Remembering Taylor Mason (Rewritten, 2020)

Chapter Sixteen: Samara

"What a perfect day," Evangeline breathes, putting her sunglasses on and staring at the open road in front of her. "Got the day off work, Mom's home with the kids, and I've got my two best gals by my side."

Lydia nods in agreement, as I switch to the middle of the back seat.

"It's been so long since we've had a girl's day, hasn't it, Sami?" Lydia asks, turning her head to face me, while tying her long blonde hair back in a ponytail.

"Yeah," I say. "Yeah it has. I think the last time I went shopping with you two was for my 8th grade graduation dress." I can't help but smile at the memory. My parents had insisted I wear something long and modest. So, I had gotten a blue lace dress, that I almost tripped over as I was walking up onto the stage to retrieve my diploma. Evie and Lydia had volunteered to drive me to the after-party that night, and as I was getting out of the car, Lydia had told me to hold still. Purely by eyeballing, she was able to cut a few inches off my dress, and make it look like it was made that way. Then, she took off her big golden hoops and gave them to me, as I she was my own personal fairy godmother.

Evie had smiled from behind her. "Picture perfect!" she had exclaimed as the two of them put their arms around me, and Evie snapped a picture.

They had always helped me break free.

"Today is your day, Sami," Evie says, bringing me back to the present. "What do you wanna do?"

"Before we do anything, I NEED caffeine," I reply, stretching out in my seat to show how tired I am.

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When we get to the coffee shop, I order my usual and the three of us find comfy seats near the built-in fire place.

I hear the clinking of high heels and the noise of someone looking for spare change in their purse, and insictivly look up. Across from where I'm sitting, I see someone very familiar waiting in line. It's Tiffany Mason-- Taylor's mother.

Every bone in my body grows stiff. I want to just keep my head down and pretend I don't see her. It would be the easiest thing to do. I wouldn't have to think of what to say, or worry that what I do say may make her cry, or that I'll start crying in front of her.

But in the Jacobs' Family, we aren't raised to do the easy things. We're raised to put on a smile and march on with life; and above all, we're raised to be polite.

So, I march right on up to her, as if it is what I've planned to do all along.

"Hello Mrs. Mason" I say, gently tapping her shoulder. She whirls around to face me.

"Oh honey, call me Tiffany," she says, turning to wrap me in a hug. Her grip on me is tight, but not hurtful, as if she's afraid to let go. As if this one moment is the glue holding her together right now.

Slowly, I pull away.

"H-How have you been?" I ask shyly, internally scolding myself for asking such a stupid question. Obviously, she's been feeling horribly We all have.

"It doesn't seem real," she says.

I nod, feeling the block of concrete hit me once again.

"He was a good person," I blurt, partly because it's true, and partly because I don't know how else to fill the silence.

She doesn't say anything. She just looks at me, and her eyes gleam with a shimmer of hope, before they return to looking hollow and dark, as if all the life has been sucked out of them-- which I guess, it kind of has.

"You know, you and Liam, you guys meant the world to him," she says. "I realize now, that his father and I, we weren't there enough. And well, I'll regret that for as long as I live-"

"You tried all you could," I say, even though I haven't always believed it. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for them. They were young parents with not many resources, but by the end of his life, they were able to give Taylor almost anything financially. Maybe that's ' why they were away so much durning his life. It's not that they didn't care enough to be there; they were just trying to provide for him, the way they knew how.

"I s- I should have been better," she mumbles. "But I just want to thank you, Samara. You always tried to make sure he wasn't alone. " She hugs me again, and this  time I hold tightly too, letting myself feel everything I've tried not to, all at once.

It's good; cathartic.

Tiffany pulls away as she nears the front of the line.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" she asks, getting her money ready to hand the barista.

"I'm not sure," I say.

"Why don't you and Liam-- if he wants to, come over to the house for tea? I'm sure Sol wants to see the two of you as well," she offers.

"T-Thanks for the invite," I stutter taken aback. We've never been to Taylor's house without him being there, much less when his parents were around.

But as I said, the Jacobs' Family values politeness above all else, so I smile  and say "see you tomorrow," before I nod to her and turn back toward Evie and Lydia.

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