Muted Mate

16.

I get up from my last class and make my way to my locker collecting all my books to take home for homework.

I walk out the front gate and see Britt.

"Hey Kat what you doing after school?" She asks all bubbly.

Why is she always so happy. I wanna be this happy and bubbly.

Awe you know the usual beatings, cleaning, chores, homework the normal.

I just shrug my shoulders and continue walking home.

I get home just in time to start chores.

I open the door ready for the mess for me to clean, the punch to the face and the yelling but I receive none of that.

I walk into a clean house with the smell of chicken cooking and small hums coming from the kitchen.

I hesitantly make my way over to the kitchen to see what's going on and I'm shocked to what I see.

My mum cooking, and humming to music?

She turns around and jumps

"Oh my gosh Katrina don't scare me like that." she says smiling and puts her hand on her chest.

What's wrong with my mother.

Did she finally get a good bang?

"So I've cleaned for you and done a few chores for you, you just have to wash the dishes and take out the rubbish and do your homework." she says looking at me then going back to cooking chicken.

"Oh and I'm cooking you and I dinner. We need to have a chat." My mum says turning the chicken off and setting it up on plates.

She wants to talk.

Talk about what?

When mum called me to dinner I took my seat.

"Okay so I wanted to talk to you." I nod my head.

"I'm sorry for being the really shit mother and not having the mother that you've always needed." oh no. I know where's she going with this.

"And I have finally realised that you need me now and I have decided to be there for you." I can see her eyes starting to get glossy.

"I have finally realised that your father is a dick and he is not welcome in this house anymore, and to never contact both of us again. I kicked him out this morning after you left." A small smile moves onto my lips happy that my mother has decided to make a change.

"And I'm going to stop drinking and sober up. So I'm going to go to rehab for a month." That makes me drop my fork and look up to her to see if she's joking.

And I don't think she is.

I'm now crying. I'm so happy that my mother is finally going to sober up and be the mother that I always needed.

"Awwwwh no baby don't cry it's okay i promise. Im so sorry after everything I've done to you over these past years. You have no idea how much I regret them. All the punches, kicks, cuts, bruises and broken bones I'm so sorry for, and also the fact that you haven't spoken a word for years hurts me so much. I regret everyone of those actions and everyone insult I made aren't true. I'm so sorry sweetie. I know it's not going to be easy to forgive me and things won't be the same but I promise that I will change for the better of both of us." she finally tells me.

By now both of us are crying and my mums sobbing.

I stand up out of my chair and walk over to my crying mother.

I stand her up and take her into a big hug. She seems shocked at first but then hugs me back.

For a moment in my life I feel loved and cared for.