Glass Bridge

.vi

"madi!"

a loud laughter echoed through the house as i entered inside. everywhere smelled like freshly-baked cookies, ah, the delight. i laughed as my six-year old brother, martin, came running towards me.

"hey, champ. where's mom?"

"she's in the kitchen. i was helping her bake strawberry cookies."

i messed his hair. "good boy. now, let's eat those cookies, shall we?"

"i'm still gonna put toppings on it!"

we headed to the kitchen and the pleasant smell only got stronger as i spotted a plate of cookies resting on the table. this was my epitome of heaven: an air of savory smell wafting around as your mom and brother sat in front of you.

"hey, sweetheart. how's school?" mom patted me on the cheek before kissing it.

i shrugged. "the usual. the quiz bowl with sebastian is on the top of my plate."

"mm-hmm. shouldn't you be studying by now?"

"i will." i grinned. "after i finish off a dozen of strawberry cookies."

mom laughed.

"then, let's dig in!"

my mother and i had always been close. she knew almost everything about me and i her. but since dad left a year ago, she'd distanced herself from me and martin.

she didn't want us to feel her pain. little did she know, i already felt it since the second i knew dad was having an affair with another girl.

i didn't want that kind of love. i wanted a love that stayed forever; that pushed through even when things got rough; that held faith.

"hey, madison?"

i looked up and found mom staring right at me with an unrecognizable emotion in her eyes. i knew that look- she was looking back into the past. of when we were happy.

of when we were complete.

"mom?" i muttered like a whisper.

"when you finally find a boy, don't let him break your heart twice. scars may stay long but you shouldn't let it stay forever."

i nodded, despite the heart-wrenching feeling of knowing i had let sebastian do that to me already.