The Stranger

Chapter 19.

a•lone
adjective
having no one else present

   * * * * * * * *
2 weeks later.

Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder, lied.

"Dazie, honey. Are you okay?" I heard my mom's soft tone as she opened my room door. I glanced up at her and quickly flung the covers back over my head. I didn't want her to see me this way. "I'm fine, mom." I replied quickly. "It doesn't seem like you're fine honey. You've been trapped in this room for weeks." She said. I released a sigh. "You're over exaggerating mom. I go to school too; so I haven't been completely trapped in my room." "Hey, don't get smart with me missy!" She said giggling. "You understood what I meant." She said continuing.

"Yeah, I know." I said flatly. "Can I join you, Dazie?" She asked gently. "What do you mean?" I mumbled underneath the covers. "Well, honey. I don't want you feeling like Bella Swan in Twilight when Edward left her." I chuckled at her response. "You would bring that movie up." She chimed in with my laughter. "It was your favorite movie as a kid. How could I forget?" I felt a sense of warmth and comfort within my heart with my mom's presence; and for a moment I didn't feel so alone.

My mom plopped beside me on the bed, removing the covers from my head. "Wake up, Dazie! It's time to go out and stop moping around!" I placed both hands over my head in attempt to hide my bed hair. "Moooomm." I groaned. "I rather stay in bed." My mom frowed her face up. "Dazie Ann, you can't sit in this house in misery." She sighed. "Y'know, I was your age once. I know what it feels like to be heartbroken over a guy; waiting for a call you'll never get." She pressed her lips together whilst staring at my wooden floor. "But all of that is behind me, ever since I met your father. I don't want you to go through what I did, sweetheart." She said, forming a gentle smile.

"What do you suggest I do?" I asked. "Well, I think you should get up and get out!" She said giggling. "With who? Alex and I haven't talked since our last incident." I mumbled lowly, while lowering my head. "We can go out. I'm fun too, Dazie!" She said beaming from ear to ear. I rolled my eyes at her response, but gave in. "Fiiinneee." I said. "Alright, wear something warm. It's a bit chilly outside." She said. "Okay, mom." She leaned in and pecked her rosy lips across my forehead. "I love you, Dazie." "I love you too, mom." I replied. She got up from my bed and pranced over to my room door in excitement. I never realized how much quality time with my mom meant to her; perhaps I should do this more often and stop cutting my time short with my parents.

"Hey mom." I said before she closed the door behind her. "Yes, honey?" She asked while peering her head through the door crack. "Can we watch a movie tonight with dad?" "Of course we can." She replied. We both smiled at each other one last time before she closed my door.

I scurried out of my bed and towards my closet. I decided on wearing dark blue high waisted jeans, a black hoodie with the words: "Babygirl" imprinted in white along with concord jordans. I freshened my curls up as quickly as possible and met my mom in the living room once I was finished. "Well, you look nice." She said as she eyed me up and down. "It's nothing special, mom." I said smiling. "Let's head out then." She said, while grabbing her keys off the coffee table.

We ended up going to a famous restaurant that served the best ice cream in town. Serendipity 3. One of my favorite places I loved to dine in at as a child; being here definitely brought back nostalgic memories. "Mom, you know how I feel about this place!" I shrieked. "I know, that's why I brought us here tonight to have a little girl time." She said laughing. My cheeks flushed a bright red as I ran into my mom's arm, embracing her. "Thank you for tonight." I whispered into her clothes. She massaged my back as she squeezed me tighter. "Anytime, baby."