Chapter 18
I arrive at my mother’s house, the familiar smell of old wood and perfume hanging in the air. I didn’t expect her to be moving out. I step inside, and the sight of empty boxes scattered around the living room hits me like a punch to the gut. It feels… wrong.
“Mom?” I call out, my voice echoing in the quiet house.
I hear her soft footsteps from upstairs, and moments later, she appears at the top of the staircase, looking worn out, her eyes tired but determined. When she sees me, she smiles, though it’s a little strained. “Hey, honey. You came by.”
I force a smile and look around the room. “What’s going on? Why are you moving out?”
She sighs deeply, then walks down the stairs, wiping her hands on a towel. “How are you darling? You look stressed”
Indeed my mother was quite observant.
“I didn’t want you to worry,” I admits, my voice tight. “I’ve been trying to fix things on my own, but I just..” She cuts me off, looking at the floor. (
I feel a lump forming in my throat, and She walk over to me, placing a hand gently on my arm. “You should’ve told me, Aria. We could have figured something out. You don’t have to do this alone, I’m your mother”
“I just want to leave here and start afresh” I muttered, looking at her eyes with deep affection.
“If that is the case with you, let’s leave and start afresh” She replied, her tone was firm and filled with determination.
Seeing how she provide support makes me feel grateful as I try to fight back my tears. “Where should we go, Mom?” I asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” she replies with a slight shrug. “Somewhere far away, where no one knows us will be a better option. We need to get away from everything, from all your stress.” She exhales sharply.
“But Mom, we can just leave without having any plan” The idea of leaving sounds sweet but we can’t act without having backup plan.
She looks at me, her eyes softening. “I know, sweetheart. But sometimes, we all have to make tough choices. I wish there was another way, but there isn’t. I’m doing this for both of us. Or should I leave first and figure things out?”
I swallow hard, trying to fight back the tears that are threatening to spill over. “So, what? You’re just going to disappear? And I’m supposed to what? Just move on?”
Her face tightens with regret. “I don’t want to leave you, Aria. I’m just trying to survive. This is the only way I know how.”
I look around the house again, at all the empty spaces where memories used to be. It feels so final “I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
She places her hand gently on my shoulder. “I know, honey. I never meant for any of this to happen. But you’re strong. You’ll figure things out. You always do.”
There’s a long silence between us, and I try to hold it together. I don’t want to break down, not now. I have to be strong for her, even if it hurts.
After a moment, I let out a shaky breath. “You know… if you’re running away, I could come with you. I mean, I don’t have to stay here, right? We could go together. Start fresh somewhere. I don’t want you to be alone in all of this. We can’t leave each other like this, let’s figure out the plan together”
My mother’s eyes widen, her lips parting slightly as if she’s surprised by my offer. “Aria, you don’t have to-”
But I cut her off before she can finish. “No, I do. I don’t want to stay here. I don’t want you to be alone either. We’re in this together, right?” I reach for her hands, squeezing them tightly. “Let’s leave. We’ll figure it out.”
She hesitates, her gaze flickering between the boxes and me. “Are you sure? It’s not going to be easy, you know. We’ll be starting completely over.”
“I don’t care,” I say, with more conviction than I feel. “I just don’t want to be here anymore. I want to be with you. It’s the only thing that makes sense right now.”
She smiles softly, a mix of relief and sadness in her eyes. “Alright. Maybe we can start fresh together. But we have to leave tonight. There’s no time to waste.”
I nod, determined. “Let’s do it.”
When we begin packing up her things, my phone starts buzzing I glance at the screen. It’s Harry.
I ignore it. I don’t want to deal with him right now. Not when everything is so overwhelming. Not when my world feels like it’s falling apart, and I’m trying to piece it back together. “Everything okay?” my mom asks, noticing my hesitation.
“Yeah,” I answer quickly, shoving the phone back into my pocket. “Just… Harry. I’ll deal with him later.”
She gives me a look that says she’s not sure, but she doesn’t push it.
We’re both busy with the packing, the sound of boxes being taped shut filling the silence between us. It’s strange, this sense of finality in the air.
But it also feels like a new beginning, something I didn’t think I needed but now realize might be the only thing that could help me move forward.
As I’m stacking some books into a box, my phone buzzes again. This time, I pull it out, but I don’t answer it. I can’t. Not yet.
“Aria, you have to talk to him sometime,” my mother says softly, her tone gentle. “He seems to care about you.”
I look at her, my heart heavy. “I know. But right now, I just need to focus on you. On what’s next for us.”
She nods, her face softening in understanding.
“I get it, alright?.”
I take a deep breath, and for the first time in a while, I feel a silver of hope. Maybe this isn’t the end. Maybe it’s just the beginning of something new.
I stack the last of my mom’s clothes into the boxes, and I glance at my phone again. Harry’s name is still glaring on the screen. But I don’t answer. Not yet..
