I've remained seated away from our mother, who was literally looking at me the whole time I was inside their bedroom. I can't help but take a few glances at her and get back to scrolling through my phone. It's been so awkward for me to see her right now.
On the other hand, Arianne rested beside her with her face mask on and chatted with her the whole time while she was looking at me. Arielle arranged the medicines she needed to take every day by schedule beside me, so just to kill some time, I helped her do it.
"How have you been doing, dear?" Mom spoke, and I know she's referring to me when she asks that. She has a nickname for the three of us, and the one she called out was mine.
I looked at her and spoke.
"I'm fine."
"Are you still doing some work or projects for photography?" She asked curiously.
"I'm on break; I have classes to attend to," I said coldly.
"Well, if you don't mind, I can refer you --"
I cut her off when I looked at her again and spoke.
"I do mind, so please stay away from my line of work now."
I couldn't even breathe when she was around, so I immediately stood up and walked out of the room. I can hear them calling out my name, but I couldn't bear the whole situation at all. I walked straight to enter my old room, and I paused for a minute the moment I saw that all of my things were absolutely neat, and it looked like they'd cleaned it for me while I was still away.
The door opened, and Arielle came in with a worried look on her face, but it all washed out when she saw the look in my face as I sat down on my bed.
"I heard from the maids that she's been telling them to clean it once a month in the hope that we will come back here," she said as she sat down on the chair in front of my vanity mirror.
"I'm sorry, but I can't deal with her right now," I said as I lay down in my bed.
"You don't have to do it right now, though," she said as she chuckled softly.
I closed my eyes for a moment before I realized what just happened. I shut her out again, and even worse this time because she's ill. But can anyone blame me? I was only a young adult before I started to handle all of our problems, and my transition from being a reckless city girl into a responsible one was quite a shock for me at that time. I almost thought that I couldn't manage it, but look at me now; I'm still here, thriving to work myself out and find the right place for me too.
"Give her a break, and also while we're here." I saw Arielle standing up and leaning on the doorway. "Give yourself time to heal too."
"Do I look like I'm not healed enough?" I asked coldly.
"Yes, you just escaped from us, but you didn't actually heal yourself there."
Arielle closed the door to my room and left me hanging with her words. She's really trying to bring out what's inside of me, but sadly, I can't do it for her. I hope someone might help her out of it.
I stayed in my room the whole day, and they've only brought me my dinner in my room since I don't want to talk to or see her in any case. I rested for the whole day, and when the next morning came, I thought I wasn't going to see her, but just as I was about to walk out of the house for a sudden morning run, I saw Mom resting in the living room with her IV drip hanging from a movable mini pole. She heard the sound of my footsteps and immediately opened her eyes.
I took a glance at her.
"Be careful on your way out," she said weakly.
"Of course I will, and you don't have to say that," I said coldly as I put my headphones on.
When I came back from the short run, she wasn't there anymore, but Arielle welcomed me with an annoying look on her face.
"You looked pissed off," I said as I joined her for breakfast.
"Who's not going to be pissed off when I see a bunch of reporters outside the main gate waiting for my statement about the issue in which Mom was involved?" She blurted it out.
"They're outside? I didn't see one a while ago," I dumbfoundedly said.
"They just came in, and you went in from the back door, right?" She sarcastically said
"Geez, you don't have to be so hot-headed now." I teased her for a while, but my attention was caught when I saw the caller ID on my phone.
I immediately answered it.
"I thought you weren't going to call," I said.
I heard Kendric laugh at what I said. Last night, since I didn't get out of the room, I called him and told him what happened yesterday. He told me that it's normal to get awkward, but it doesn't mean that I should be rude, which made me feel a little sorry for my mom, but I still did it earlier. It's just because I don't know how to act around her after what happened before.
"I heard from Arianne that you went out for a run? That's great, love," he said, complimenting what I did.
I can see Arielle smiling after what she heard from him. I thought she was annoyed a while ago.
"I did, you know, just to warm up my body a bit," I said as I started to get some food.
"I suddenly miss you right now; that's why I called again," he said, sounding so soft.
"I can go home if you want to," I said in a serious tone.
It will be good, though, since I don't have anything to do here in the first place. I could have just gone back.
"No, stay there for a while and have time with her," Kendric said.
"But I can go back if you want to," I said, trying to push the idea of getting away from here.
"Face your past now, love," Kendric said, which made me pause for a little while. "You should have done it before, and I know you can do it this time."
Arielle's expression turned serious, and she looked at me. Gosh, it looks like I'm in a hot seat. I don't know how to respond, but then Kendric spoke again, and that made me choke up a little.
"Heal your past now, love."