Somehow, it made me angry at myself. After not noticing Tess’ cancer, I swore to myself to never overlook something so important again. And while, yes, I tried to get away from the family, and was still sure that I felt no love for them anymore, I was still trying to help them. I should have picked up on something like this if she actually had trouble sleeping because of it.
I suddenly found myself stroking Ava’s hair in an attempt to soothe her. I felt guilty for not noticing her fears. And I only noticed what I was actually doing, when I felt Mia’s hold on my arm tighten. Worried about her realizing how unusually comfortable I was with my big sister cuddling with me, I glanced over at Mia, but all I saw was a content smile on her face as she watched what I was doing. Apparently, she really understood.
As I felt Ava’s and Mia’s breathing slowing, I, too, fell asleep before the movie had ended.
The next morning, I was awoken by the smell of bacon. Looking around, I noticed the two scantily clad beauties still by my side, so there was only one other person who could possibly be active in the kitchen. I carefully extracted myself from underneath Ava and Mia, grabbed my cane, and made my way into the kitchen where I found Claire, who had finally returned.
“Good Morning, Mom.” I greeted her, but did not receive an immediate reaction.
She turned to me, but there was a sad half-smile on her face. Like she wasn’t sure if she was actually happy or not.
“Good Morning, Honey.” she finally replied, with a voice that lacked any hint of confidence, before hastily continuing her breakfast preparations.
“Mom. What’s wrong?” I stepped closer to her, as she stopped any movement upon hearing my question. I watched her stare at her hands for a moment before she spoke in a shaky voice.
“Let’s talk about this when your sister is up, and after your girlfriend leaves.” She took a deep breath to get her voice under control. “Just tell me one thing. Is there a chance for me to fix this?”
She still had not looked me in the eyes.
“Did you make a decision?”
“Yes.”
Going by her demeanor, I could already guess what she decided on, and while I wasn’t happy to see her so troubled, I also felt a strange wave of anxiety wash through me. Dare I hope to maybe, possibly, have a family again? I stepped closer to wrap my healthy arm around her and spoke in a quiet, soft voice.
“Just be my Mom. That’s what I’ve been missing.”
That was as far as I dared to go when asked about the possibility of reconciliation. I felt her tremble against my body as she tried to maintain control over her emotions. Then she rapidly nodded a few times before her shaking hands continued their work.
When Mia and Ava walked in, their reactions to seeing Claire were polar opposites. Ava immediately ran towards her mother, thoroughly happy to see her again, and embraced her in a tight hug. Mia, however, stopped dead in her tracks, and looked quite uncomfortable before rushing back into my bedroom to get properly dressed. Consequently, breakfast was a rather quiet affair with Mia avoiding Claire’s gaze, and Ava simply happy with enjoying Claire’s presence again. Soon after we had finished, Mia packed her things, thanked me for letting her stay with a quick kiss, and then left for her own home.
Claire maintained her silence even after Mia was gone. She cleaned up the kitchen without saying a word, helped me in the bathroom without commenting on anything, and finally just sat on the couch to stare into space. Ava looked pensive, obviously wanting me to approach this situation, so I sat on the couch to Claire’s right and directed Ava to sit on her left.
“Alright, Mom. Let’s talk. What’s going on?” I asked, trying to sound encouraging.
Claire took a breath so deep it caused her whole body to straighten up, before letting it out in a long drawn out sigh. Then she turned, used both of her hands to hold Ava’s, and spoke.
“I spoke with an attorney on Friday. I’m divorcing your father.” she said in the most caring and loving voice I had ever heard her use, looking directly at Ava.
“Good!” Ava replied, surprising everyone with how stern she sounded.
“You ... you’re not upset?” Claire asked, clearly taken aback.
“No. Why would I? If Christmas has proven anything, then that he doesn’t really care about me. Did you happen to notice that he NEVER apologized to me? He also never called me after we moved out. It’s like he doesn’t even care if we’re Okay. If he only cares about me as long as he gets to fuck me, I think we’re better off without him.”
“Oh god, I’m so glad, Sweetheart!” Claire suddenly called out, and embraced her daughter in a tight hug that lasted a good minute. When they separated, she looked at me. “So, there you have it, Honey. That’s my decision. I see it just the way your sister does, and I choose to try and get you back into my life. No matter how hard it’ll be, I will not leave you again.”
