Chapter 5 The reconnection

Stephanie

It wasn't entirely a surprise that my bedroom was huge, twice the size of my previous bedroom at our old house. Like the rest of the house, it was beautiful too. The view from the window was my favorite part of the room.

It overlooked the ocean, the sound of waves filtering into the space was calming. I decided then that the spot would be my reading corner.

What I found as a surprise, however, was the closet filled with dresses. Long, designer gowns of different size and length. It was the only part of the room that hadn't left me in awe but in horror.

There was not a single outfit in there that I would have chosen for myself. No crop top, no ripped jeans, no checkered shirt, nothing.

The further I walked in, the more horrified I became. Because on the giant shoe rack were rows of heels, heels of varying designers and length. There wasn't a single boot in sight. A few designer sneakers but that was it.

Definitely not the kind of shopping I would have done for myself.

Aside from the closet, the rest of the room was decorated exactly to my taste. Posters of my favorite artist on the wall, The Weeknd. A giant frame of Zendaya over the bed. Merch of my favorite book series, ACOTAR and The Cursed Realm.

The interior of the room was eerily similar to my previous bedroom, except better and clearly more expensive.

“Do you like it?”

I reined in my flinch as I heard my mother's voice behind me. I turned to see her walking in, a hesitant smile on her face.

“I took it upon myself to decorate your room exactly to your taste. Will had already bought a closet full of dresses but I told him it wasn't your style. We could go shopping for new clothes before school starts.” She rambled on.

My mother only rambled when she was nervous. She'd managed to hide her nerves in the past, but I could always tell.

“I would love that. And yes, I love what you've done with the room. Thank you.” I gave her a gentle smile.

She strode into the room and we sat on the bed. She seem to contemplate her words. I didn't urge her. I had an inkling of what made her so nervous and I wasn't going to push her if she didn't want to talk about it.

“I'm sorry, Stephanie. For everything.” she swallowed hard, moisture forming in her eyes. I knew what she was apologizing for.

“It's okay, Mum. It wasn't your fault.” I repeated the same words I had told her since that horrible afternoon when everything had gone very, very wrong. But it didn't stop her from blaming herself.

It wasn't my mum's fault. If anything, it was mine. I had been so stupid, so trusting, and it had almost gotten me killed.

It was an effort not to touch the thin scar on my abdomen, a bigger effort not to remember what had led to the scar, who had put it there.

“I should have been there.” My mum said, trembling slightly.

I refrained from telling her that she couldn't have been there, not when she had been working three jobs and trying so hard to make ends meet. While the bastard who birthed me had spent his day drinking himself to death.

No, she couldn't have been there, and she certainly couldn't have saved me.

“It's okay, Mum. It's over now.” I said softly. “It's over.”

Her body shook with the effort of keeping her tears at bay. I simply held her hand and squeezed. There were no words of comfort I could offer her, not one that hadn't already been said.

“Everything will be different from now on, I promise. We'll make it work again in this new life. There would be no more going days without seeing each other. I won't abandon you again. I promise.” Her voice quivered as she spoke.

The only response I gave her was a nod and a comforting smile.

Yes, this place would be different. My mum wouldn't have to work herself to death to hold our family together. She wouldn't have to wake up worrying about money and her deadbeat husband.

The husband she had endured because of me, because she hadn't wanted me to grow up without my father, because she knew how much I adored him. So she had stayed with him, even when he had gotten too drunk and ‘accidentally' hit her.

He always claimed it was an accident. Even when he had gotten too drunk again and chased me around the house with a knife, he had claimed it was an accident.

“He can't get us here. We're safe now.” My mother said firmly, no doubt reading the expression on my face.

I wanted to tell her that it was impossible for him to hurt us when he was six feet under the ground, but I refrained from saying that. Because my father, dead as he might be, was still a very visible threat to her.

I prayed she finally healed from the suffering she went through with him. I hoped that this new family would help her do that. Because my mother deserved happiness in her life.

Even if I don't think I would ever be truly happy again.

My mother and I spent the rest of the day unpacking. Will had came just once and asked us to let the servants help us unpack, but my mum had told him she wanted to spend some alone time with me. He had left at issuing a strict warning that she doesn't work herself too much.

It was probably the longest we've ever spent chatting and just lazing around. There was no Emily to interrupt every conversation or to discuss something only my mum and her had interest in. I didn't get interrupted mid sentence or forced out of the conversation. I actually enjoyed this time with my mum.

Maybe a part of me still felt like a monster for feeling that way about my best friend. Emily and I had been friends since childhood. I wasn't jealous of her in particular, but until now, the only thing I got from my mum were quick greetings and kisses. I hadn't bonded with my mum the way she did, and she had never failed to remind of that fact.

“I have to freshen up for dinner. You should get ready too.” Mum said as she unpacked the last of my clothes.

It was only then that I realized we had actually made a bigger mess instead of cleaning up. Bags were opened and clothes were scattered everywhere. Mum sighed as she noticed it too.

“Just get ready for dinner. We'll sort all of this out when we get back.” She gestured to the mess, grimacing. She placed a kiss on my head.

“I love you, sweetie.” she muttered as she embraced me.

“I love you too, Mum.”

When she pulled away, a big smile plastered on my face. The smile was still there hours after she left as I got ready for our first night out with our new family.