The Girl With The Glowing Skin

Chapter 6

The second event happened on a sunny Thursday. It was April, flowers were blooming, the weather was getting warmer, and Idris Samhara couldn't have been happier. After what had happened in the elevator, Idris had opened up to her friends and family (she had started calling the nuns that in her head, after realizing Alex was right - the nuns had chosen her, which was just as close, maybe even closer, than being related to someone by blood) and thanked them for being by her side all the time, and they had gotten even closer. Alex had asked her out shortly after that Tuesday, with her friends watching and pretending to shed tears "at their little Idris, all grown up!" She rolled her eyes and shoved them, of course, but her smile had been uncontrollable as she'd accepted. Overall, things were going perfectly.

    Which is why, when Idris opened the mailbox and saw the name on the topmost letter, her first coherent thought before the numbness took over was, Of course something had to ruin it.

    The letter was from Ana Samhara.

Later, Idris would find that she barely remembered what she'd done the rest of the day after opening the letter. The nuns had found her asleep the next morning with her shoes still on, exhausted from sobbing, as the tear tracks on her face proved. She had been clutching the letter against her chest, and when the nuns read it, they all silently, unanimously agreed to let Idris stay home from school.

Idris woke up alone in her room at 2 in the afternoon, her nose stuffed and her eyes crusted. After spending the next 10 minutes lying in bed motionlessly, she got up, took a shower, changed into the comfiest pajamas she had, and then sat on her bed, staring at the letter. She couldn't bring herself to open it again, but what had been written was already imprinted in her memory. Her mother, after 17 years without a single word, was suddenly asking Idris to move across the world for her. Specifically, Ana had said that she missed the daughter she had given up, and wanted to become a family again.

The nuns, hearing her move around, came upstairs slowly, crowding into her room. Idris looked at them helplessly, tears forming in her eyes despite having cried the full night before. "I don't know what to do," she said in a small voice.

The sisters looked around at each other. Sister Alice, the oldest, spoke up. "We don't want to tell you what to do, Idris, and so I won't tell you what I am thinking right now, or what I would do if I were in your shoes. Just know this - we all love you very much. You are like a daughter to us all." The nuns all nodded, some murmuring hushed affirmations. "We will support you no matter what choice you make. Until you make your choice, though, the sisters and I agreed that we want you to stay home. We don't want anything else influencing your decision, be it extra school stress or the opinions of friends - or romantic partners," she shot a look at Idris, clearly referring to Alex, reminding Idris once again how much the nuns noticed about her and cared about the little details of her life. Idris managed to summon up a small but real smile for the room, feeling overwhelmed by the love from everyone.

"Thank you," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Seeing all the nuns here in front of her, seeing how much they loved her, was making it apparent how hard this decision really was. As they descended down the stairs, Idris murmured an "I love you, too," to their backs.

After 3 days of not being in school, Idris' friends - and Alex - decided something was up, and nervously ventured to the church to visit. They found her lying in bed with freshly washed hair that was still wet, blaring sad music through her earbuds and staring off into space surrounded by tissues.

"At least she's still showering," Talia whispered to Tyler, her voice nervous and distressed. "That has to count for something, right?"

James, meanwhile, nudged Alex, whose face was extremely troubled. "You guys didn't break up without telling us, right? Because that would just suck." Alex shot him an annoyed look, to which James grumbled "Okay, okay, stupid question." Then he called out to Idris.

Upon hearing her name, Idris jumped and pulled her earbuds out as she turned around, frightened by the sound of someone in her room before realizing who it was.

Smiling wanly, she greeted them. "Hey, guys." Her voice was croaky and raw from crying, which immediately drew sympathy from the group.

"Oh honey," Allie said, shoving all the tissues and Kleenex boxes off the bed before sitting down opposite her. Talia and Danielle did the same, and they encircled her in a hug before moving so James, Tyler, and Alex could sit down too.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked in a worried voice. Silently, Idris handed the letter over for all of them to read.

Everyone read the letter silently, no doubt shocked. Even after reading the letter, the room remained quiet as they all processed what they had just read.

"So after 17 years, your mother - oh, wow," James mumbled shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," Tyler said sincerely. Allie, Daniele, and Talie nodded, unable to say anything. Allie and Talia had tears in their eyes, crying not for themselves but for the pain they knew Idris was in.

Alex remained suspiciously silent, then burst out, "You're actually considering going?"

Idris recoiled at the anger and panic in Alex's voice. "She's my mother, Alex," Idris said, her voice a little weak from disuse and uncertainty.

"Idris," Alex said despairingly. "A mother doesn't just abandon her kid on some random church steps before hightailing it out of town. A mother doesn't just not talk to her own kid for 17 years, and then send the most random, unexpected letter asking her to move halfway across the world for someone she's never met. I don't know why you can't - no, why you won't - understand the fact that your mother isn't a mother at all. She's just some woman who gave birth to you."

Idris look at Alex in shock. "Why are you so angry?" Idris asked defensively, raising her voice to cover up the fact that Alex's words were resounding in her.

Alex scoffed and got up. "I'm angry because you can't see that your real family is right here. They're all so ready to everything for you, and you're ready to just abandon u- them." Alex flushed and stomped out the door and out of the house.

Taking a moment to absorb Alex's words, Idris looked around at her friends, who all looked different degrees of uncomfortable. Looking at their faces, torn between wanting to comfort Idris and agreeing with Alex, Idris realized what decision she had to make.