Reality

Chapter 13

Ethan's POV

I left Mel with aunt Esmeralda. I was driving back to the hospital with Cathy, but I got a call from the clinic I left my mom in.

She had drunk again. Where she got the alcohol from, I don't know.

And so I here I am, at the clinic.

And angry.

"No. I pay so you people can help her, and what the hell happens? Why do you even have alcohol here?" I ask a nurse.

"Mr.Chase, we were completely unaware of thi-"

"Then you should do your job and care for her," I say.

"You must understand that this is a process, and the choice is up to the patient." she says calmly.

I walk into my mother's room.

"Ethan, please, dear, get me out of here. I'm okay now. We have to get home! Your dad will be here any day now, and we have to make it nice for him," she says, standing up.

My face softens. "Mom," I say softly. "Dad, he's not coming back. I wish he were here too, but he's not."

"Now, dear, it's not nice to lie to your mother. Now hurry up, get me out," she says less than gently.

"No. Don't you understand? Dad's gone. He has been for three years, and so have you. I need you to be here, mom. I need you to help me get through life, and I need you to help me with Melanie. As a 14 year old, mom, you left me take care of her. And what what were you doing? Drinking. For what? Huh? How did that help anyone? Because it sure as hell isn't doing us any good."

There's a knot in my throat, and I swallow hard.

"You don't understand. I lost my husband. Half of me. He was everything to me, and he's gone. Drinking helped me forget. It kept the pain at bay."

"Yeah? Well here's a shocker. That day you didn't just lose a husband. I lost a dad. Then a few days later, a mom."

My mother looks down. "I'm-"

"What? Sorry? It's a bit too late for that isn't it?"

Silence. I feel a tear roll down my face.

"You're staying here. And you're going to get better. For us. For yourself."

"Ethan please-"

"I'm sorry mom," I say, as I walk out.
***
I need advice. So I did the logic thing and came to the most calm and caring person I know.

Melanie.

"And so what do I do? I like her. I can tell she feels something too, but I don't want to overwhelm her. She has so much going on in her life right now, I think she only needs a friend."

Melanie stares at me. "Half of what you just said makes no sense to me," she whines. "But I listened. And the deal was if I listened you gave me a dollar."

I run my hand through my hair and sigh.

I pay Mel and walk out to the kitchen and pop open a can of soda.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Asks Aunt Esmeralda, who is currently putting some cookies into the oven.

I'm a sucker for Aunt Esme's cookies.

"I don't know," I respond truthfully.

"Is something wrong with your girlfriend?" She asks.

"My.. Girlfriend? Oh. You mean Catherine. No she's not... my girlfriend."

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed... You two kids spend so much time together."

"That's the thing."

"What?" She asks. "That you like her, but don't know what to do about it?"

I stare at her, dumbfounded. "How did you...?"

"Oh, please. It's so obvious." She laughs.

"And... Can you help me?"

She grins. "What is she into?"

I say something super intelligent like "Uhhhh."

"I'll go find out," I say.

***********************************
Short chapter, I know.
I just waned this bit of Ethan's POV for ... some events... that will be happening later in the story :)

I'll try to update again today or tomorrow, Saturday.