You, Always

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Put An 'M' On 'End', It Gives You Mend

"Mummy! Mummy! I can ride a bike! Freddy at school taught me!" I run indoors with my mum just behind me.

I take off my shoes with big red bows on them and neatly place them together before running up to my mum and giving her another hug, the smile on her face huge.

"Wow! Did you have fun?"

"Yep and I didn't even fall over once! I nearly did when Freddy took the mini wheels off but I didn't! I stayed on!" I giggle, still super excited I can now ride a bike.

"I think you mean stabilisers, honey." She chuckles, "Well it looks like we're going to have to buy you a bike now aren't we, I'm thinking pink and purple?" She smiles and I jump up and down.

"Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I say repeatedly. "I could get a pink one with purple ribbons hanging from the handlebars..."

My hand hovers over the door handle and I exhale, finally opening the door. It creaks and I step inside. Everything is the same as I left it, as we left it, because I didn't touch anything after it happened.

I walk around the house for a while then go to the kitchen and I smell something foul. I scrunch my nose up in disgust, what the hell is that? There are rotten bananas sitting on the kitchen worktop.

Gross, how the hell did I forget to throw them out with the other foods?

I walk back out and stop when I go to pass the set of drawers in the hall to pick up the picture. The wooden frame holds a picture of us when we went Christmas tree hunting. In the photo, I'm laughing and my mum is smiling. I remember her hair got stuck on the tree branch and got all knotted.

The memory makes my eyes turn glossy but at the same time, the edges of my mouth curl upwards into a smile. Setting it back down I start heading upstairs and the stairs creak while I run my hand up the handrail, dust collecting on my fingers.

I walk to my mum's room and a small sob escapes my lips just by the sight of her belongings. I couldn't bring myself to move them before because I'd of had to actually admit that it was all happening. But now... I still can't help but feel slightly guilty packing her things.

I hope she doesn't think that I'm forgetting about her because that would never be a possibility. Remembering I left the cardboard boxes in the car, I jog down the stairs to get them and walk back to her room once I've retrieved them from the trunk.

I unfold the box and open up her wardrobe. All her old clothes are hung on hangers and my shoes just below and I can't seem to figure out whether I should laugh or cry. Deciding I should make piles, I starting splitting which will go to charity stores and what I'll keep.

*****

I've probably been here for a few hours and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to stay. The weather outside is dark and the electricity would've been cut months ago. From what I remember, there aren't any flashlights in the house either so that isn't an option. I'm nearly finished anyway so I guess it isn't too much of a big deal, I just wish I could've stayed a little longer considering its barely midday.

I double-check the wardrobe and there's a box right at the bottom, not too small and not too little. I've never seen my mum with this so curiosity fills me when I pick it up.

I open the box and a photo album is placed inside with 'Mandy and Me' as the title. I can just about read it because my tears still my vision. Picking it up, I see there's a silver necklace at the bottom as well so I set the album down and pick it up.

'Wherever you go, I go'

Is what's engraved onto it and I gasp. Did she want me to find this? I close my hand over it, forming a fist, flick through the album.