have a conversation. Probably one I didn’t want to have. “Kayley, I need to talk to you about something.”

Aaannd there it was. I took a deep breath to prepare myself, but nodded, trying to look genuinely interested while inside my stomach tightened.

“I have been thinking about our… our argument the last couple of days.”

I interrupted her before she could go on, laying a hand on her leg. “Don’t worry about that anymore. I’m so sorry for behaving like that. I never should have pushed you that far to the edge.”

“But, Kayley,” she tried to interrupt.

“No, mom seriously. I was so ashamed with myself I went to the shed, but I was too late, the turn – ” I stopped talking when her eyes almost popped out of her sockets.

“You went to the shed?” she asked, almost looking horrified.

I looked down. “Yeah, I felt terrible for what I’d caused and I wanted to apologise…” I mumbled, picking on my sleeve.

“Kayley, do you have any idea what could have happened? And why can’t I remember it?” She was getting more angry.

I looked up again. “I never actually went inside. I was at the door when I heard you – ” I stopped when I was her eyes narrow in dejection. “Let’s just say that I figured out in time I was too late and I went back to my room. That’s why I stayed home yesterday. To somehow show you how sorry I was before I could tell you.” My voice sounded sad.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh Kayley,” she said as she reached over and hugged me. “I’m so sorry you heard that. I should have had more control.”

Was she seriously blaming herself for this?

I frowned. “No, mom. I made the mistake of forgetting the time. It was my own fault. Really. I don’t want you to feel bad about it.”