Before You

Chapter 52

"Evy! Breakfast is ready!" my mother shouts.

I slide on my red converse shoes and stand to look at myself in the mirror. They go perfectly with my black hoodie and skinny jeans. I'm going to miss the summer, but I'm thankful for the coolness that has set in everyday, especially early in the mornings. I check my watch. It's eight o'clock in the morning. I've been awake for a while now. I didn't sleep well last night. Jett and Mason took turns running through my mind, grasping all of my attention. I'm awake, fully dressed, and all of my things packed before breakfast. I open my bedroom door and make my way into the kitchen.

My mother and Brad are sitting at the dining table with a big breakfast spread in front of them. Plates of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit cover the table. I'm not very hungry, but I know I should make an effort. My mother has obviously gone out of her way to make my last morning here pleasurable. I take a seat and meet her eyes.

"You didn't have to do this. I could have picked something up on the way back to Atlanta." I say politely.

A small smile appears on her face. "I wanted to. Not to mention, Brad loves to cook so he helped me with breakfast."

I meet Brad's eyes and we both smile. We all make small talk throughout breakfast. Brad discusses what his workweek will include and my mother asks questions about my classes. She actually seems interested about them, which surprises me. When breakfast is over, I take my plate into the kitchen and begin to gather the remaining dishes.

"That's okay, Evy. We can clean up." Brad says.

I look up at him. "Oh no. You two made breakfast, the least I can do is clean up."

My mother walks up beside me. "Really, it's fine. I know you need to get back to Atlanta."

I don't have the energy going back and forth with her about the dishes. Honestly, I don't feel like cleaning up, I was just trying to be polite. I nod my head and walk back into my bedroom. Picking up my bag, I take one last look around my room. The last time I left here, things didn't go so well. My mother and I were on bad terms. This visit is different. Honestly, it's been better than I expected it to be. That is, at least between my mother and I. I shut the door behind me and walk back in the living room. Brad stands up from the couch and walks over to me.

"Thank you for spending your fall break in Savannah." He says. "I know your mother appreciates it and I've enjoyed getting to know you better."

"Me too." I say to him. "Maybe next time, you two can come visit me."

"That would be wonderful." He replies.

My mother walks over and joins us. "I'm going to walk her out."

Brad nods his head. "Bye, Evy."

"Bye." I say, as I exit the house.

My mother walks beside me on the way to my car. I hope this isn't going to be a repeat of the last time I left. Something inside of me tells me it won't be. I feel less tense around her. Not fully at ease, but better than before. I open the driver door and throw my bag in the backseat before turning around to face my mother.

"Evy, thank you for coming." She says to me. "Thank you for understanding my relationship with Brad and our engagement."

"Yeah. As long as you're happy." I reply. "Brad seems like a nice guy."

My mother returns another smile and hesitantly wraps her arms around me for a quick hug. "I haven't been very understanding. I promise I'm going to work on that."

Her admitting this is shocking. I could agree with her and list all the ways in which she hasn't been supportive. However, I can see softness on her face and hear the promise in her voice. She's trying. This weekend was a start, maybe a new start, for the both of us. Our relationship isn't going to be fixed over night, but it has to start somewhere. Once again, I know I have Brad to thank for her improvements. I nod my head and return a smile.