Golden Hour

Chapter 2

Harry Styles lips appreciation ok^^

Ava's POV

"Mommy, don't leave!" Casey tugs on Mom's hand.

"Casey, honey, my ride is here. I have to go, baby." Tears glisten in my mom's eyes as she gently slides her hand out of her five year old daughter's grasp.

"Will you be back soon?" Riley steps forward, hands twisting in front of her. Her eyes are cast downwards, avoiding our mother's desperate gaze.

Mom lets a tear fall as she looks sadly at the thirteen year old. "I don't know, sweetie. I don't know."

Aunt Lori stepped forward. "Girls, your mother must go before her cab drives away without her."

Mom takes a deep breath and nods. "Yes, I must be on my way. I love you girls very much. Call and text me everyday, okay?"

Casey flings her arms around my mother's waist and hangs on tightly. "Don't leave me, Mommy. Please don't leave me." The waterworks are now flowing from Mom's eyes now and she looks desperately at me and Aunt Lori, not able to get a word out.

I take a step towards Casey and squat down beside her. "Case, Mommy has to leave now to get the house all ready for the people looking to buy it. Then she has to get our new house ready. Wouldn't you like a new house soon?"

It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either. The law would not allow Mom to take care of the three of us because Dad had been the only source of income. Now he's gone and the state says Mom must find a stable job and be making enough money before we can be entrusted back into her care. For now, the state placed us with our rich aunt Lori whose kids are older now. She readily agreed to let us live with her while Mom sold our house and looked for a cheaper one while she started working. I had begged to be allowed to stay with Mom and work so that Riley and Casey could come home earlier but the state insisted that I finish my last year of high school.

Casey looks up at me with big brown eyes that she shares with me and reminds me so much of my dad. "A new house? That we all get to live in?"

I nod my head rapidly. "Yes. Mom is going back home to find one there and once she does we can go back home, okay?"

Casey sighs and looks up at the woman whose legs she is clinging to. "Mommy, you really have to leave?"

Mom folds her lips together to keep the sobs back and quickly nods her head.

"I don't want you to go." Casey's bottom lip wobbles and her big eyes fill with tears. "I want you to stay here with me." Salty tears gush out of her eyes as she buries her head in Mom's jeans, leaving a big wet spot.

BEEP BEEP

"There's the taxi driver." Aunt Lori motions for me to grab Casey, then leans over to hug Mom. "Call me when you get back and please don't worry. The girls and I are perfectly fine!"

Mom forces a smile. "Thank you so much, Lori. This means so much to me."

Riley goes over to Mom and squeezes her. "Bye, Mom." She is crying on Mom's shoulder, both of their tears steadily flowing together.

"I love you, Mom." I wrap my arms around my mother's shoulders and hug her. She kisses my cheek and I realize my vision is becoming blurry.

"I love you too, Ava. Be a good girl and look after your sisters. I'll call you later." Mom looks down at Casey and smiles through her tears. "Oh, Casey, baby, please go with your sister. We can FaceTime later, okay?"

"No!" Casey yells defiantly and clings to Mom even tighter.

"C'mon, Case." I trap her small body in my arms and pull her off of Mom's leg.

"NO!!" Casey screams, thrashing and kicking her legs against me, trying to get away from me.

Mom is sobbing now, her tears mixing with the rain that has just started to fall. It fits the mood perfectly, I think wryly.

"I love all of you! Be good for Auntie Lori!" Mom runs down the walkway to the waiting taxi.

"NO! MOMMY PLEASE DON'T GO!" Casey is hysterical, beating my arms with her little fists. Riley runs over to me and holds Casey's arms and whispers soothing words to her.

Mom turns around at Casey's shrill yell with a look I will never forget. Sadness and regret is written all over her tear streaked face. Her arms hang limply by her sides and she looks as though she might run back into our arms in this weak moment. She looks broken. Completely and utterly broken. How can she not? Everything she ever loved is being stolen right out from under her.

Before she can do anything rash, she quickly whips around, opens the car door and slides into the cab. Giving us one more sad look and blowing us one more kiss through her never ending tears, she shuts the door and the cab drives down the street then disappears around the bend.

Casey goes silent and limp in my arms. Riley stares forlornly after the car. I swallow back the egg sized lump in my throat, afraid that if I uttered even one sound I would be unable to hold back the slew of tears gathering behind my eyes.

***********

"Is she asleep?" Aunt Lori stands up as I enter the kitchen to place a mug of tea on the granite island top. "Sit, honey."

I collapse onto the cushioned stool and wrap my fingers around the hot cup. "Yes. She finally went to sleep after I read Goodnight Moon for the tenth time." Casey had the hardest time going to bed since Mom had just left this afternoon and it was Casey's first night away from her. Mom always read Goodnight Moon to us and the book had always been one of Casey's favorites.

Aunt Lori leans on the counter across from me. "I'm so sorry I was unable to help you put her down. She just didn't want me to there."

"Don't worry about it. She just needs some time to get used to this arrangement." I sip my tea, which quickly warms my insides. Dad used to always give us tea when we couldn't sleep. While we drank our tea, he would come up with the most outlandish tales and we would be on the edge of our seats until Mom would finally tell him that we needed to get to bed. Forbidden tears slide down my cheeks and plop into my tea.

"Oh, sweetheart." Aunt Lori rushes over to my side of the counter and rubs my back. "You have been through so much and you are so strong. You need to be for your sisters but it's alright to cry every now and then. Come on, honey, let's see those tears."

Aunt Lori's soothing words make me let my guards down and I cry for a good five minutes on her shoulder, thinking of how good life seemed just a few short months ago and now it feels like everything is crumbling around me.

"You've always got me, Ave. I'm not going anywhere and you can count on me. You always have a home with me, honey." Aunt Lori kisses the top of my head and gives me one last squeeze. "You know, I loved your daddy a lot. He was a rascal of a brother but I loved him more than anything. I was so protective of him, too. Whenever anyone would start to pick on him, I would chase them away with one of my boogers." Aunt Lori smiles fondly at the memory.

"You remind me so much of him." Aunt Lori looks at me, her eyes filling up. "And as long as you have him in your heart, he will never truly be gone."

A/N

I know this chapter didn't have a ton of action but I want you guys to understand what's going on with Ava and her family. Don't worry Harry and Ava will meet in the next chapter!!

I love hearing your feedback so please vote and comment!

Ily and thank you!!

xxEm