Call of the witch (Tom and Zac fanfic)

Turning 18

*Soleil*
You have called for us child !

With a choked gasp I open my eyes, someone is knocking at my door and my mum walk in, carrying a tray.

"Happy birthday to you, Happy ..". She sings and put the tray on the bed.

Newly baked buns with butter, hot cocoa and a birthday flag in the middle, exactly like last year and the year before that for as long as I can remember. I have to give in and admit that I probably like my mum stubbornness when it comes to traditions.

"Happy birthday my sweet girl. Now you're officially a grown up". My mum sits down on the edge of the bed and sends me a loving smile.

The strange woman's words from my dream is still in my mind and I'm not sure it really was a dream or if it was reality.

"Thank your mom, isn't there a saying about that from now on it can only go down hill ?" I ask with a lopsided grin.

"Oh no it's going to be wonderful when you turn 30, just you wait". My mom say sarcastically. "I found a small thing for you". She puts a little box on the tray.

"Oh thanks mum you shouldn't have".  I unwrap it and open the box, looking down in it, it's a necklace with an oval pendant, it looks to be very very old. The chain is gold and the pendant is a big golden lump of amber, with white and cream stripes in it.

I look at my mum with surprise

"It was your great grandmother's, I thought you should have it". She says before I can protest
.
"It was Tyra's ?" It has been a long time since I have heard my mother talk about my great grandmother. "Talking about family, is grandma coming for my birthday?" I ask.

It is hard to know with my grandma, sometimes when she's down in one of her black holes, we can't get her to leave her house and when it finally happens she tends not to be the most happy person to be around.

"Yes she is coming, she's riding with Ben and Eva". My mom say.

"What about Belinda and Nikolai?". I am not really close with my cousins.

"No they're getting Nikolai babysat and Belinda have other plans, you know how it is with teenagers".

I do especially my superficial and vain cousin.

"It's not going to be a giant party? We can't afford it". I say to my mum.

"you are turning 18 and I want to celebrate you, so don't worry about it and by the way your grandma has actually paid for a lot of the party so don't be so harsh on her". My mom smiles sadly. "She has had a hard life".

I take a bite of my bun and study my mother she always looks so sad talking about my grandmother. "Are you missing Liverpool ?"

My mum looks surprised. "No not Liverpool, but sometimes I would like to be closer to our family especially after being alone with you".

We both go quiet thinking about my father.

"He would be so proud of you, that you are turning into such a caring and beautiful girl". My mom says softly.

It has been many years since my father died in an accident with his truck, but it's still painful to talk about him. I still miss him, but I hadn't been more than nine years old when he died and it starts to get hard to remember him clearly, only the feeling of him not being there it's left.

My mom had followed my dad to London, they had been young and in love. She had been more than willing to let go of that heavy feeling surrounding her through her childhood. When my great grandmother died, my grandmother got depressed and plagued by fear. My grandmother never talked about the circumstances about the death, but I remember my mom saying that it had been a crime that was never solved. My grandmother had finally pulled herself up when my uncle Ben had his first child Belinda. She had slowly learned to live tolerable life with her depression, but partly because we live so far away and partly because my mom never really felt close to my grandmother we haven't had much contact with her. And now she's coming for my birthday and I don't know if I'm happy or I fear it.

When I'm done with my breakfast I go to stand in front of the mirror putting on the necklace. The Amber sits on a gold casing, with a design looking like waves or gusts of wind. It is so beautiful and detailed that I can't take my eyes off it. It has the clear orange golden colour that is characteristic for the gold of the sea. The cream and white stripes give it dept making it look like it contains its own little universe. The necklace feels nice around my neck, like it somehow belong there, it creates a feeling in me I know I have felt before, but I can't put my finger on it.

"We need to wash down the windows before grandma arrives tomorrow". My mom say, rubbing on a spot on my window. "Great it's on the outside, then they really need to be washed". She say, leaving the room mumbling about cleaning and stress.

I lie down on the bed to relax a bit more, later I'm going for a trip to the mall, my mum have insisted that we have a good time in the morning when I'm going to be away in the evening.

I smile when I hear my phone on the table, now the birthday wishes starts coming.

'Hi Sol. Happy birthday. I wish I could be with you right now. I'm thinking about you all the time. I hope you are okay and has a great day'.

Zac.. My stomach contract threatening to spew back out the bun I just ate. I throw away my phone not to scream. Why can't he just leave me be so I have a chance to be whole again ?

I stare into the ceiling. I wish I could be with You right now, he had written. My fingers are tingling and I can't close off the small hope that maybe one day he will be back with me as promised. I sit up, suddenly feeling deflated, finding my phone.

'I'm okay thinking of you too. Hope you are having a good time'. The message is the best I can do and I manage with shaking fingers to send it. I fall back on the pillow crying from the now bleeding wound that has just been re-opened.