Ticking Clock

Chapter 2

No family is perfect. Every family has their own little quirks or niches. Sometimes it's something that one grows accustomed to, or it's something that can get on their last nerve. Whenever Adalynn's mother brought up the topic about marriage, she always quietly agreed with what her mother had to say because she never wanted an argument to break out.

Adalynn remembered the last time her mother got into a heated argument. Adalynn was around 4 years old. She was placed in her bedroom with her brother who was silently sitting by the closed door. She played with her dolls as the yelling screaming progressed into the night.

"You're a selfish bastard!" The children's mother screamed as something came crashing down. Adalynn was used to her parents fighting but knew something was wrong when she heard the sound of something smashing. She dropped her dolls and ran into the lap of her brother who cradled her as she lay against his chest, covering her ears. It was about 5 minutes later that the two heard and felt the slam of the front door as it sent vibrations through the home's foundation. Their mother gently opened the door, Jonathan and Adalynn looked at their mother who had her favourite mascara came down her cheeks in thick black strips. She crouched down and embraced her children, rocking them slowly as she silently cried.

Adalynn watched her mother as she slowly ate her homemade soup. Nearing the age of 52, she slowly has grey hairs coming out and creating a home on her head. Her d crows feet becoming deeper and deeper with every passing year. Adalynn tries not to remember the countless times she found her mother crying over the fact that their father left.

"How were your exams, Dear?" Her mother asked after shoving another spoonful of soup into her mouth. Caught off guard by her mother's sudden question, a little bit of the soup ran down the side of Adalynn's mouth. She quickly grabbed the napkin on the table and placed it on her mouth.

She nodded while wiping the soup away. "It wasn't bad, like always, I feel like I could do better," Adalynn admitted.

"Well you know I'm proud of you no matter what you do," her mother smiled "I reached back out to the Joanna Williams," Adalynn furrowed her brows confused as to why she contacted the old family friend after years without talking.

"Oh yeah, how are they doing?" She asked while she got up to take her bowl over to the sink.

"She's doing fairly well, she said that Ben is graduating this year," Adalynn remembered Ben very vaguely. Before her parents split up, she remembered always bugging Ben and Jonathan while they were playing their games because she just wanted to play House with someone. But after they moved, they lost contact with the Williams family.

"I mean, that's nice for him," Adalynn shrugged. Her mother shifted uncomfortably in her chair as she turned to face her daughter.

"I hope you don't mind, but I set you and Ben up on a date," the faint smile could be heard on her mother's voice. The sound of the bowl falling in the sink was the only thing that could be heard. Adalynn slowly turned to look at her mother.

"What?" She asked with a frown on her face. Her mother's smile dropped in confusion.

"I thought that you would be at least a little bit excited to hear that," Adalynn rested her back against the counter and her head fell into her hands. 

"No mom, I'm really not happy to hear that,"

"I mean why wouldn't you be?" Her mother asked. Adalynn looked up, dumbfounded.

"Why wouldn't I be? Mom, I'm still wanting to finish this year without having to add someone else into my life. I don't want to have to take care of them," Adalynn crossed her arms over her chest, letting out an annoyed sigh. She wasn't looking for an argument at the moment, but she also wasn't ready to give in to her mother's desires.