The ghost of him

Chapter 24

The sun is too bright. A beam of light from my window is hitting me right in the face, causing me to squint and cover it with my hand.

What time is it?

I find my phone and look at the time, the numbers blurry. 11:03. No way it's eleven. I rub my eyes and look again. 11:03. I'm surprised mom hasn't woken me up yet, screaming at me. Weird.

I get up and trudge downstairs. Mom is all dressed, her hair done, grabbing her purse like she's going somewhere. "Where are you going?"

She turns around and looks at me. "Oh look who decided to wake up." She sarcastically smiles at me. "I'm going to the grocery store to get some things for your special dinner tonight. I just assumed you-"

"I want to go." I blurt out.

"Really? You never want to go shopping with me because it's boring and I take forever-" She is right, it is boring, especially grocery shopping, but I need to see her as much as possible.

"Well, I change my mind."

"Really? Well get dressed and we can go."

I eagarly head upstairs to change, quickly brush my hair, slip-on shoes, and then we leave.

***

Mom and I browse the shelves, picking up things we need like spices and seasoning, butter, sides, and things we don't need like chips. Mom keeps asking If I want anything, like snacks or something, but I always tell her no. She doesn't think anything of it and doesn't care because it saves her money.

Of course, mom runs into one of her friends while we're there, and they get to talking, her bragging about me of course. Talking about the dinner we have planned for tonight and how proud she is of me.

After 10 minutes and no sight of the end of the conversation, I'm getting antsy and I want to pull Mom's arm and tell her to hurry up, but I can't. Not today. I have to keep my mouth shut and just stand there smiling, letting mom keep talking about me.

Sure, she's bragging now, but she won't soon. Soon she'll be ashamed of me, ashamed to even say my name. She'd also cry if she tried to say it because it will be a reminder for her.

The conversation is finally ending and the lady says she has to get back to shopping. She and my mom say their goodbyes, saying it was nice seeing you and all that.

Mom and I continue shopping, and I just want to get out of here before she runs into someone else she knows and starts talking to them.

Once we think we have everything we need, we go and pay in self-checkout, and surprisingly get out of there with no obstacles or problems.

When we get home I help mom put everything away, which also surprised her because I don't help her with anything. Well, I shouldn't say that, I do help, just not as much as I should.

"Thanks for helping me." She says. "It's okay though, I got the rest. You can camp in your room like you always do."

"Not always." I defend myself, though it's true. "And I don't want to camp in my room. I want to hang out with you." I smile.

"What did you do to my daughter? I mean it, something changed inside you." She puts her hand on my shoulder and gives me an intense look. "Please. Never change back." She laughs at herself, and I guess I have to laugh too, so I do.

"While you're your changed self, the laundry needs to be taken out of the dryer and folded, and we can finally go through that bag of stuff that needs to be donated."

"Okay. I'll get started on the laundry." I head to the basement and grab a laundry basket, taking everything out of the dryer and throwing it in.

Do I want to be doing laundry right now? No. Do I need to be doing laundry right now? Not according to mom, but according to me, yes. I'm trying to be a good daughter, the perfect daughter, to make up for the times I wasn't. The times I took my mom for granted, yelled and cursed at her when she was just doing what she thought was best.